Elizabeth Line vs Heathrow Express

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So come on, which Heathrow train is the best? Only one way to find out.
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[@JagoHazzard]

Go to ground.news/jago to spot media bias and make sure you’re getting the full story. Subscribe through my link to get 40% off the Vantage subscription this month only.

[@ajs41]

Someone in the comments says the cheapest fare is now £15 not £5.50. Disappointing if true. I was just about to tell everyone I know that it may be worth travelling on the Heathrow Express after all if you can buy one of these £5.50 tickets 90 days in advance.

[@constancerouge4811]

Gatwick express vs Southern trains, both from Victoria

[@thehaprust6312]

"There is not a lot you can watch in 15 minutes" says Jago in a video clocking in at 12:28. :)

[@fosterfuchs]

They could play this video on the Heathrow Express!

[@mauricefrost8900]

Could you get The Divine Comedy to re-record their song as ‘Take The Heathrow Express’? Apologies for the ear worm; I’ll get my coat…

[@whophd]

@@fosterfuchs riiiiight??

[@MakeSomeNoiseAgencyPlaylists]

@@fosterfuchs word !

[@PokhrajRoy.]

“Today, I’m going to do something different from my usual fare.” Opening line deserves a standing ovation.

[@Fitzrovialitter]

You're easily pleased.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

@@Fitzrovialitter I am, rather

[@davidwilliams1208]

Yes, when the Heathrow Express opened its great associated virtue was the much heralded and promoted British Airways check in desk at Paddington, enabling passengers to divest themselves of their suitcases there rather than at Heathrow. This was discontinued as aircraft security became more of an issue - but it also removed one great advantage of choosing British Airways to fly rather than a competitor. Not everything gets better in the modern age.

[@euanduthie2333]

Another reason that the Elizabeth line has made the Heathrow Express a bit pointless is that its target market of business travellers are most likely going to be heading to the City or Canary Wharf, which are better served by the Elizabeth line.

[@RunawayTrain2502]

So the HE trainsets can go to a TOC who actually needs them.

[@f.g.9466]

I'm not convinced their target market is business travellers as much as it is wealthy travellers that are just staying or returning to one of their houses in central London. HEx is operated by Heathrow Airport themselves, and if they see value in it...

[@johnm2012]

How about they replace the Heathrow Express service with an Elizabeth line service that's non-stop between Heathrow and Paddington but which continues east as a regular Elizabeth Line train?

[@f.g.9466]

@@johnm2012 and who are "they" meant to be? Heathrow Express is an open access operation, mostly owned by Heathrow Airport, in a joint venture with Great Western Railway. The airport actually owns the tracks from the airport branch, the ones that Elizabeth trains also use. So the airport decides what services it wants on its tracks.

[@hairyairey]

​@@f.g.9466the tracks and tunnels I believe. Which explains the high fares

[@nathanw9770]

You forgot about the 4th option which is the N9 bus. At £1.50 for a 70 min nap and possibly a warm beer with a weird chap from Hounslow it's an absolute win!

[@katrinabryce]

£1.75 now 😢

[@bingbong7316]

​@@katrinabryceyou just use it for the warm beer, be honest

[@baroquejen]

LOL

[@nathanw9770]

Well at least the beer is still free if the Hownslow local is nice

[@shawnli4746]

The N9 bus is solely for the airport staff with the late shifts serving the transit passengers who have to spend a night at Heathrow for whatever reason. Because of the curfew no actual travellers use the night bus to get to the airport

[@mattib5504]

Nothing beats the £2.10 on the Piccadilly line from Zone 2 though, as anyone living on the Overground/District line stretch in SW and North London can attest; even the discomfort and an up to 15 minutes’ longer ride don’t justify the price difference. Also, the advance fare on Heathrow Express excludes the rest of TfL services, so unless someone’s staying at Paddington, the grand total is higher still

[@markendicott6874]

......is the correct answer.

[@Taversham]

Getting the District into Hammersmith and the Piccadilly back out the other way used to be something I only did twice a year - once for my summer holiday flying from Heathrow and the other time to go to my dentist who was in Hounslow, usually a stressful day either way

[@gabrielstirling3207]

I’ve always taken the Heathrow Express/Elizabeth Line until the meltdown with the wires at Paddington last December. I was pleasantly surprised by the Piccadilly Line and would take it again if I was just heading from Heathrow to Central London.

[@Secretname951]

2.10???? Why is it so cheap?

[@ballyhigh11]

@@Secretname951 Your question should be reframed as why is it so expensive travelling from Paddinginton. Answer is travelling between zone 1 and LHR is now charged at peak fare all day long.

[@Etem_T]

Since the introduction of the Lizzy line, I've seen the Heathrow Express as almost something of a tourist trap - for the people arriving from elsewhere to London Heathrow, the Heathrow Express is the most advertised option (understandably), so they'll probably end up booking a £25 per person ticket at the station itself, vs getting a similar experience for half the price, and probably getting you closer to where you want to go or interchange (particularly if you get a single day travelcard). I've recommended the Elizabeth Line to people who are coming into London from overseas to save some money and potentially travel time as it's not as immediately obvious that can also take you to Paddington in a fairly short length of time. I didn't know about the cost savings booking for the Heathrow Express that far in advance though, that's useful info!

[@constancerouge4811]

True, but also, it does make it nicer for commuters not to have all the tourists with big luggage clogging the line. Famously, Paris doesn't have an express train from the airport because the RER are basically the same as the Elizabeth line: a commuter line for people travelling between the suburbs and the centre of Paris. And one of the main complaints about it is not from the tourists themselves, but from the commuters because the trains are overcrowded with travellers. You get entire families with 5 big suitcases sharing the space with people going to their jobs and the ones who are the most annoyed are the latest.

