Heathrow Connect

Heathrow Connect

Overview
Franchise(s)	Open access operator Not subject to franchising 12 June 2005 - 19 May 2018
Main route(s)	London Paddington – Heathrow Airport
Other route(s)	None
Fleet	5 Class 360 sets
Stations called at	8 (none operated)
Parent company	Heathrow Airport Holdings & FirstGroup
Reporting mark	HC
Other
Website	heathrowconnect.com

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 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 and ran until 20th May 2018, when it was absorbed into the TfL Rail franchise, ahead of becoming part of the Elizabeth line in December 2018.

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.

Operations

Route

Heathrow area rail services
mi-ch from Paddington Elizabeth line via Whitechapel 0-00 Paddington Heathrow Express Elizabeth line Old Oak Common under construction 4-21 Acton Main Line 5-56 Ealing Broadway 6-46 West Ealing 7-28 Hanwell 9-06 Southall 10-71 Hayes & Harlington Piccadilly line to Cockfosters 11-10 Airport Junction Great Western Main Line to Reading Hatton Cross Heathrow Junction closed 1998 Heathrow Airport: Terminal 4 16-30 Terminal 4 Terminals 2 & 3 14-40 Terminals 2 & 3 16-20 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.

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 but an extra coach was added when BAA bought them.

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

Replacement

TfL Rail Roundel

From May 2018, Class 345 TfL Rail trains were to 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.

As of February 2018, delays with the signalling system in the Heathrow Airport tunnels and late delivery of Class 345 units have resulted in a contingency plan being implemented from May 2018. As opposed to the original plan to replace all Class 360 units with Class 345s, TfL Rail will continue to use the Class 360s between London Paddington and Heathrow. This will be supplemented with two Class 345 trains per hour running between London Paddington and the extended bay platform at Hayes & Harlington.

As of 20 May 2018, fares on this line will match the fare scheme of TfL Rail, and therefore will match the fare scheme of London Underground Services, with the exception of an up-charge for individual rides to and from Heathrow.

External links

Media related to Heathrow Connect at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website