Direct Heathrow Services from the West

[Masbroughlad]

Is Heathrow Airport available by direct train from Reading or is the only direct service from Paddington please?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Is Heathrow Airport available by direct train from Reading or is the only direct service from Paddington please?

Thanks in advance.

There's a direct bus. Otherwise you would have to take an Elizabeth Line train to Hayes & Harlington (stops at all or nearly all stations) and then change for an Elizabeth Line to Heathrow. Alternatively and more expensively catch a non-stop or semi fast to Paddington and come back on the Heathrow Express or Elizabeth.

 

[Horizon22]

There is no Western connection. There was a project in the very early planning stages but it has now been cancelled - https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...h-cancelled-what-should-could-be-done.268349/

You would need to either travel to Paddington and change or Hayes and Harlington and change for the Elizabeth line.

 

[Roger1973]

More about the 'railair' coach from Reading (it picks up and sets down right outside one of the exits from Reading Station) here. I am fairly sure you can book a through ticket from GWR stations west of Reading to / from Heathrow via Railair, although I think you can book separately if you want.

It's an express coach (it used to be non-stop, there's now a couple of stops on the way out of Reading, and overnight journeys go via Maidenhead.)

Going via Paddington or Hayes and Harlington is the only way to do it by train all the way to Heathrow.

A possible lower cost option if you've not got too much luggage would be to do train to Slough, then there's quite a few buses (which are covered by the £ 2 maximum fare scheme and would accept English concessionary travel passes) between Slough and Heathrow - some go to 'central' bus station, others go to terminal 5.

 

[davews]

Or the slightly slower way to Feltham and then the bus (TFL so normal contactless). I would do that if I were going from Bracknell.

 

[Sporty60]

The last time I travelled from Torquay on GWR my cheapest option was to PAD and HX which surprised me as I'd discounted it previously in favour of changing at Reading and then via H& H.
I wondered if GWR had teamed up with HX to offer better prices, but maybe there were other factors for my particular journey.

 

[Jimini]

I don't mind the RailAir coach from Reading, to be honest. Generally runs to time ok, great seating options, and competitively priced. It comes off the M4 at J5 (Langley) and enters Heathrow through a dedicated bus gate on the west side of the complex, thus avoiding the carnage of the M4J4 / M25.

 

[FenMan]

I don't mind the RailAir coach from Reading, to be honest. Generally runs to time ok, great seating options, and competitively priced. It comes off the M4 at J5 (Langley) and enters Heathrow through a dedicated bus gate on the west side of the complex, thus avoiding the carnage of the M4J4 / M25.

I didn't mind the Reading RailAir coach either (but no longer use it), however it is far from competitively priced from my home station, Blackwater - currently a cool £71.80 is requested for a period return.

Given I can book the RailAir coach leg for £36 return I'm not sure how the pricing maestros at GWR managed to add another £35.80 for the hop between Blackwater and Reading when 2 x Anytime Singles = £19.80, which is quite eye-watering enough for a 27 mile round-trip.

Needless to say, when flying from Heathrow I use better value alternatives.

 

[Jimini]

I didn't mind the Reading RailAir coach either (but no longer use it), however it is far from competitively priced from my home station, Blackwater - currently a cool £71.80 is requested for a period return.

Given I can book the RailAir coach leg for £36 return I'm not sure how the pricing maestros at GWR managed to add another £35.80 for the hop between Blackwater and Reading when 2 x Anytime Singles = £19.80, which is quite eye-watering enough for a 27 mile round-trip.

Needless to say, when flying from Heathrow I use better value alternatives.

I’ve only ever booked it direct, rather than via a rail portal. That mark up is somewhat extreme!