Heathrow to Places west of Reading via HAY.

[Envoy]

I am trying to get the system to give me prices for a pay on the day single from Heathrow T5 (HWV) to places west of Reading - with a change at Hayes & Harlington (HAY). National Rail website did give a price of £23 as far as Didcot leaving Heathrow off peak at 9.52am +. However, GWR failed to come up with this and always wanted more with a routing via PAD and on no site could I get a routing via a change at HAY for other places west of Reading. Surely, with no need to go into PAD and a short journey from the Airport to HAY, it would be a logical route for those heading to Reading & points west - until the link form the west is built? (Yes, I am aware of the bus link to Reading and also the local bus to HAY from the Airport).

 

[higthomas]

Such tickets do exist, see these not via London tickets to Tilehurst. Try https://trainscanbecheaper.info (or for even cheaper split fares https://new.trainsplit.com/) it gave me the correct fare.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I am trying to get the system to give me prices for a pay on the day single from Heathrow T5 (HWV) to places west of Reading - with a change at Hayes & Harlington (HAY). National Rail website did give a price of £23 as far as Didcot leaving Heathrow off peak at 9.52am +. However, GWR failed to come up with this and always wanted more with a routing via PAD and on no site could I get a routing via a change at HAY for other places west of Reading. Surely, with no need to go into PAD and a short journey from the Airport to HAY, it would be a logical route for those heading to Reading & points west - until the link form the west is built? (Yes, I am aware of the bus link to Reading and also the local bus to HAY from the Airport).

I seem able to do this. What error message are you getting?

 

[Mag_seven]

Yes, I am aware of the bus link to Reading and also the local bus to HAY from the Airport

By the sound of things you do not want to do buses but if arriving a Terminal Five, bus route 350 will take you to West Drayton station where you can pick up a westbound GWR service to Reading from there.

 

[Envoy]

It does indeed come up on the 2 sites recommended by ‘higthomas’ above. However, it does not come up on National Rail or on GWR which leads me to suspect that they have rigged the system to force people to go via the more expensive Heathrow Express into PAD and then out west or to use the coach link to Reading. They are obviously out to screw people coming off the planes.

So, although the 2 sites mentioned by ‘higthomas’ do indeed show the fare via HAY, my concern is that if I land at Heathrow and want that ticket, that the clerk at Heathrow will not be able to find such a ticket and force me to pay for the GWR way of doing it.

 

[Chris Butler]

Perhaps I am missing something, but just choose "Avoid London Paddington" and GWR and National Rail will offer you fares via Hayes & H..

 

[APT618S]

On NRE if you put in Avoid Paddington it will route you via Hayes & Harlington e.g for a T5 (HWV) to Bristol Temple Meads (BRI) it will give you the £53.40 Not London Off peak ticket (SVS). This is for a 1442 dep today arriving 1735.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

It does indeed come up on the 2 sites recommended by ‘higthomas’ above. However, it does not come up on National Rail or on GWR which leads me to suspect that they have rigged the system to force people to go via the more expensive Heathrow Express into PAD and then out west or to use the coach link to Reading. They are obviously out to screw people coming off the planes.

So, although the 2 sites mentioned by ‘higthomas’ do indeed show the fare via HAY, my concern is that if I land at Heathrow and want that ticket, that the clerk at Heathrow will not be able to find such a ticket and force me to pay for the GWR way of doing it.

I don't think they're out to screw people, much though they are out to make as much money as possible. I was able to come up with the not via London fares on National Rail Enquiries and GWR, simply by putting 'avoid London'. But since that isn't the quickest route, it isn't displayed by default. That's fair enough in my view, since most people want the fastest route - especially when coming from a holiday and potentially a long flight.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Perhaps I am missing something, but just choose "Avoid London Paddington" and GWR and National Rail will offer you fares via Hayes & H..

The 'Avoid' function often isn't very obvious (it is normally offered as an alternative to 'via'), but it can be very useful - e.g. for significantly cheaper 'Not London' fares, as in this case.

 

[Envoy]

Many thanks guys. So, the Avoid London function works. As an example, from Heathrow to Bath via PAD (which is what ‘normally’ shows up) costs £60.40 and takes 2 hours 11 minutes. From Heathrow to Bath via Hayes & Harlington (change) - avoid PAD costs £40 and takes around 2 hours. So, you save £20.40 and around 10 minutes. Prices quoted are for off peak singles pay on the day at Heathrow. (You can’t pre book ‘advance fares’ when coming off a flight because you can’t be sure when you will arrive). Similar savings can be made doing it this way for other places west of Reading.

 

[pdeaves]

it does not come up on National Rail or on GWR

When I tried the GWR site it came up straight off as a 'change at Hayes' fare/route. I didn't use 'not via'.

 

[FenMan]

When are lifts going to be built at Hayes & H? It can be painful carrying heavy luggage over the bridge between the platforms.

 

[Envoy]

When are lifts going to be built at Hayes & H? It can be painful carrying heavy luggage over the bridge between the platforms.

It looks like work is taking place to bring this station into the 21st century.http://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/western-section/hayes-harlington-station

 

[swt_passenger]

When I tried the GWR site it came up straight off as a 'change at Hayes' fare/route. I didn't use 'not via'.

Me too. GWR site on iPad safari. All default routes to Didcot in my example included a change at Hayes.

 

[Chris Butler]

I think the journey planners are behaving exactly as you would expect. Comments as follows:

As an example, from Heathrow to Bath via PAD (which is what ‘normally’ shows up) costs £60.40 and takes 2 hours 11 minutes. From Heathrow to Bath via Hayes & Harlington (change) - avoid PAD costs £40 and takes around 2 hours. So, you save £20.40 and around 10 minutes.

I don't find examples where the Hayes route is quicker from Bath. In the examples I found it was either a little slower or the same time for two changes (Reading and Hayes & H) instead of via Paddington (one change). I think it is normal not to show a route that in no faster but requires more changes. Do you have a specific example when via Hayes is quicker ?

Me too. GWR site on iPad safari. All default routes to Didcot in my example included a change at Hayes.

Yes, because there are direct trains from Didcot to Hayes and so that route is faster and the same number of changes as via Paddington. The route planner therefore chooses that route. From most places west of Reading the Hayes route requires two changes (Reading and Hayes) and is longer or same journey time as via Paddington.

When I tried the GWR site it came up straight off as a 'change at Hayes' fare/route. I didn't use 'not via'.

From where ? If it's from a place with direct trains to Hayes it is no surprise.

 

[pdeaves]

The thread said 'west of Reading' so I picked Didcot. Clearly, exactly where west of Reading makes a difference!

 

[Chris Butler]

The thread said 'west of Reading' so I picked Didcot. Clearly, exactly where west of Reading makes a difference!

Yes, the thread had a misleading title and then some incorrect information was added just to confuse matters more.

In summary, the journey planners are doing what they should do and would be expected to do.