[@simonwest9450]

I can certainly see business travellers using HEX and then just claiming the costs back. Most likely why they still offer a First Class option

[@lenrichardson7349]

@@simonwest9450 The first class option is the funniest thing. The standard class is quite good enough for 15 minutes. But at least it keeps the self entitled away from mear mortals.

[@kr46428]

A slight correction: the HEX quietly eliminated £5.50 fares for 90-day advance bookings late last year, making it a _significantly_ less compelling option for long-term planners. I would have expected them to reduce their fares somewhat given the competition from the Elizabeth Line; instead their business strategy now seems to be: appealing to elites for which £10 or £20 or £30 makes absolutely no difference at all. Another nice HEX side business is preying on ignorant or befuddled tourists coming from Heathrow that mistakenly board a "purple train" thinking it was the Elizabeth Line.

[@lucasfontainha9053]

sad.

[@remittri]

elites who still use public transport and are going to paddington only? if it makes no difference at all they can call a black cab or an uber...

[@jonathanmccann586]

Hex to paddington then a cab/uber is quicker

[@CallumAtwal]

There’s one thing this video misses. Before the Elizabeth Line (and TfL Rail), there used to be two services. Heathrow Express (unchanged), and the Heathrow Connect. The Heathrow Connect was a service run by FGW (and Heathrow too I think), which did the same stopping routes (Hayes/Southall/Hanwell/WestEaling/Ealing). TfL bought this line and branded it into the Elizabeth Line. So since the Heathrow tunnel existed, we’ve always had a fast & expensive and slow & cheaper option along the GWR tracks.

[@asdaneedsfunds]

While true, HC had a very poor frequency compared to the excellent service provided by the EL. It also went into Paddington high level, so connectivity wasn't as good.

[@CallumAtwal]

@@asdaneedsfunds as a regular user of the EL, I wouldn’t say excellent 😁 I always say, when it works, it’s the best line ever. The frequency to Heathrow, on paper says there are 6 an hour (compared to 2 I think with HC). But at peak hours (5/6pm), when I’m in the central section of the EL, I could be waiting way over 15 mins for a Heathrow bound train. So to me it doesn’t feel like it’s more.

[@TheRip72]

Heathrow Connect was introduced several years after Heathrow Express.

[@NeoDerGrose]

​@@CallumAtwal Paddington has quite some tube connections, 4 lines if I'm not mistaken. But if you are coming from a line that only connects directly to the EL it's still faster not to change at Paddington, even without more frequent services. And even when originating from a line seeving Paddington it can be faster to change to EL in the east, because it's so much faster through the city.

[@N1120A]

HC was introduced like 8 years after HEX

[@6yjjk]

When I arrived at Heathrow T3 in January, intending to take the Heathrow Express into Paddington. I was surprised not to find the expected HEx ticket sellers at the bottom of the escalator down to baggage reclaim. On arriving landside, I noticed a Heathrow Express desk, and asked the member of staff there for a ticket. They directed me to the Elizabeth Line, not even giving me the option! Fair play...

[@whophd]

Wow! That's an even better anecdote than the two times I've taken the Narita Express, and it's run 7 or 10 minutes late … breaking all expectations for a Japanese train.

[@nmarycz]

I’d love to see a gatwick express / Thameslink comparison please! Seems like the logical next episode following this one.

[@whophd]

+1. My only Gatwick station experience was impressive if only for the ticket seller, with exasperation, selling me exactly the ticket I wanted to Heathrow, using the Piccadilly Tube because I very very much wanted to spend an hour on it if it was the only tourist activity I would have in London for a few years. She said "of COURSE I can sell it to you, just tell me what you want" and was a touch upset that I hadn't been clear with her that I wanted to do it and been openly honest instead of trying to ask for the Gatwick Express only. We went in circles for 15 seconds when I asked her which terminal the other end of the service was, and I was trying very hard to avoid being sold a Heathrow Express ticket. She took it as me avoiding trying to tell her that I was transferring to Heathrow. I wasn't to know that there was no need to give her the convenience of just worrying about the Gatwick leg.

[@johnroberts2331]

Would like to see a Gatwick video with Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink!

[@zolar7a]

When we were in London last August the Elizabeth line was having issues and the train we were on was having to wait longer and longer at each station. We were getting anxious as our time cushion was rapidly evaporating. Finally at Paddington they said "This train ends here, everybody off" .....ugh. We sprinted upstairs and paid top dollar for a Heathrow Express ticket. We made our flight with time to spare. Heathrow Express 1 : Elizabeth Line 0

[@thesteelrodent1796]

didn't know you could pay with dollars in London

[@zolar7a]

@@thesteelrodent1796 Just the top one, the rest were pounds.

[@whophd]

@@thesteelrodent1796 I'm doing a double take … I'd rarely hear this phrase in America, and I don't even know if "paying top pound" or another equivalent phrase exists!

[@thedancingcat9468]

@@whophdthis whole thread is so British. I love it

[@frogandspanner]

A major problem with modern rail is that trains are designed for commuters, not travellers, and have little luggage space. The peak of comfortable long distance rail was the HST, with luggage space between the seats, overhead luggage racks cabpable of taking my student rucksack, and a guards van for those days I couldn't face a 150 mile trip on my Norton 650SS, so let the guard look after it. My memories of trying to get to Heathrow in the early '80s are that it was hell with luggage.

[@TheShortStory]

That’s exactly why I take the Elizabeth line. As someone who’s annoyed by too much luggage on my commute, I hate to impose that on other passengers on a cramped tube train. It feels more considerate to take the Elizabeth line

[@dirty_mac]

Apples to oranges. HSTs would be more comparable to IETs or Pendolinos today, which both have plenty of luggage space. Back then you had stuff like class 455s which are similar to modern Elizabeth line trains.

