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Franchise(s):	Not subject to franchising; service began 23 June 1998
Main route(s):	London Paddington – Heathrow Airport
Other route(s):	None
Fleet size:	14 Class 332 sets
Stations:	3 (2 operated)
Parent company:	BAA plc
Web site:	www.heathrowexpress.com

Heathrow Express is a train service from Heathrow Airport to Paddington in central London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority—a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA. The service is not part of the National Rail system, despite part of its journey sharing track with National Rail trains and terminating at a London mainline station.

Contents 1 Service 2 Construction 3 Route 4 Rolling Stock 4.1 Current fleet 5 External links 6 See also

The service operates from approximately 0500 until 0000, with trains every 15 minutes. At Paddington, it uses two dedicated platforms (6 and 7). There are two stops at Heathrow: Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 station (journey time from Paddington approximately 15 minutes), and Heathrow Terminal 4 station (journey time approximately 22 minutes). Once the new Terminal 5 opens, Heathrow Express services will no longer call at Terminal 4, which will become the new terminus for Heathrow Connect.

The service uses Class 332 electric multiple unit trains built by Siemens. The trains incorporate numerous modern features including video monitors and the ability to use mobile phones throughout the journey—even when in tunnels. The monitors are mostly used for advertising purposes and for the broadcast of news and weather updates produced for Heathrow Express by BBC World.

Since its opening, Heathrow Express has been generally well received, not least because steps were taken to reduce the environmental impact of the train line. Measures included disguising ventilation shafts as barns. The service has received some criticism, however, mainly due to its cost, the lack of quiet zone on some trains and the poor air quality at Paddington station.

As of 2007, it costs around £15 for a single journey in standard class and around £24 for first class. Comparable airport trains in the UK and the rest of Europe charge a small fraction of the Heathrow Express fare; the train from Birmingham to Birmingham International Airport costs £2.60, while the London Underground's Piccadilly Line service from Central London to Heathrow Airport costs £4 (cash price) or £3.50 (Oyster), and the Gatwick Express service to Gatwick Airport is the same fare for a longer mileage journey. The Stansted Express service to Stansted Airport is also the same fare, yet is 23 miles farther from London than Heathrow.

There is also a stopping service (Heathrow Connect) which takes the same route from London to Heathrow, on which lower fares are charged. While this service takes 10 minutes longer it usefully offers connections to the Central Line and District Line at Ealing Broadway.

Airport commuters can get a discount through the Airport Commuter scheme operated by BAA. A monthly pass costs £130 as of January 2007.

Construction began in 1993. The principal works were the construction of a 5 mile tunnel and underground stations at Heathrow, and electrification of the Great Western Main Line between Paddington and Airport Junction. A flying junction known as Stockley Flyover was constructed to connect the tunnel to the GWML fast lines.

One of the most catastrophic civil engineering disasters in British history occurred on 21st October, 1994, when one of the partially constructed tunnels carrying the railway into the Terminal 1,2,3 complex collapsed without warning. An office building and a car park were consumed by the huge crater which opened up between Heathrow's two parallel runways. The principal contractor, Balfour Beatty, was found guilty of negligence in February 1999. The collapse had far reaching consequences, since it also stopped construction of the extended Jubilee Line of the London Underground, where contractors were using similar tunnelling methods.

Beginning in January 1998, an interim service called Heathrow FastTrain ran to a temporary station called Heathrow Junction, where a coach took passengers the rest of the way. The full service opened on 23 June 1998.

	London Paddington
	Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 and 3
	Heathrow Terminal 4

The serivce runs along the Great Western Main Line from Paddington to airport junction (Network Rail owned infastructure). The line from airport junction to the airport terminals is owned by BAA. The line is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead and uses Automatic Train Protection.

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Routes operated	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 332		electric multiple unit	100	160	14	London Paddington - Heathrow Airport	1998

• Heathrow Express homepage

• Heathrow Connect
• Gatwick Express
• Stansted Express
• First Great Western
• Airport rail link

v • d • e Current scheduled passenger train operators in Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Domestic:	Arriva Trains Wales - c2c - Central Trains1 - Chiltern Railways - First Capital Connect First Great Western - First ScotRail - Grand Central2 - GNER - Heathrow Connect Hull Trains - Island Line3 - Merseyrail - Midland Mainline1 - Northern Rail Northern Ireland Railways4 - 'one' - Silverlink1 - Southeastern - Southern South West Trains - TransPennine Express - Virgin Trains (VWC - VXC1)
International:	Enterprise4 - Eurostar
Airport Link:	Gatwick Express - Heathrow Express - Stansted Express5
Sleeper:	Caledonian Sleeper6 - Night Riviera7
1 Ends November 2007 - 2 Starts 20 May 2007 - 3 Operated by South West Trains 4 Operated on the Irish railway network - 5 Operated by 'one' - 6 Operated by First ScotRail 7 Operated by First Great Western

Future passenger train operators and franchises in Great Britain
New Franchises:	Cross Country1 - East Midlands1 - InterCity East Coast - London Overground1 West Midlands1
Proposed open-access operators:	Glasgow Trains2 - Grand Union2 - Humber & City2 - Wrexham & Shropshire3
1 Starts November 2007 - 2 Proposed - 3 Awaiting Approval