THE spirit of Brunel is alive after railway construction began on a 120m bridge that will be used by Crossrail services from Heathrow to London.

The first section of track was laid on the Stockley Flyover, the largest single-span bridge on the Great Western railway since the days of the famous engineer.

Services will be fully operational by 2019 and will allow passengers to travel from Heathrow and through the centre of the capital without changing trains.

Crossrail Surface Director Matthew White said: “The flyover at Stockley will provide a vital new link between Heathrow and London, significantly improving connections between the airport and the West End, the City and Canary Wharf.”

There will be four trains an hour on the route, meaning journey times of 26 minutes to Bond Street and 40 minutes to Canary Wharf.