Heathrow Connect
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| Overview | |
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| Main route(s): | London Paddington – Heathrow Airport |
| Other route(s): | None |
| Fleet size: | 5 Class 360 sets |
| Stations called at: | 8 (none operated) |
| National Rail abbreviation: | HC |
| Parent company: | Heathrow Airport Holdings/FirstGroup |
| Website: | www.heathrowconnect.com |
Heathrow Connect is a train service in London provided jointly by Heathrow Express and Great Western Railway (GWR), connecting Heathrow Airport with Paddington. 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 will be replaced by Crossrail in December 2019.
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.
Because the service is provided as a joint venture between GWR and Heathrow Express and is not subject to the usual franchising specifications, it is not obliged to provide performance statistics.
Fares between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington are the same as for GWR services, but the single fare between Hayes and Heathrow is £6.20 as of October 2016. 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.
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