Heathrow Express

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Image:Heathrow_express_logo.gif
Franchise(s): Not subject to franchising;
service began 23 June 1998
Main route(s): London Paddington – Heathrow Airport
Other route(s): None
Fleet size: 14 Class 332 sets
Stations called at: 4 (3 operated)
National Rail abbreviation: HX
Parent company: BAA Limited
Web site: www.heathrowexpress.com
Heathrow Express entering the Heathrow Central station
Heathrow Express entering the Heathrow Central station

Heathrow Express is a train service from Heathrow Airport to Paddington in Central London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority; a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. The service is not part of the National Rail system, despite part of its journey sharing track with National Rail trains and terminating at a London mainline station.

Contents

[edit] Service

Trains leave Paddington every 15 minutes from 05.10 until 23.25 (23.10 on Saturdays), and there is a similar quarter-hourly service in the return direction. At Paddington, Heathrow Express trains use two dedicated platforms (6 and 7). There are two stops at Heathrow: Heathrow Central station, serving Terminals 1, 2, 3 (journey time from Paddington approximately 15 minutes), and Heathrow Terminal 5 station (journey time approximately 21 minutes). Until the opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow on 27 March 2008, Heathrow Express services served Terminal 4, but this has now been discontinued and Terminal 4 is now the new terminus for Heathrow Connect instead.

The service uses Class 332 electric multiple unit trains built by Siemens. The trains incorporate numerous modern features including video monitors and the ability to use mobile phones throughout the journey—even when in tunnels. The monitors are mostly used for advertising purposes and for the broadcast of news and weather updates produced for Heathrow Express by BBC World.

Since its opening, Heathrow Express has been generally well received, not least because steps were taken to reduce the environmental impact of the train line. Measures included disguising ventilation shafts as barns. The service has received some criticism, however, mainly due to its cost, the lack of quiet zone on some trains and the poor air quality at Paddington station.

As of 2007, it costs around £15.50 for a single journey in standard class and around £24.50 for first class.

There is also a stopping service (Heathrow Connect) which takes the same route from Central London to Heathrow, using the relief lines, on which lower fares are charged. While this service takes 10 minutes longer it usefully offers connections to the Central Line and District Line at Ealing Broadway.

Airport commuters can get a discount through the Airport Commuter scheme operated by BAA. A monthly pass costs £130 as of January 2007.

[edit] Construction

Heathrow rail services
Heathrow
Express		 Heathrow
Connect


CPICla CPIC CPICra
London Paddington
STRlf vABZlr STRrf
vSTR-BHF
Ealing Broadway Interchange to Central Line
vSTR-BHF
West Ealing (closed Sundays)
vSTR-BHF
Hanwell (closed Sundays)
vSTR-BHF
Southall
vSTR-BHF
Hayes & Harlington
vSTRe utSTR
Piccadilly Line
TUNNELa utABZlf utSTRlg
FLUG tCPICl CPIC utCPICr utSTR
Heathrow Central (rail) & Terminals 1, 2, 3 (tube)
tSTRrg tABZrl tSTRlg utSTR utSTRd
Free transfer between terminals on Heathrow Connect
FLUG tSTR tCPICle utCPICpassu utCPICr
Heathrow Terminal 4 rail & tube (Heathrow Connect Terminus)
tSTR utABZlf utSTRrf
Free transfer between terminals on Heathrow Express
FLUG tCPICl texCPICma CPIC utCPICre
Heathrow Terminal 5 (Heathrow Express Terminus)
texSTRlf texABZlg LUECKE
to London Waterloo
exTUNNELe exCPICla CPICr
Staines (proposed Heathrow Express Terminus)
HLUECKE eABZ3lf eHBHF eABZ3lg eABZ3rf ABZrf
Staines High Street (Proposed)
HLUECKE HSTR eABZ3rf HSTR STRrf
to Reading, Woking and Guildford
Heathrow
Airtrack
All Heathrow stations have step-free access

Construction began in 1993. The principal works were the construction of a 5 mile tunnel and underground stations at Heathrow, and electrification of the Great Western Main Line between Paddington and Airport Junction. A flying junction known as Stockley Flyover was constructed to connect the tunnel to the GWML fast lines.

One of the most catastrophic civil engineering disasters in British history occurred on 21st October, 1994, when one of the partially constructed tunnels carrying the railway into the Terminal 1,2,3 complex collapsed without warning. An office building and a car park were consumed by the huge crater which opened up between Heathrow's two parallel runways. The principal contractor, Balfour Beatty, was found guilty of negligence in February 1999. The collapse had far reaching consequences, since it also stopped construction of the extended Jubilee Line of the London Underground, where contractors were using similar tunnelling methods.

Beginning in January 1998, an interim service called Heathrow FastTrain ran to a temporary station called Heathrow Junction, where a coach took passengers the rest of the way. The full service opened on 23 June 1998.

[edit] Route

The service runs along the Great Western Main Line from Paddington to airport junction (Network Rail owned infrastructure). The line from airport junction to the airport terminals is owned by BAA. The line is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead and uses Automatic Train Protection.

[edit] Rolling Stock

[edit] Current fleet

Class Image Type Top speed Number Routes operated Built
 mph   km/h 
Class 332 electric multiple unit 100 160 14 London Paddington - Heathrow Airport 1998

[edit] External links

[edit] See also


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