Heathrow Express/Connect

[geofftech]

n00b question! Was down at Heathrow last night, went on the Connect and The Express. I didn't realise that T4 to Heathrow Central was now a 15 minute shuttle. Express trains are every 15 minutes (and run through to T5), Connect trains are every half an hour, run to Central, tip out .. and then empty to T5 (!) before they come back to Central.

my question is .. it didn't always used to be like this - did it? even WITH T5 built. i'm sure at somepoint, Express used to be Paddignton, Central and T5. And Connect used to be Padding + intermediate stations + Central and T4. Can anyone remember/confirm this?

thanks!

 

[stut]

Yes, that is correct.

IIRC, it meant an irregular service pattern for T4, due to connection times, meaning you had something like 00-10-30-40 departures. Also, it meant there was little incentive for T4-bound passengers to take the HEX, something that I imagine BAA weren't overly keen on

 

[bb21]

Very poorly timed at the moment. Connect from Paddington arrives two minutes after the shuttle to T4 leaves, meaning a 13-minute wait for the passenger who wishes to transfer to T4.

 

[cle]

Doesn't Connect go through to T4 itself?

Effectively acting as the shuttle for 2 of the 4 HEx per hour?

 

[N Levers]

Doesn't Connect go through to T4 itself?

Effectively acting as the shuttle for 2 of the 4 HEx per hour?

No the connects go Empty to T5 and back.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
There is one unit shuttling T123 - T4 and back all day with a very short turn around time at each end requiring double-manning

 

[bb21]

T123 xx03 - T4 xx07
T4 xx12 - T123 xx16
T123 xx18 - T4 xx22

Every 15 minutes.

 

[paulravuslante]

Yes, prior to June 2010 the standard service pattern involved trains leaving T4 at 01, 21, 31 and 51 (21 and 51 operating through to London as Connect services and 01 and 31 being a shuttle service (albeit in Heathrow Connect livery)). Trains would return from Heathrow Central at 06, 14, 36 and 44 (the 06 and 36 trains arriving from London). Actually this is how the service pattern operates at the moment on Sundays between 0900 and 2100 approximately, until the timetable changes on 30th October.

Unit 360205 is the shuttle unit operating between Heathrow Central and T4, every 15 minutes on Monday to Saturday, in a new version of the Heathrow Express livery. The shuttle service was designed to introduce an evenly spaced 15 minute headway to and from T4 and arrives at Heathrow Central at the same time a Heathrow Express service arrives bound for London. It also arrives within 5 to 10 minutes of a Heathrow Express from London Paddington.

The downsides to this rearranging of services (as stated above) are that the Heathrow Connect only serves Heathrow Central (for the majority of the day on Monday to Saturday). The journey time from London to Heathrow via Connect is increased to 33 minutes (from 27 minutes) as the Connect has to wait in the tunnel for 5 minutes while the shuttle service to T4 arrives and departs platform 1. Lastly there's a poorer connection from Connect destinations to T4 when the shuttle operates.

 

[geofftech]

@paulravuslante

that is the comprehensive answer i was looking for!! thanks, thx all in fact. i spoke to the platform staff there the other night, and they denied it had ever been like that post-H5 opening. but i knew i was right!

 

[paulravuslante]

@paulravuslante

that is the comprehensive answer i was looking for!! thanks, thx all in fact. i spoke to the platform staff there the other night, and they denied it had ever been like that post-H5 opening. but i knew i was right!

Depends who you ask. Some staff have better memories than others