Yesterday marked the start of trial operations on the new Piccadilly line extension to Heathrow Terminal 5.
Tube trains will now run to the station for the first time, to ensure that all aspects of the rail service can be operated safely and reliably, ahead of the first passenger services when Terminal 5 opens on 27 March 2008.
Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, said the start of trials represented “a major milestone in the delivery of the new Piccadilly Line extension to Heathrow Terminal 5.”
The extension is wholly funded by Heathrow Airport Ltd, a subsidiary of BAA who will operate the Terminal 5 station via the Heathrow Express Operating Company.
Ian Fugeman, BAA Head of Rail and Tunnels said is was: “hugely satisfying” to see the commencement of trials, an event he described as “the culmination of many years of hard work and successful project management by BAA.”