[@cedriclynch]

The Piccadilly Line trains were built in 1973 ready for the extension of the line to Heathrow Airport. They have a large area without seats around the doors, which is specifically for the purpose of accommodating the luggage that passengers to and from Heathrow were expected to be carrying.

[@keithparker1346]

​@@TheShortStoryyes but ime Elizabeth Line is poor for taking luggage too

[@kevinmothers904]

@7.01 Blink and you would miss them, 46100 Royal Scot and D3905 (08737) Class 08. Good capture Jago!

[@robinhillyard6187]

Yeah and no mention in the commentary. I had to go back to check my eyes weren’t deceiving me.

[@Chevy-jordan]

7:01 *clickable*

[@bostonrailfan2427]

…was wondering about them, inthought they stood out for a reason!

[@The_Georgi0]

I wonder what they were doing there? I don't much about railways in the UK, but my guess would be some sort of heritage line in the heathrow area?

[@johnchurch4705]

@@The_Georgi0Southhall used to have a preserved rail line, not sure 🤔 if it’s still in use?

[@Eric_Hunt194]

"...hopefully they don't die mysteriously..." Oof! 😂

[@officialmcdeath]

It's about market segment - HEx was originally pitched at people who would not naturally think to use public transport, such as business types on expense accounts - it helped wean them off using a taxi down the M4, thus reducing their carbon footprint and keeping them out of everyone else's way - all-round win! \m/

[@peterbradburn9115]

Main purpose of the Heathrow Express, as I remember, was that at inception you could check in, and possibly even clear security, at Paddington, before boarding the train, which then, obviously went direct. As this was scrapped after a year or two, does seem a bit pointless, now, other than shaving that quarter of an hour off journey time

[@NeoDerGrose]

How did that work? In order to clear security at Paddington (is that even a real advantage?) not only the platforms at Paddington had to be fenced off, but you have to arrive right into the secured areas of the terminals. Has that been the case?

[@Lettersfromhome18]

I'm all for future comparison videos. Thanks Jago.

[@quintuscrinis8032]

9:01 sorry to be a pedant but they are technically on different tracks, the Elizabeth line uses the relief lines against the Heathrow Express on the fast lines.

[@Bonegilla1987]

I believe the eliminated the 5.50 GBP fares. When I booked my HEX ticket for July 7th way back on January 14th, the cheapest tickets for standard class were 15 GBP each. I confirmed that just now making a dummy booking for December 13th (also 15 GBP for the early bird saver fare).

[@ajfrostx]

I believe those cheap tickets are limited and go on sale close to the 90 days mark.

[@Bonegilla1987]

@@ajfrostx I booked well ahead of 90 days

[@ajfrostx]

@@Bonegilla1987 So it was too early for cheap tickets to be put on sale. Edit: nevermind, looks like it’s £15 minimum now.

[@jrfsp320]

That’s correct, been canned sadly

[@egpx]

@@jrfsp320that’s a shame. With a senior railcard you could get a third off that £5-50 fare too which was a definite bargain.

[@damascus6478]

I've been visiting the UK since 1992 and first rode the Heathrow Express when it opened in 1998. Back then you could check in for your flight and leave your luggage at Paddington, a great feature that is gone forever. As a traveler from the USA I always know my plans well in advance and have never paid more than £5.50. Even when I was only carrying a gym bag, the Picadilly Line is not made for transporting you and your bags. Incidentally, if you don't have a lot of luggage get off at Earls Court (Zones 1 & 2) and then back on to continue to Central London. It's only £4.80 that way (£2.10 + £2.70). If you have luggage and book in advance the Heathrow Express is a great deal although it's not worth £25. And who would pay extra for business class on a 15-minute trip?

[@bingbong7316]

You can't check in and leave luggage any more? For shame. My brother was involved with the whole weigh-in system design and build, it was a nifty scheme as a whole. And now discontinued like a Plain Bounty; jolly bad show, what?

[@ajs41]

Do you know why and when it was discontinued?

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@ajs41 staffing reductions. No one has to man the little office for receiving luggage anymore.

[@ajs41]

@@kaitlyn__L Thanks. The most useful thing that could happen in London would be if there was a service to take your luggage from the hotel to the train station / airport, etc, without paying a huge amount of money for the service.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@ajs41 integrated service like that would be lovely. It’s a shame that all of these interests have been split up, such that now their competition means any such service would inevitably cost more and be less convenient than getting it all done separately. When hotels were run by the stations (and thus railways) themselves they were happy to use staff time getting luggage onto trains.

[@fosterfuchs]

I work as an international courier. A few years ago, I flew to Heathrow to deliver something to an address near St. James's Park tube station. Upon arrival in Heathrow, my customer told me I can take the taxi for the final part of the delivery. I looked up the travel time on Google Maps. Taking the Piccadilly & District line took only slightly longer than the projected travel time by car. And it was still well within the promised delivery time. Being a huge fan of the London Underground, I asked and received permission to take this option. Not to mention it was a lot cheaper with contactless payment. It never even occurred to me to take the Heathrow Express or TfL Rail (as the Elizabeth Line was called at the time).

[@stephendavies923]

One other benefit of the Heathrow Express, is that for visitors to London who would have got a black cab from Heathrow, they can save a fortune and vast amount of time by getting the Express to Paddington and then getting a black cab.

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

Indeed. HEX scores for foreign visitors to London who can save on taxi fares from LHR. Upon arrival at Paddington a visitor would hop on a taxi to a Central London hotel.

