Laurence - many thanks, thought I had seen everything, but a Comet glider - takes the biscuit!

The two entrances either side of the main access tunnel used to lead to short tunnels that emerged on the aprons.

I believe that once the piers were built and they became unnecessary, they were subsequently used for storage (and may still be, for all I know).

I'm sure I saw taxis using them in about 1970 when I worked at the north side radar station.

Correct.

The two small tunnels either side of the main tunnel have been in use for decades and are used by taxis.

It must have been along time ago that you last visited Heathrow if you hadn't noticed.

.....and by bicycles and motorbikes, although it would seem that both are no longer welcome in the central area.

I remember them being bicycles & pedestrians(!) only, in the mid-60s: motorbikes must have been later.

Canberra97,

And a long time since you were there too if you believe that DaveReidUK is talking about the two old bike/pedestrian tunnels. These have always been there running parallel to the main tunnels. They were made available for cars and taxis years ago to increase the flow. That's why there are free buses around the airport cos you can't access the Central Area any other way. No bikes nor pedestrians allowed.

Now...back to the apron access tunnels and their former and current us. Anyone?

S

A "cargo" tunnel did indeed exist on the other side of the airport. One day, the BOAC flight crew were taken from the BOAC HQ car park to the central area via this tunnel for some reason. The Capt. had his wife with him in the crew transport, as she was flying with him on a Staff Ticket on that occasion.

They were stopped at the entrance by a security officer speaking in an accent that could have put him from that large island to the West of England, the Southern part of which doesn't form part of the UK. He examined the crew identity passes, and then announced that Mrs. Capt. was not allowed through the tunnel, which was not available for passengers, staff and crew only.

No manner of identification from ticket, passport, Capt's declaration would persuade this guardian of LHR. that the lady should pass. Eventually, when tempers and commonsense were getting fully exhausted, this genius noted that the crew transport was holding up the then RailAir Link bus from Woking Station, full of passengers off a B.R. Train. Tell you what, Sir, he said to the Capt. your wife can get out of the car, on to the bus, and on the other side she can get off the bus and into the car again.

That happened, LHR Security is well secure in hands like that.

I used to occasionally get the bus from Hatton Cross tube to the CTA via the cargo tunnel. One morning a catering truck had got stuck in there after its scissor jack mechanism jammed the back against the roof.

Thanks for clarifying the confusion. I wasn't, of course.

But now we're on the subject of the parallel tunnels:

I seem to recall a few years ago when cycles were banned from sharing with the taxis (there used to be a cycle lane marked down the middle, and taxi drivers got the hump when they were stuck behind a bike) HAL assured everyone that the cycle ban was going to be temporary. There was some chat about it on PPRuNe at the time. Now it seems it's permanent.

Quite.

Many years ago we teenagers used to cycle through the tunnel for the bowl and airside!!! coffee. Those were the days

I cycled through the northern pedestrian tunnels several times in the early '80s, can't recall being chased down by taxis, but then I was pretty quick in them days! It was quite a nice ride over from Purley via Banstead and Hampton Court.

If I remember correctly the side tunnels were for pedestrians and cyclists up until a certain point, then the 'IN' tunnel became a de-facto Black Cab entry conduit from the then holding pool/rank up to the side of 27R above the tunnels and then somehow motorbikes were in the mix with fewer pedestrians and cyclists (assuming that the majority had been airport workers) and they seem now to have been closed for maintenance since a few years.

Pedestrian and cycle access is now prevented for security reasons - registered vehicles can be monitored through the ANPR system in place outside of the tunnels and inside the central area. The cargo tunnels are still used with their apron access shafts continuously monitored for security breaches. There are other tunnels as well, which may be what has been alluded to in earlier posts, which were opened again a few years ago during the construction of the new T2 after many years of disuse to reveal some interesting historical artefacts from LHR's past.

So as a pedestrian, I'm more of a threat if I jump on my bike than if I hop on a Number 285 bus ?

How so ?

I can't find the thread, but Google reveals that the current Heathrow statement that "There is currently no direct cycle route to Terminals 2 and 3 due to construction work to the main road tunnel" dates from around mid-2015:

Cycling | Getting to Heathrow by bike | Heathrow

AFAIK, there has been no subsequent statement that the cycle ban is now permanent or indefinite.

Just responding to your first sentence, actually the last time I was at LHR was on Sunday 29 October 2017!.

Not quite Dave, more to do with monitoring and threat management - the central bus station, LU/HEX, MSCP's, drop off points etc provide for congregation in places with provision for maximum surveillance. Can't really say more than that other than we live in a very different world to the one when the Spur tunnels were built.

Happily, security considerations notwithstanding, I have today been advised by Heathrow that cycle access to the CTA is expected to be restored in late summer/autumn 2018, with the side bore of the outbound tunnel becoming a two-way cycle path.

It does seems that way, despite or perhaps of reversers explanation, "they" do seem to have it in for pedestrians. I found out recently that if you read the signs carefully it would appear you are no longer "allowed" to walk from T5 to Longford via the western section of the perimeter road, and in fact one of the pedestrian crossings that used to facilitate the same has been blocked off to prevent pedestrian use....(yes, I know the first reply will start with "but why would you want to...."