Heathrow Express
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.
It operates from approximately 0500 until 0000, with trains every 15 minutes. There are two stops at Heathrow: Heathrow Central (journey time from Paddington approximately 15 minutes), and Heathrow Terminal 4 (journey time approximately 22 minutes). Once the new Terminal 5 opens, Heathrow Express services will no longer call at Terminal 4, which will become the new terminus for
Heathrow Connect.
The service, which opened on
23 June 1998, 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.
The service 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.
As of 2006, it costs around
£14 for a single journey in standard class and around £23 for first class - making it statistically Britain's most expensive railway journey, at over £1 per mile. Comparable airport trains in the UK and the rest of Europe charge a small fraction of the Heathrow Express fare; the train from
Birmingham to
Birmingham International Airport costs £2.60, while the
London Underground's
Piccadilly Line service from central London to Heathrow Airport costs less than £4.
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Heathrow Express homepage*
Heathrow Connect*
Gatwick Express*
Stansted Express*
Train-To-The-Plane