[@MikeEwer]

However, that is a benefit in comparison with taking a taxi. The Elizabeth Line offers visitors more direct-to-hotel options without having to get in a cab from Paddington. And if the visitors are staying in say Earls Court, they're still better off taking the Piccadilly Line.

[@Carlos-im3hn]

@@MikeEwer yes. But then again for an American traveller who _wants_ to get on a Copperbottom at Paddington (the Full Monty London experience)....

[@MikeEwer]

​@@Carlos-im3hn Get on a what?

[@iankemp1131]

@@MikeEwer Quite true - the extra question however is how much luggage they've got and how far their hotel is from the nearest tube station. It doesn't need that much distance for someone to feel they'd be better finishing the journey with door-to-door transport in a taxi.

[@brianparker663]

Simple choice for old codgers like me - Freedom Pass not valid on Heathrow Express but can party all day on the Lizzie Line without charge. 😀 Mind you, the Superloop 9 bus is probably handiest for me anyway - as long as I travel light.

[@johnm2012]

Yes, I live near the Harrow end of the SL9 route, with a stop less than 5 minutes walk away. It's an excellent supplement to the 140 for getting about but the SL9 always seems pretty crowded and there's no dedicated luggage space at all, which is a major failing for a route that serves an airport. The only place it's possible to put a suitcase is in the wheelchair area, which, of course, is not guaranteed to be available for any part of the journey.

[@brianparker663]

@@johnm2012 Yes indeed. There's a 140 stop right outside my house - thus easy to go to South Harrow station and change for the SL9. But, as you rightly say, I wouldn't want to do it with a big suitcase or two! 😰

[@04Delta]

It depends on where at Heathrow you want to go/depart from. I don't know if this changed, but in late July 2022 me and my friend landed at Heathrow T4. On their site, HX advertise (or used to, at least at that time) that you would take a shuttle train to Heathrow T2-3 which would be timed to connect to a HX train from T5. This wasn't the case, we waited close to 10 minutes at T4 and when we got to T2-3 we also had to wait for the next HX train as the previous one had just departed. The "shuttle" train was actually an Elizabeth line train. It arrived at Paddington only 9 minutes after the HX train we got on and it would have been twice as cheap and wouldn't have required a change and some wait time at T2-3. And this was before through running was a thing, so as we had to get to Farringdon, I wouldn't make the same choice today, Lizzy all the way.

[@leomui]

I had a five-hour stopover at LHR and wanted to see friends in London for a few quick pints near Paddington, so I chose the Heathrow Express option as I got 30 extra minutes (for a roundtrip) of friends time which made it worth it. (I was not organized enough to book ahead.)

[@SoiBuakhaoRoutemasterbus]

I was involved in wiring up the BR lines for the Heathrow Express..... from working the Millers foundation trains through to sitting on class 09's (006 & 007 in Mainline Freight blue) putting up the overheads..... terribly cold things to sit on in winter, they made class 37s seem warm!

[@johnkeepin7527]

And I was involved in the new signalling kit, controlled from Slough when it was new. One of the odd things I can remember (and which one of old workmates has a record of) is that they did actually run a 47 all the way down into Heathrow. Probably not liked by some, perhaps. As you probably know, the terminal 5 station has enough space for an extra two platforms, which is hidden behind the wall, with a longer term intention to extend out towards the Richmond - Windsor branch. Did a lot of work on various draft projects for that lot, including converting the old Waterloo International to handle another group of Heathrow services via Richmond. Then again, the dead end tunnel could be extended out towards the GW main line for a new westbound junction onto the Main Line. Unlikely now given the advent of the Elizabeth line.

[@samburnett]

Jago, it cheers me so greatly that you always use the correct phrase ‘raises the question’

[@LegendaryHopOnBaby]

I was going to say that both Lizzy and HEX benefit from going out of the only London station to have a Millie's Cookies, but I double-checked and there's now one at Victoria, so the nearby coach station is back in the game. 24-hour running and generally cheaper tickets help too, mind.

[@tongmasi]

A prominent selling point when HEX opened was the check in facility at Paddington. Did everything that check in at LHR did. Luggage was conveyed under the platforms and carried in the front of the train - really useful if you came into ‘town’ for a day before flying somewhere. Long since demised unfortunately.

[@djsmeguk]

As someone who frequently flew into Heathrow for business in the before times, I would have loved the Liz line because I could easily get to where I was going (the city, usually). I used to use the express regularly, but connections at Paddington are annoying especially when you're completely knackered after a red eye from North America. I actually switched to staying in Kensington and taking the pickled Willy to earls court. It was slower, but it had no connection, I could flop down for 45 minutes and catch my breath, and hopefully rock up to my hotel in Kensington at 10 am and be able to check in (something you can very rarely do at the big hotels in the city). Travel to the customer was meh, but IMO it was mostly a wash- it was rare I would get a hotel next to the customer anyway so I was always going to have to tube it. So why not stay somewhere a smidge nicer and have an extra 10 minutes on the tube?

[@mattiasthorslund6467]

In other cities it would seem like an insane luxury to have three frequent rail options to choose from when going to the airport.

[@anderslarsen6009]

Many cities have 2 options, Copenhagen (metro and train) Stockholm (Arlanda Express and trains) , Oslo (Flytoget and trains) , Frankfurt and Düsseldorf ( both have S-Bahn and trains) comes to mind. I can't remember other cities having 3 rail connections.

[@pwrcaelenx]

In February I returned to London throw Heathrow and got a Terminal-Link ticket for Heathrow express, I took the advantage and went all the way to Paddington with it and back to Heathrow for the tube just for the fun of it

[@oldtechnobodycaresabout]

I don't think thats valid

[@pwrcaelenx]

@@oldtechnobodycaresabout that’s the point

[@KEITHMU]

Wasn't the Elizabeth Line Heathrow service just a replacement for Heathrow Connect that had been there previously?

