Heathrow Connect

Heathrow Connect

Overview
Main route(s):	London Paddington – Heathrow Airport
Other route(s):	None
Fleet size:	5 Class 360 sets
Stations called at:	8 (none operated)
National Rail abbreviation:	HC
Parent company:	Heathrow Airport Holdings/FirstGroup
Website:	www.heathrowconnect.com

Heathrow Connect is a train service in London provided jointly by Heathrow Express and Great Western Railway (GWR), connecting Heathrow Airport with Paddington. The service follows the same route as the non-stop Heathrow Express service but calls at certain intermediate stations, connecting several locations in west London with each other, the airport, and Central London. It runs every half-hour throughout the day and evening.

The service, launched on 12 June 2005, uses 5-coach Class 360/2 electric multiple-unit trains built by Siemens in Germany. These were originally built as Class 350 4-coach units. When BAA bought these units, an extra coach was added to make them 5-car units.

Fares

Fares between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington are the same as for GWR services, but the single fare between Hayes and Heathrow is £6.10 as of September 2015. Oyster cards, Travelcards and Freedom Passes are not valid between Hayes and Harlington and Heathrow, but can be used throughout the rest of the route. When the service was first introduced in 2005, the fare for the 3-mile (4.8 km) journey from Hayes to Heathrow was £6, which at £2 per mile made it one of the most expensive train journeys in the world.

The service was designed principally for the use of airport staff and West London residents for travel to Heathrow or Paddington. With a staff ID card, discounted fares are available for the journey between Hayes and Heathrow.

Originally it was not intended to be used as a cheaper (but slower) alternative to the Heathrow Express service from Paddington to Heathrow: every Connect service is overtaken by an Express service en route, and at Paddington trains were originally advertised on departure boards as running to Hayes & Harlington only.

Now, Heathrow Connect is marketed as a much cheaper way to reach Paddington from Heathrow and vice versa, with a single fare of £10.10 (slightly less than half the Heathrow Express fare) and a journey time of 25 minutes against the Express time of 15 minutes. Passengers can also use their Railcards to access discounts.

Standard-class travel between Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and Terminal 4 or Terminal 5 is free.

Performance

Because the service is provided as a joint venture between GWR and Heathrow Express and is not subject to the usual franchising specifications, it is not obliged to provide performance statistics.

Operation

Class 360/2 at Paddington, unusually at the Heathrow Express platform.

Heathrow area rail services
Legend
Crossrail (under construction) London Underground | 0⅓ Paddington Heathrow Connect Heathrow Express 4¼ Acton Main Line starts 2019 London Underground 5⅝ Ealing Broadway 6½ West Ealing 7¼ Hanwell 9⅓ Southall 10⅞ Hayes & Harlington London Underground 11⅛ Airport Junction Great Western Main Line to Slough and Reading Hatton Cross Heathrow Junction closed 1998 Heathrow Airport: Terminal 4 16⅜ Terminal 4( shuttle from Heathrow C. ) Terminals 2 & 3 14½ Heathrow Central 16¼ Terminal 5

The service uses the Relief Lines of the Great Western Main Line between Airport Junction and Paddington, replacing some stopping services operated by the former First Great Western Link. These lines were electrified as part of the original Heathrow Express project as a diversionary route. The lines are electrified at 25 kV AC overhead and feature Automatic Train Protection.

To access the airport spur without crossing the Main Lines, trains in both directions use the flyover track originally built for Heathrow Express trains heading towards Paddington. This arrangement means Heathrow Connect trains to the airport use the flyover in the opposite direction to normal operation, and trains from Heathrow must cross both slow lines on the flat. As part of Crossrail works, the flyover is being rebuilt to overcome these limitations.

The service pattern, as of August 2015, is as follows:

• Monday-Saturday, Heathrow Connect services run half-hourly between Paddington and Heathrow Central (terminals 1-3), stopping at Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southall and Hayes & Harlington. For terminals 4 and 5, passengers must change at Heathrow Central for either a Heathrow Express service (which runs to Terminal 5), or the 'Heathrow Express shuttle' (which provides services to Terminal 4).
• On Sundays, Heathrow Connect services are extended to Terminal 4 but do not call at West Ealing or Hanwell. Service frequency is similar.

Heathrow Connect will be absorbed into the Crossrail service in May 2018. Crossrail will extend current train paths through a central London tunnel as services to Shenfield and Abbey Wood.

Structure

Heathrow Connect has a complex operating structure. The rolling stock and on-board staff are supplied by Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA) through the Heathrow Express company. For the portion of the journey between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington, these are leased to GWR and the service is classed as being "operated" by the latter. Between Hayes & Harlington and Airport Junction, it runs using open-access rights obtained by Heathrow Express. Beyond Airport Junction the track is owned by Heathrow Airport Holdings.

Rolling stock

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Quantity	Number	Seat Layout	Routes operated	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 360/2 Desiro		electric multiple unit	100	161	5	360201-360205	2+3	London Paddington – Heathrow Terminal 4 or Heathrow Terminal 5	2004–2005

Future

From May 2018, Crossrail trains will replace all Heathrow Connect trains between London Paddington and Heathrow terminals 2 to 4. Furthermore, as of December 2019 all services will run through the new tunnels at Paddington to central London destinations including Bond Street, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf.

External links

• Official website