The bus service stopped a while ago, I used it a few times and each time was the only passenger.
I can understand bmi using the slots for better paying traffic, but surely without feeder flights, no one from up here is going to use LHR, it's not worth driving to NCL or MAN, might as well just drive to LHR. If getting a connection, might as well use AMS, it will probably be cheaper anyway. And AMS is a much better airport than LHR.
If LHR want a third runway, it is for feeder flights, smaller aircraft, but if there are no feeder flights, there is no point in a new runway.
Heading to Darlington Station to get a train to London now, to just south of LHR...