[@Keithbarber]

The elizabeth line crosses the city and west end and onto the east end and south east london- heathrow connect only reached paddington

[@bishwatntl]

Yes, if you're travelling from Paddington it is, though the Connect service, like the express, ran from the mainline platforms at ground level.

[@nathanw9770]

Yes but only from Paddington and with slightly older trains. The Elizabeth line is essentially a huge extension of that and various other suburban services like Liverpool street to Shenfield.

[@Farleigh1050]

yes, and they also extended ot through the city centre

[@simonwest9450]

Basically yes. Heathrow Connect ran from Paddington to T4 (via 2&3) when the Elizabeth Line came closer it got renamed “TFL Rail” for a bit

[@thefareplayer2254]

Another point in the Elizabeth line’s favor: it’s new and cool and has platform screen doors!

[@robtyman4281]

The Elizabeth Line is a 'stopping' service, whereas the Heathrow Express is 'non-stop'. In other words it does not stop at any stations between London Paddington and Heathrow. The clue's in the name - 'Express'! So there is still a point to having the Heathrow Express. And while many (including me) find it too expensive.... there will always be plenty of people who will gladly pay the fare ....for the privilege of having a 'non-stop' service. Oh, and the seating is more spacious on the HE.....plus it's not orientated alongside the windows (like the Underground and Overground). It's more like those found in medium/regional distance trains.

[@ugiswrong]

It takes up too many paths on the crossing up lines

[@mjroberts87]

The non stopping element is only an advantage if you are in the paddington area . Most of the time the el would be quicker when travelling from any other part of london like Oxford circus or westminster

[@mancubwwa]

​@@mjroberts87 came here to say this

[@Farleigh1050]

the express will stop at old oak common thouh

[@robtyman4281]

@@Farleigh1050 .....yes, it may well do - though that's still 7 or 8 years away (because everything in the UK takes three times longer than anywhere else!). But even if it does stop at OOC in the future, that would be the only stop. They might need to change the name to HSE ( Heathrow Semi Express!).

[@thomassterns7120]

I have enjoyed watching many of your productions - thanks! This is the first that I could genuinely relate to. I worked for a co based in California that bought a London competitor. We moved them from Kings Cross to Canary Wharf. I travelled to London 2 or 3 times annually. Being a tech nerd with limited real-world skills, I knew Heathrow Express to Paddington, Bakerloo to Baker St, Jubilee to Canary Wharf. I retired b4 Elizebeth line completed but I did get to spend some time in the station with the arboretum above. I genuinely miss visits to London and hope I can come as a (not annoying) tourist soon.

[@TadeuszCantwell]

The only time I've used the Express is when it came bundled with my flight. It was nice, but normally I'm a lazy planner and just take the tube. Next time I will have Lizzy line option, I might take it for variety.

[@ajs41]

I had no idea you could buy tickets for just £5.50 if you buy them 90 days in advance. That's really interesting and potentially useful.

[@stalbanstransport]

Great vid jaggoi have 3 vid suggestions 1. Comparing London's 2 crosrails - Thameslink vs eliz line 2. Help a local learn more about the St Albans signal box (at SAC not SAA) 3. Talk about the abandoned Hatfield to St Albans railway that's now been turned into the Alban way

[@ianhutchinson1783]

Took the HEx to Heathrow back in 1999 for a flight to Chicago and checked in for my fight at Paddington which included my luggage drop-off - very convenient. On arrival at Chicago in baggage reclaim I heard my name called out on the tanoy, which is never a good sign. Went to the baggage desk to be told, "sorry Sir, your luggage has not arrived". I asked how that was so as I had checked it in at Paddington 3 hours before the flight. "You haven't heard about the train smash Sir?". I hadn't. Ladbrook Grove 5th October 1999. My HEx was one train ahead of the crash; my luggage was on the one train behind it. Quite sobering.

[@pmas1]

Did you end up getting your luggage in the end? I'm wondering how the logistics would have worked of reuniting a train car full of suitcases with their owners all around the world whose flights would have already left hours ago.

[@ianhutchinson1783]

@@pmas1 After Chicago I had two more connecting flights. It took a few days but it eventually turned up.

[@jimmeade2976]

Several years ago, my family of 6 had to get from Central London to Heathrow, on our way back to the States. The Heathrow Express was more than 100 pounds and cost-prohibitive. We took the Piccadilly Line, which was much less expensive, but took over an hour to get to Heathrow.

[@iankemp1131]

Yes, an important point that costs multiply fast for a family or large group of people!

[@richardbaron7106]

I flew into Heathrow from NZ October 2022, arriving at rush-hour on a Friday and getting off a Paddington, so I can confirm that A) the Elizabeth line trains have hard seats, B) there was plenty of space for my large suitcase and small carry-on and C) it's a much quicker and nicer journey compared to the Piccadilly line. Also, after 28 hours in there air across two flight, don't arrive anywhere at rush-hour 😂

[@JoeyFoo]

As someone that just made this journey a day ago on the Elizabeth line with baggage, Paddington had step-free access, 30 minutes is amazingly fast, and the 345 trains were nice and wide when travelling with luggage. The biggest faff was getting from platform level to terminal at the airport. The wait for the lifts took forever with huge crowds waiting, and the walk from station to terminal was really long (and had yet another lift to wait for/crowd onto at the end). None of this is avoided with the Heathrow Express.

[@roseharvey2664]

I wonder how the Elizabeth line has affected the usage of the Heathrow Express.

