View source for Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 tube station

{{short description|London Underground station}}
{{distinguish|Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 railway station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox London station|symbol=underground
| name          = Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3
| alt_name      =
| manager       = [[London Underground]]
| manager1      =
| manager2      =
| owner         =
| owner1        =
| owner2        =
| locale        = [[Heathrow Airport]]
| borough       = [[London Borough of Hillingdon]]
| platforms     = 2
| fare_zone     = 6
| fare_zone_1   =
| railcode      =
| railcode2     =
| image_name    = Heathrow Terminal 1, 2, 3 platform, July 2024.jpg
| caption       = Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 tube station platform, July 2024
| original      = [[London Transport Executive (GLC)]]
| coordinates   = {{coord|51.471|-0.452|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| map_type      =
| label_position= right
| years1        = 16 December 1977
| years2        =
| years3        =
| years4        =
| years5        =
| years6        =
| years7        =
| years8        =
| years9        =
| events1       = Opened
| events2       =
| events3       =
| events4       =
| events5       =
| events6       =
| events7       =
| events8       =
| events9       =
| railexits0203 =
| railexits0405 =
| railexits0506 =
| railexits0607 =
| railexits0708 =
| railint0203   =
| railint0405   =
| railint0506   =
| railint0607   =
| railint0708   =
<!--| tubeexits03   =
| tubeexits04   = 8.837
| tubeexits05   = 8.496
| tubeexits06   = 8.577
| tubeexits07   = {{increase}} 9.307
| tubeexits08   = {{decrease}} 8.090
| tubeexits09   = {{increase}} 8.26-->
| access        = yes
| access_note   =<ref>{{citation step free tube map}}</ref>
}}

'''Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3''' is a [[London Underground]] station at [[Heathrow Airport]] on the Heathrow branch of the [[Piccadilly line]], which serves Heathrow Terminals [[Heathrow Terminal 2|2]] and [[Heathrow Terminal 3|3]]. It is between [[Heathrow Terminal 5 station|Heathrow Terminal 5]] and [[Hatton Cross tube station|Hatton Cross]] stations. It is also next to [[Heathrow Terminal 4 tube station|Heathrow Terminal 4]] station in a one-way operation. The station also served [[Heathrow Terminal 1]] until its closure in January 2016. The station is situated in [[London fare zone 6]], along with the nearby [[Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 railway station]] served by [[Heathrow Express]] and [[Elizabeth line]] services.

==History==
To cater to the rapid growth of road traffic to [[Heathrow Airport]], several rail lines were considered to serve the airport. An average increment of 1 million passengers a year between 1953 and 1973, and rising issues with airline [[Coach (bus)|coach]] services from major terminals due to location, traffic congestion, larger aircraft capacity and increasing leisure travel further increased the need for public transport connections. Parliament considered two schemes, a spur of the [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]] from [[Feltham railway station|Feltham]], and an extension of the [[Piccadilly line]] extension from [[Hounslow West tube station|Hounslow West]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Horne |first=Mike |title=The Piccadilly Tube – A History of the First Hundred Years |publisher=Capital Transport |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-85414-305-1 |pages=115–120}}</ref>

An extension of the Piccadilly line to serve the airport was approved with [[royal assent]] as the [[London Transport Act 1967]] (c. xxxix) and [[British Railways Act 1967]] (c. xxx) respectively on 27 July 1967.<ref>{{London Gazette
| issue = 44377
| date = 1 August 1967
| pages = 8450
}}</ref> Partial government funding was obtained in April 1972 for the {{convert|3.5|mi|km|abbr=on}} Piccadilly line extension, and the estimated cost of construction was £12.3&nbsp;million.<ref name=":0" /> Construction of the extension began on 27 April 1971, with a groundbreaking by Sir [[Desmond Plummer]], leader of the [[Greater London Council]].<ref name=":0" /> On 19 July 1975, the line was extended to [[Hatton Cross tube station|Hatton Cross]] as an interim terminus.<ref name=":0" />

The station was opened as '''Heathrow Central''' by [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] on 16 December 1977.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1977-12-16|title=1977: Queen opens 'tube' link to Heathrow|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/16/newsid_2560000/2560019.stm |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=2021-06-23}}</ref> At its opening, the station served as the terminus of what became known as the Heathrow branch of the line – previously it had been the Hounslow branch.

With the development of the airport's new [[Heathrow Terminal 4|Terminal 4]] underway for which a separate Underground station would be provided, the station was initially renamed '''Heathrow Central Terminals 1,&nbsp;2,&nbsp;3''' from 3 September 1983, then renamed '''Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3''' on 6 October 1986. After the closure of [[Heathrow Terminal 1]] in January 2016, the station was renamed to '''Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3''',<ref>{{cite web|title=Tube map|url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918044302/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/standard-tube-map.pdf|archive-date=2017-09-18|access-date=26 September 2017|publisher=[[TfL]]}}</ref> however, as of December 2023 signage on the platform still says "Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Piccadilly Line CLD |url=https://content.tfl.gov.uk/piccadilly-line-cld-archive.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110020942/https://content.tfl.gov.uk/piccadilly-line-cld-archive.pdf |archive-date=10 November 2019 |access-date=15 August 2021 |website=TfL}}</ref>

The [[Heathrow Terminal 4 tube station|Terminal 4 station]] is located on a unidirectional single track loop from Hatton Cross to Heathrow Terminals 2&nbsp;&&nbsp;3. On the opening of the Terminal 4 station, most direct services from Hatton Cross to Terminals 2 & 3 ceased, with most Piccadilly line trains going first to Terminal 4. This meant that the westbound tunnel direct from Hatton Cross to Terminals 2 & 3 was little-used from 1986 to 2008. However, some early morning trains still went directly to Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3.

