On Board The New TfL Rail Paddington To Heathrow Service

By Geoff Marshall Last edited 70 months ago
On Board The New TfL Rail Paddington To Heathrow Service

With a new tube map for May 2018, TfL Rail services now run between Paddington through Hayes and Harlington, and down to Heathrow.

We went to catch the first ever 'purple' train (Class 345) in passenger service, and try to get our heads around the service pattern...

To summarise

BEFORE ...

- Heathrow Express (4 trains per hour, to Terminals 2&3 and then T5)

- Heathrow Connect, USED to run to Terminal 2&3, and then also (if you stayed on) to T5 as well

- There was a Heathrow Express shuttle every 15 minutes between T2&3 and T4.

NOW ...

- Heathrow Express - UNCHANGED - 4 trains per hour, to Terminals 2&3 and then T5)

- TfL Rail, two trains per hour (New Class 345) only as far as Hayes & Harlington

- Old 'Connect' trains (now with TfL Rail badge on them) every half an hour, all the way to T2&3, and then T4.

- TfL Rail shuttle every half an hour between T4 and T2&3, meaning that there is a train every 15 minutes from T4

FUTURE ...

- Crossrail/Elizabeth line (New Class 345 purple trains) will run 6 trains an hour to T2&3, four will then go to T4, two will go to T5.

- Heathrow Express remains unchanged... for now.

Clear as mud? Excellent.

Last Updated 31 May 2018