[@murringo9]

The one time I caught the Elizabeth Line to Heathrow was during a busy period and the train was packed by Tottenham Court Road - literally half passengers and half luggage which took up half the seats on the train. I think the spaciousness and lack of anxiety of getting luggage into an already very crowded train (unless outside peak times) is worth the extra cost, hands down.

[@contrapunctusmammalia3993]

i guess you should complete the set and discuss Gatwick Express vs Southern/Thameslink, I've heard GX is especially useless (but it might be better if you're going to Brighton maybe??)

[@volty58]

Yes Gatwick Express is pointless, just a tourist trap. Southern is cheaper for 2 more stops. Same for thameslink but you can get directly into central London...

[@IndigoJo]

The reason the Heathrow Express still runs and hasn't been totally replaced by the Elizabeth Line is because it serves a part of west London where there are a lot of hotels. It's fairly convenient for the West End and you can hop on the Circle Line once you get to Paddington. The Elizabeth Line serves the City and east London, as well as intermediate stations on the Great Western.

[@eattherich9215]

The differences between the Elizabeth line and the Heathrow express are cost and travelling time, simple. However, for those of us who live south of the river, the Piccadilly line is better than both. The last time I flew into Heathrow, I took the Piccadilly line to South Ken and then changed over to the Circle/District lines for Cannon Street.

[@norbitonflyer5625]

For those of us under the Heathrow flight path, none of the rail services are any use at all. Local buses (111, 285, SL7), all of which take much longer than 30 minutes, despite the shorter distances. It's actually easier to get to Gatwick, despite being three or four times further away and the Gatwick Express not calling at Clapham Junction!.

[@ajs41]

As mentioned above, I had no idea you could buy tickets for just £5.50 if you buy them 90 days in advance. That's really interesting and potentially useful.

[@vananything]

Perhaps this is a detail you didn't want to get into in the video, but you can pay oyster/contactless for the Heathrow Express. It's the same £25 as a same-day paper ticket.

[@reptongeek]

Can you? I tried to do this in October 2022 but my Oyster Card wouldn't let me through to the Heathrow Express. I had to get the Elizabeth Line I had a weekly ticket if it helps

[@the1gip]

How does the system know you've used the HX instead of the Elizabeth Line?

[@amanda-we9fv]

​@@the1gipdifferent gatelines at paddington

[@vananything]

@@reptongeek Perhaps the weekly ticket was the problem… its a separate charge not part of the TFL fare zone system.

[@oysterfarescentral]

​@reptongeek travelcards or season tickets aren't valid on Heathrow Express. To enter the Paddington gateline you'd need the full £25 available as PAYG balance.

[@marthaanderson2656]

As a frequent tourist to London I have a huge soft spot for the PIC, but after a 9 hour flight from the west coast US the crowded sardine nature of the ride is trying. The Elizabeth is an absolute gamechanger. Far more comfort with excellent connections to tube/overground network which makes hotel selections so much easier. The future new PIC trains will certainly favor the ride comfort. The Heathrow Express was never a choice simply because it dumped you into Paddington which is a more intolerable exchange compared to the more simple transfer stations that dont involve National Rail stations

[@cell172]

You can use Oyster or contactless for the Heathrow Express. That's how I've done it the few times I've used the HE.

[@TheCaptScarlett]

1:30 the other purpose of the Piccadilly line was to allow airport workers a commuting route and avoid additional car traffic/parking requirement

[@jaakkomantyjarvi7515]

Slightly off topic, but this video reminded me: I don't know what the arrangement at Terminal 5 is now, but prior to the Purple Train the Tube station and Heathrow Express stations had no connection between them on the same level; you had to go up to the main concourse and down again. I was once asked by a couple of tourists on the Tube platform how to get to the Heathrow Express, and before I could think about it I found myself saying: "You can't get there from here."

[@JoeKerrigan-vb9zj]

You know when the Heathrow Express is going, but the Elizabeth Line is a complete lottery. At Paddington one evening last year, at about 19:40, I encountered four consecutive trains that terminated there, then a Reading, then another terminator and finally the seventh train was a Heathrow. I was only going to West Ealing but imagine what that looks like to someone heading for a flight!

[@JBLewis]

You can use your National Railcard on the Heathrow Express, too.

[@EnderSeven7]

There's no longer 5.50 tickets on heathrow express. Now the cheapest is 15 quid (9.90 with a railcard)

[@ajs41]

That's disappointing.

[@davidbutton3500]

Travelled to London this past September. Used the Purple Train from Heathrow to Tottenham Court Road, where our hotel was located. This was very convenient. My only complaint was the very long walk to the station at the airport, and the cramped platform at the airport. There were quite a few of us waiting for the train, and we were jammed in behind the yellow lines by the station staff. I don't think they took into consideration luggage when planning the station. :) But overall it was quick, clean, and convenient. Bravo!

[@zaphod4245]

I don't see any £5 90 day fare, so not sure where you saw that. All I can see is the early bird £15 fare, which at £3 more than the EL is still competitive if going to/from Paddington. I'd say that the HEX (at the £15 price, not the £25 on the day price) is worth it if you need to make the trip at rush hour. The EL will be busy, and so with baggage it'll be quite unpleasant at those times, so paying £3 more for a much emptier train with more baggage space is well worth it. The HEX has become less useful for many given that most people aren't goint to/from paddington, so you'll have to take another train, so the Lizzie will be quickest to get from A to B for a lot of people.

[@KoruGo]

They only price them 5.50 at low demand days, something he forgot to clarify. So these would be midweek days that are also at minimum 90 days in advance.

[@sIightIybored]

I think the only people the express is faster for are the ones near Paddington or arriving there on the mainline. For everywhere else you'll need to take a bus/cab/tube/train to the station, and in that case the Elizabeth smokes the Express for travel time.

