The Anonymous Widower

Heathrow Express In Trouble

I have used it occasionally, but I don’t use Heathrow Express much, as it is very overpriced and terminates in London at the difficult-to-access Paddington station.

So to go to and from Heathrow, I usually use the Piccadilly Line. Cramped and slow it might be, but when going, I can take a bus to the convenient Manor House station, get a seat and read all the way to the airport for free.

Coming back from the airport, depending on the time, I use a variety of routes. The last time, I swapped to the District and then used the East London Line to get to my nearest station at Dalston Junction and two stops on a frequent bus home.

This report on the BBC web site is entitled ‘Crack’ in train forces Heathrow Express to replace stock and tells how the Cl;ass 332 trains have been withdrawn for checks.

They’ve probably developed the crack due to the overweight passengers with their overweight luggage, who are on expenses, so they can afford Heathrow Express.

So what have Heathrow Express done to get round the problem of no trains?

They’ve taken the Class 360 trains used on Heathrow Connect, thus removing the only affordable way for a lot of passengers and airport workers to get to Heathrow, unless they use the 140 bus.

I’ve just looked at how you get from Hayes and Harlington station to Heathrow this morning and the National Rail Journey Planner, is telling everybody to get a train into Paddington and then get Heathrow Express.

Taxi and mini-cab drivers must be laughing all the way to the bank.

It all goes to show how the Heathrow Express/Connect service is good and expensive when it’s working, but totally useless when there is a problem.

It could be thought that Crossrail will solve the problem.

At present there are four Heathrow Express and two Heathrow Connect services an hour between Paddington and the Airport. I think that Crossrail will still provide four much larger trains an hour to Paddington and additionally another four trains through London to Shenfield or Abbey Wood.

That could be a tripling of capacity between Heathrow and Central London. And unless it is convenient for you, you don’t have to change to the Underground, a bus or a taxi at Paddington.

I shall take a direct train between Whitechapel and Heathrow, if I need to get to the airport.

But will I be able to?

This article in Rail Magazine is entitled ORR consults on Heathrow Spur access charges and reports on the ongoing row between Heathrow and everybody else, about letting Crossrail trains use the spur into Heathrow Airport.

Consider the following.

• Heathrow desperately wants to build a third runway, which is opposed by nearly all Londoners.
• UK taxpayers are paying for the upgrading of the link between the Heathrow Spur and the Great Western Main Line.
• Crossrail will bring a massive increase in capacity to the airport.
• Heathrow Express only serves Paddington, which ironically is on Crossrail.
• Londoners generally don’t like Heathrow and rarely use Heathrow Express.
• Gatwick is getting two affordable world-class links into London.
• Boris Johnson has said that Freedom Pass holders will be able to use Crossrail to the Airport for free.

On top of all that, the current disruption to rail services has occurred at just the right time, when the ORR are calling Heathrow to act in the best interest of travellers to the airport.

I’m sure another rail company will welcome the chance to use Heathrow Express’s Class 332 trains, even with a few cracks, when the service is closed in a few years time.

March 1, 2016 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Heathrow Airport, Heathrow Express, Trains