Heathrow Connect was a train service in London provided jointly by Heathrow Express and Great Western Railway (GWR), between Heathrow Airport and Paddington station. The service followed the same route as the non-stop Heathrow Express service but called at certain intermediate stations, connecting several locations in West London with each other, the airport, and Central London. It ran every half-hour throughout the day and evening. The service launched on 12 June 2005 and ran until 20 May 2018, when it was absorbed into the TfL Rail franchise, ahead of becoming part of the Elizabeth line in December 2018.
Video Heathrow Connect
Company
Structure
Heathrow Connect had a complex operating structure. The rolling stock and on-board staff were supplied by Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA) through the Heathrow Express company. For the portion of the journey between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington, these were leased to GWR and the service is classed as being "operated" by the latter. Between Hayes & Harlington and Airport Junction, the service operated 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 were the same as for GWR services, but the single fare between Hayes and Heathrow was £6.30 as of January 2018. Oyster cards, Travelcards and Freedom Passes were not valid between Hayes and Harlington and Heathrow, but could 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 was 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, but almost double the price of a London Underground journey) and a journey time of 25 minutes against the Express time of 15 minutes. Passengers were also permitted to 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 was 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, and this included Heathrow Connect services.
Maps Heathrow Connect
Operations
Route
Heathrow Connect used 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. As part of the original Heathrow Express project, these lines were electrified at 25 kV AC overhead as a diversionary route, and feature Automatic Train Protection. An additional flyover bridge was built in 2008 as part of Crossrail works to enable trains to enter or leave the airport spur without crossing any of the Great Western Main Line tracks.
The service pattern, as of October 2016, was as follows:
- Monday-Saturday, Heathrow Connect services ran 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 were extended beyond Heathrow Central to either Terminal 4 or Terminal 5.
- On Sundays, all Heathrow Connect services were extended to Terminal 4, but did not call at West Ealing or Hanwell. Service frequency was also reduced from half-hourly to hourly.
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 but an extra coach was added when BAA bought them.
Replacement with TfL Rail
On 20 May 2018, TfL Rail took over the services operated by Heathrow Connect as a precursor to the full opening of the Elizabeth line. Fares on the line are now integrated into the TfL fare scheme, and therefore match the fare scheme of London Underground services, with the exception of a premium for single journeys to and from Heathrow using Pay As You Go (Oyster and contactless). Passengers are able to use Oyster cards, Travelcards and Freedom Passes to travel between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow.
From December 2019 the service will be re-branded as the Elizabeth line and train paths will be extended through the new tunnels at Paddington through Central London, calling at stations such as Bond Street, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. When the line opens fully, eastbound trains from Heathrow will terminate at Shenfield or Abbey Wood.
TfL Rail had originally planned to replace the existing Class 360 units with Class 345s, but due to delays with the signalling system in the Heathrow Airport tunnels and late delivery of Class 345 units, a contingency plan has been implemented. The Class 360s will continue to be used between London Paddington and Heathrow, supplemented by two Class 345 trains per hour running between London Paddington and the extended bay platform at Hayes & Harlington, until the Class 360s can be fully replaced.
References
External links
Media related to Heathrow Connect at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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