Travellers to Heathrow could end up footing the bill for its row with Crossrail (Alamy )

A ROW has erupted over who should foot the bill for a stretch of line that connects Heathrow’s overground stations to Crossrail, the newest rail network in London.

Heathrow, owned mainly by overseas investors, built and paid for a 5.3-mile stretch of line connecting its terminals with the main line to Paddington.

Now, the airport wants to recoup the cost of the line’s construction — completed almost two decades ago — from users of Crossrail.

The demand has triggered a dispute with the Department for Transport and Transport for London. The department estimates that meeting Heathrow’s claim could pile more than £40m on to the annual cost of running Crossrail.

The brewing row raises the spectre of rail passengers being forced to pay inflated prices