The Heathrow Express (HEX) is a dedicated rail connection between London Heathrow Airport and Paddington station near central London. Operating on England’s Great Western main line network, the Express offers the quickest transfer time between the two points: a mere 15 minutes, non-stop. Also, daily departures are frequent, with trains leaving both Heathrow and Paddington every 15 minutes.
From London, the HEX makes two stops upon arrival at Heathrow. The first, Heathrow Central station, takes 15 minutes. The train then makes its second stop at Heathrow Terminal 5 station just 6 minutes later.
Travel route overview
London ̶̶ Heathrow Airport
Train stations: London Paddington to Heathrow Central (Terminals 2 & 3): 15m
Train stations: London Paddington to Heathrow Terminal 5: 21m
Heathrow Airport ̶ London
Train stations: Heathrow Central (Terminals 2 & 3) to London Paddington: 16m
Situated in the London Borough of Hillingdon (approximately 22 kilometers southwest of central London), Heathrow is the UK’s busiest airport. It’s also the 5th-busiest air terminal globally in terms of passenger traffic. Heathrow has 2 parallel runways which point east-west and 4 active airport terminals in total.
London Heathrow actually has 3 independent trains stations, two of which handle Heathrow Express commuters. One is Heathrow Central, serving airport Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. The other is Heathrow Terminal 5, serving of course, Terminal 5. Collectively, the stations feature a number of convenient facilities, including:
There are two types of Heathrow Express ticket fares, available in one-way or round-trip:
Children aged 15 years and under travel free in Express Class when accompanied by a paying adult, or can travel unaccompanied if they have proof of air travel such as a valid flight booking or boarding pass. Proof of age may be requested.
Children aged 15 years and under travel free in Business First only if accompanied by an adult who has bought a Business First ticket. Children cannot travel unaccompanied in Business First.
Fixed Date tickets are single (one-way) tickets for selected dates available in Express Class. Tickets are only valid on the Heathrow Express Service in the direction for which they have been purchased. Tickets must be purchased in advance of travel. These tickets are sold in limited numbers and are subject to availability. Fixed date tickets are valid only on the specific day of travel and are non-refundable.