[@zaphod4245]

@@sIightIybored HEX is also gonna be faster for anyone living along the bakerloo, or the Western parts of the Circle H&C or district lines, as anyone along those would go to Paddington and then change there onto either HEX or EL, so HEX would be quicker. Plus people coming into some of the mainline terminals, eg Waterloo you can either get the bakerloo to Pad and then HEX, or Jubilee to Bond St and then EL, but HEX is still probably quicker, but not by as much. But yeah, the EL made the HEX less appealing for a lot of people, whereas when it was the Heathrow connect or TFL rail, the two both terminated at Paddington, so HEX was always quicker.

[@katrinabryce]

@@sIightIybored If you are arriving there on the mainline, a completely different option might be better, like for example the bus from Reading, it is about 45 mins to terminal 5 or an hour to terminal 2.

[@DaringlyLDN]

The discounted £5.50 tickets were dropped last November.

[@BrainW33a]

Another option for foreign visitors is a BritRail pass. Our in-laws from Bermuda wanted to visit several friends in the South West (Exeter, Crewkerne, Bradford-on-Avon, Bicester and Southhampton. They were able to buy a 7 day BritRail_South_Western pass foreign visitors rail card for a good price, and this included the Heathrow Express. The only problem with the pass is that it is only valid for GWR and South Western trains within the geographical area. Cross Country are excluded. Bradford on Avon to Bicester took some careful planning.

[@erlendursmari]

Having tried the Express, Elizabeth and Piccadilly in different size groups and with varying amount of luggage then they all have a purpose. Nothing beats the Express if you have a large group or a lot of luggage.

[@rattyfus8218]

The Jacobite steam train or the scheduled service from Fort William to Mallaig. Go on, treat yourself. You know you want to!

[@Avethis]

First time I travelled to London (2021, so before the Lizzy Line) I took the Heathrow Express even though I knew Picadilly would have been much less expensive. My experience with public transport was extremely limited as I am from smalltown US, so looking at tube maps and trying to figure out which train to get on and if it'd take me to my stop was way too stressful in a place entirely new to me. After the first time, I switched to the Picadilly and now I use the Lizzy Line every time, since it can take me straight to Stratford. In essence, I think a hugely underrated feature of Heathrow Express is its simplicity for people who aren't local. Its price is baffling for "day of" travel and for a while it made me mad, but it's usefulness extends past toilets, storage space, and even speed.

[@Ben-eo5vd]

Another great video. The silent Goldfinger was a nice touch.

[@stephendavies6949]

I often travel from Diss to Liverpool St on The Great Eastern Mainline and then onto Paris for both business and pleaure. Until the Elizabeth Line opened, I routinely used Eurostar for the London - Paris leg of the journey. But now, due to the through service from Liverpool Street to LHR, I take the plane from time to time. Yes please to more such videos.

[@KoruGo]

I think you're wrong about the 5.50 tickets. From my quick googling, I believe those tickets have been discontinued, but even when they were a thing they only applied to select low demand days (such as tues-thurs).

[@phillipwong3754]

I was once on the Lizzie line one Friday morning to T5 when the train stopped in the middle between West Ealing and Hanwell. We managed to stop at Hanwell after going super low speed we got told there was a derailed train up ahead by the conductor and they had no idea how long the delayed was. The issue is, is semi middle of nowhere, so you can't simply change trains. I was a bit early so u waited a bit but a lot of poor people was frantic and left to find other ways to get to their designations (I assumed is mostly Heathrow due to the luggages)

[@ADJLfanatic52]

Speaking of airport extensions I live near the city of Cleveland, Ohio. They extended their heavy rail line (equivalent to the Tube and called "The Rapid") to Cleveland Hopkins in 1968, beating London's Heathrow extension by 7 years.

[@chasmader]

Las October, I rode the Elizabeth line in to Canary wharf from Heathrow and we passed the Heathrow express which I thought was quite funny. However, a week later on the return trip, it was pouring rain and the Elizabeth line was flooded and I had to change to the Victoria line coming back from Canary wharf. So in theory, I love the concept of the Elisabeth line, but in practice least at that time it still had a few kinks that needed to be worked out

[@philipgibbard304]

Thanks Jago. Forgive me but I should point out that the 91 and latterly 116 LT buses used to go to Heathrow, as well as the BEA airline buses, well before the Piccadilly Line reached London Airport.

[@whophd]

I really like "fewest changes" as an option in transit, and "fewest turns" in driving too. If CrossRail can save you a transfer, then it wins hands-down.

[@DeanStephen]

That was incredibly useful. Thank you!

[@flatearthphysics1921]

At 11:20 I totally expected the ding-ding of not just bikes. :-)

[@roboftherock]

That was useful information about the advance puchase prices.

[@lawrencelewis2592]

I've done the Heathrow Express and Piccadilly line before. The Elizabeth is more convenient than both. I took it from Farringdon to Terminal 5 this past Monday the 19th on my way home to Toronto. A nice way to go.

[@kastandlee]

A useful video that I wish I'd watched when it first posted. My wife and I are flying to London from the USA in a few days. Sadly, we didn't know about the super-cheap 90-day fare on HEX or we would have booked it. Where we are staying in London, we want a taxi from where we exit the rail system without having to pay a fortune for it, so we will need to change to the Underground at Paddington to get over to King's Cross/St. Pancras. Taking the Elizabeth line would leave us at Farringdon, which doesn't have a place to get a taxi, and we will have a lot of luggage that we don't want to be hauling over the streets of London late at night when we arrive.

