Heathrow Express Extension – Terminal 5 | UK

A new link rail link for Terminal 5

Heathrow Express is an airport rail link between London Heathrow Airport and London Paddington station. The service opened in 1998 and is operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority, a wholly owned subsidiary of Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited.

As part of the extension works at Heathrow Airport, Terminal 5 is to be linked to the existing terminals via the Heathrow Express.

Sixense appointed

Sixense were appointed to carry out the installation and monitoring to the existing Heathrow Express running tunnel between Terminals 3 and 5 during the passage of the tunnel boring machine into the existing turnout stub, and during breakout into the existing tunnel.

A comprehensive monitoring system was installed. This comprised of:

• 2 Nos. Cyclops ATS

• 120 Nos. Prisms (Automated Monitoring)

• 80 Nos. Prisms (Manual Monitoring)

Real-time movements were monitored and recorded on Sixense’s Geoscope monitoring software. Both Cyclops instruments were driven by a computer installed in the baggage area and linked to the instruments by a data cable running along the tunnel lining.

Another computer was installed in the contractor’s control room and linked to the baggage area via a modem. This allowed the monitoring engineer and contractor to assess and review movements of the tunnel in real time.

A remote alarm system was also installed within the Heathrow Express control room and linked to the monitoring engineer’s PC via a phone line. This alarm system would activate a flashing warning light if triggers were breached, allowing the control room staff to stop train movements immediately and ensure passenger safety.

Terminal 5 opened on 27th March 2008 and the full Heathrow Express service to T5 opened on 23rd June the same year.