Heathrow Connect is a train service in London provided jointly by Heathrow Express and Great Western Railway (GWR), between Heathrow Airport and Paddington station. 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. It will be absorbed into the TfL Rail franchise on 20 May 2018, ahead of becoming part of the Elizabeth line in December 2019.
Video Heathrow Connect
Company
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.
Fares
Fares between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington are the same as for GWR services, but the single fare between Hayes and Heathrow is £6.30 as of January 2018. 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.
Heathrow Connect is marketed as a cheaper way to reach Paddington from Heathrow and vice versa, with a single fare of £10.30 (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. 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. Standard-class travel between Heathrow Airport terminals is free.
Maps Heathrow Connect
Operations
Route
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.
As part of Crossrail works, an additional flyover bridge has been built so that trains can enter or leave the airport spur without crossing any of the Great Western Main Line tracks. Heathrow Connect trains to the airport now use the flyover track originally built for Heathrow Express trains travelling from the airport. Trains travelling from the airport now use the new flyover to cross over both the main and relief lines. They can then descend to join either of the 'up' lines towards London.
The service pattern, as of October 2016, is as follows:
- Monday-Saturday, Heathrow Connect services run half-hourly between Paddington and Heathrow Central (for terminals 2 & 3), stopping at Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southall and Hayes & Harlington. In early mornings and late evenings, some Heathrow Connect services are extended beyond Heathrow Central to either Terminal 4 or Terminal 5.
- On Sundays, all Heathrow Connect services are extended to Terminal 4, but do not call at West Ealing or Hanwell. Service frequency is also reduced from half-hourly to hourly.
Heathrow Connect will be absorbed into the TfL Rail franchise on 20 May 2018. The TfL Rail franchise will extend current train paths through a central London tunnel as services to Shenfield and Abbey Wood when it is rebranded as the Elizabeth line in December 2019.
Rolling stock
Heathrow Connect uses five-car Class 360/2 electric multiple-unit trains built by Siemens Mobility in Germany. These were originally built as Class 360 four-car units. When BAA bought these units, an extra coach was added to make them five-car units.
Replacement
From May 2018, Class 345 TfL Rail trains will replace all Heathrow Connect trains between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminals 2, 3 and 4. Also, for the first time, passengers will be able to use Oyster cards, Travelcards and Freedom Passes to travel between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow. This is because all Heathrow Terminal stations will be included in the TfL fare zone, as part of TfL Rail. From December 2019, all services will run through the new tunnels at Paddington to central London destinations including Bond Street, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf, as part of the Elizabeth line.
References
External links
Media related to Heathrow Connect at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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