[@saarak8080]

I love the Elisabeth line. Easy convenient and goes straight through the city. The connectivity, price and frequency makes it great. Especially when you want to be flexible.

[@davidclare4983]

A great comparison, thank you Jago. I just used the Heathrow Express and it's an easy trip. I did book an advance ticket, which with my senior discount made it a quite reasonable fare

[@webfreezy]

We used the Piccadilly line a couple of times many years ago and it took ages - then two years ago we used the Heathrow Express and booked the tickets well in advance - it was such a wonderful ride - so fast and comfortable. I think even with me now getting the info that the Elizabeth line also goes the same way we'd still use the Heathrow Express in the future, especially because it was so smooth, comfortable and can put your luggage somewhere.

[@Rotellian]

Looks to me like those planning to go on holiday can book the Heathrow express more cheaply and get there quicker. However, if you are just meeting someone at Heathrow then the Elizabeth line with it's turn up and go more frequently option may suit perhaps. 🤷‍♂️

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

For prestige reasons a hub airport would welcome a dedicated rail link. Hence Paris CDG, which is well served by RER, is currently building a dedicated rail link connection to CDG from Paris Est.

[@sihollett]

They are also building a CDG link to the classic mainline towards Lille - I wouldn't be surprised if the CDG Express becomes a rerouting of some TER services to Arras. Heathrow Express would do well to do the same and build SRA to Woking so that the trains have a purpose beyond Airport-London passengers.

[@hylje]

Doesn’t CDG already have a TGV station right in the middle of the main terminal? You need to ride the internal metro (!) to access the hotel area with the RER station.

[@alexmcwhirter6611]

@@hylje Yes CDG does have its own rail station for regular and TGVs. But the latter operate to Brussels and regional destinations in France. This new and dedicated rail link under construction is for CDG to Paris Est.

[@sihollett]

@@hylje The TGV station at Terminal 2 (no direct trains from Paris, IIRC) is also an RER station. There's also an RER station at Terminal 3, as well as a VAL system to move you around the airport.

[@jonasuk]

I remember 20 years ago when the Heathrow Express offered airline check-in at Paddington. This was nice especially if you just missed a train and wanted to utilise that time to check in.

[@guywilliams5016]

The most frequent travellers to Heathrow are the thousands of people who work there. The cheapest option for them is the Piccadilly line. If you're traveling, you will probably have luggage. The Heathrow Express is the only one with space for bags, but how do you get your luggage to Paddington? The Elizabeth line will get you and your family to the airport for your holiday flight - assuming you happen to live on its route - but four of you with bags will be very unpopular with other passengers. And you'll be paying a lot for four tickets. None of these services work for families off on their holidays. If you live within a £60 cab ride of Heathrow, that remains the practical choice. As means of reducing car traffic to the airport, all three options are badly flawed.

[@stevenr2463]

Very informative, thank you!

[@kevinhouse7143]

Definitely going to look into the HE for our next trip to London. Cheers!

[@StickmanVenomCookie]

The minimum is £15 for Heathrow express now. Even in advance. They don't offer the £5 one anymore

[@00Zy99]

It doesn't matter what you make (aside from HS2), I'll be there to watch it. Your "something different is almost always interesting. I love your channel. Big hugs.

[@mw...]

Thank you sir. Honestly just what I needed today

[@user-bf9sw3hn6f]

First time commenting. Great video as always Jago! I note Heathow Connect (mentioed by others). It accepted normal train tickets until Hayes and Harlington, then you were charged to go.into the tunnel. The tfl operation I belive was not vary straightforward. You asked for a comparison video - I suggest Brighton to London by Gatwick and Thameslink. Big differences there, d the price structure is interesting... please do take a look. :-)

[@julianellis8200]

A most helpful comparison. Even though I’m not planning to go to Heathrow in the near future!

[@johnrafferty8087]

Lovley bit of Hanwell Footage

[@philanderson5138]

thanks for this J. With visiting from Durham visit twice annually so useful to know. didn't know about the direct express train, so adds to the options.

[@gnnascarfan2410]

3:57 I loved that little dig at Boeing, well played.

[@alfsallander3400]

Nice to see old Jago featured Trellick Tower at 9:40 in the clip. On the Heathrow side, how close is the Elizabeth Line/Heathrow Express to the Piccadilly platforms? Planning on picking up, I.E. photograph, the Piccadilly Heathrow labyrinths for the tube collecting endeavour on my next visit to London. My guess for today's chatchphrase: "You are the luggage racks for my airport travel." EDIT: Wow, so close this time.

[@andrewpinner3181]

Thanks Jago, good to know !

[@aquilarossa5191]

One way for £25 is a great train robbery. P.S. I seem to remember the 'user pays' arguments for privatizing electricity, phones, trains, and gas etc. They told us that market competition would make for lower prices. Yeah right. Pull the other one.

[@whophd]

Yeah true. There was a bit of service improvement in some cases (BT, British Rail, and their equivalent examples in Australia) but it's also rare to find Virgin Trains's level of staff morale and service.

[@jamesleather7524]

As a driver of the HEX route... I can tell you that at 8:57 the footage shot is from the Elizabeth line (most likely!) due to it's coming in from the relief lines rather than the normal fast lines... A super geeky little tidbit for you there! Love the work!

[@princecharon]

As an American, I suspect that if I'm going from Heathrow to London (or vice versa), I'm probably going to want the greater luggage space on the Heathrow Express... unless the airline sends my luggage to Edinburgh or something, in which case I'm likely to be in a pretty foul mood - and prefer the shorter journey time on the Express.

[@JF0x]

Very helpful, thanks

[@highbury1972]

Brilliant video Jago…. A choice of trains is amazing as I am still waiting for that train at Dublin Airport 😂