For the construction of the tunnel to the new [[Heathrow Terminal 5 station]], the loop track and Terminal 4 station closed temporarily on 7 January 2005 and Heathrow Terminals 1,&nbsp;2,&nbsp;3 once again became the terminus of the line, with two way working into the station as had been the case prior to 1986. This situation continued until 17 September 2006, when the Terminal 5 tunnel works were sufficiently complete for the loop tunnel and Terminal 4 station to reopen.

[[File:Piccadilly T5 Extension.JPG|thumb|Part of a Piccadilly route map sign showing the stations at Heathrow]]
Heathrow Terminal 5 station opened on 27 March 2008, but the frequency of trains on the Heathrow branch of the Piccadilly line remained the same as previously, with services from Hatton Cross to Heathrow split. Alternate trains run either to Terminal 4 (around the loop and back to [[Central London]] via Terminals 2&nbsp;&&nbsp;3), or direct to Terminals 2&nbsp;&&nbsp;3 and Terminal 5.

Heathrow Terminals 2&nbsp;&&nbsp;3 has a double crossover immediately to the east which can be seen from the platform. This is used to allow trains to enter either platforms 1 or 2 heading westbound to terminate here. It is used for the last Heathrow service of the day Monday to Saturday and during times of service disruption. Also, a short distance to the west, are two further crossovers where the single track loop line from Terminal 4 rejoins the eastbound track from Terminal 5 to Terminals 2 & 3.

The station has six [[escalator]]s of which two operate from the platform to the ticket hall area and two operate in the opposite direction{{clarify|date=April 2017}}; the other two connect the ticket hall area to the surface. A mezzanine floor between the platform and ticket hall levels provide staff accommodation and facilities. [[British Transport Police]] maintain a presence at Heathrow.<ref name="SE">[http://www.btp.police.uk/about_us/areas/london_underground__dlr.aspx#heathrow British Transport Police, London Underground Area] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221073514/http://www.btp.police.uk/about_us/areas/london_underground__dlr.aspx |date=21 December 2008 }}</ref>

Until 2012, free transfer was not possible between terminals, in contrast to the [[Heathrow Express]]. In January 2012, free travel was introduced for [[Oyster card]] and contactless payment card holders between the Heathrow stations on the Piccadilly line. Journeys from Heathrow Terminals 2&nbsp;&&nbsp;3 or Heathrow Terminal 5 to Terminal 4 via the Piccadilly line require a change at Hatton Cross.

As of March 2012, the station had undergone renovation works which featured an extended control room, all six escalators refurbished, a station enhancement and two Step Free Access lifts from the ticket hall (located near the bottom of the escalators from street level) to the platforms.  Step-free access to street level will continue to be served by the two airport lifts from the Coach station.

==Artwork==
The station platforms feature an abstract mural of [[Concorde]] (the supersonic airliner) in [[vitreous enamel]] by artist [[Tom Eckersley]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heathrow Underground Station Mural Designed by Tom Eckersley 1977 |url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1135970/heathrow-underground-station-mural-designed-poster-eckersley-tom/ |access-date=14 October 2024 |website=Victoria and Albert Museum}}</ref>

==Services==
{{Heathrow rail services}}
{{Adjacent stations|noclear=y|system=London Underground
  |line1=Piccadilly|left1=Heathrow Terminal 5|right1=Hatton Cross|type1=Heathrow branch|to-left1=Heathrow Terminal 5
  |line2=Piccadilly|oneway-left2=yes|left2=Heathrow Terminal 4|right2=Hatton Cross|type2=Heathrow branch
}}

==Connections==
The station is directly below [[Heathrow Central bus station]], which offers both local buses and long-distance express coaches.

==See also==
*[[Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 railway station]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 tube station}}
* [https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/photographs London Transport Museum Photographic Archive]
** {{LTM archive|2001-33285|Official opening of the station by Her Majesty the Queen, 1977}}
** {{LTM archive|1998-87980|External view of station, 1979}}
** {{LTM archive|2001-33291|Detail of platform decoration and seating, 1980}}
*{{cite web 
|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/heathrow/pdf/heathrow-central-london-map.pdf
|title=Central London to Heathrow
|archive-date=2008-09-08
|author=Transport for London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908061700/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/heathrow/pdf/heathrow-central-london-map.pdf
|date=March 2008
}} – transport map for Heathrow showing Underground, Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect rail, and the N9 night bus

{{Piccadilly line navbox}}
{{London Heathrow Airport}}
{{UK Airport stations}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 Tube Station}}
[[Category:Piccadilly line stations]]
[[Category:London Underground Night Tube stations]]
[[Category:Tube stations in the London Borough of Hillingdon]]
[[Category:Airport railway stations in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Railway and tube stations serving Heathrow Airport|1]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1977]]
[[Category:1977 establishments in England]]