Heathrow Express Review Could Boost Local Services
Mayor and TfL asking for changes when current contract ends
The premium service to the airport currently only serves Paddington. Picture: Adambro
May 6, 2026
A recent Freedom of Information request has revealed that The Mayor of London and Transport for London have formally called on the government to reconsider the future of the Heathrow Express, setting the stage for a potential transformation of services on train services in Ealing and Acton.
Since its launch, the Heathrow Express has been a boon to those boarding at Paddington with a single piece of hand luggage and a generous expense account, the 15-minute non-stop sprint to the airport has been a reliable luxury. For the residents of West London communities along the route — using stations such as Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Acton Mainline, Hanwell and Southall — the service has been something else entirely: a train that flies past their stations without stopping, occupying precious track capacity that could be used to serve their daily commuting needs.
In a joint submission to the Department for Transport as part of the Airports National Policy Statement process quoted in Rail Magazine, the Mayor and TfL stated bluntly that ridership on the open access service "is steadily falling and we need to reconsider whether this service is the best use of these valuable train paths into Paddington."
Office of Road and Rail data shows that passenger numbers on Heathrow Express fell from 5.8 million in the financial year 2019-20 to just 4.5 million during 2023-24 — a drop of 22%, with trains averaging a meagre 82 passengers per service. While Heathrow Express managers expect higher numbers in 2026, the service has failed to record any meaningful growth in the first nine months of the 2025-26 financial year.
The culprit, widely acknowledged, is the Elizabeth line. Since its opening in May 2022, the line has offered a credible alternative to Heathrow Express for many travellers, operating six trains per hour to the airport from central and east London — four to Terminal 4, and two to Terminal 5 — at a fraction of the price.
The current Heathrow Express contract, which was signed in 2018 and is operated day-to-day by Great Western Railway on behalf of Heathrow Airport Holdings, runs until 2028. The Mayor and TfL argue that when it expires, "alternative options should be considered that can increase ridership at a lower cost to customers to the airport."
Central to the debate is TfL's ambition to dramatically increase Elizabeth line frequencies to Heathrow, particularly to Terminal 5. The Mayor and TfL have stated clearly: "We would be keen to discuss how frequencies can be further increased to support more people accessing the airport using the Elizabeth line."
Ten additional Elizabeth line trains are currently being built, which are expected to double Terminal 5 frequencies when they enter service in 2026 and 2027. But Rail Magazine reports that Network Rail has signalled that expanding Elizabeth line services beyond that is challenging, partly due to the flat crossing at Ladbroke Grove, which creates a structural bottleneck on the busy Great Western relief lines.
The service currently occupies train paths on those same relief lines — paths that, if freed up or reassigned, could allow a significant uplift in Elizabeth line services westward.
One option gaining attention among rail analysts is the outright absorption of Heathrow Express into the Elizabeth line. As explored by Future Transport London, if Heathrow Express trains were replaced by Elizabeth line services, all trains bound for the airport — whether stopping or semi-fast — would depart from the same Elizabeth line platforms at Paddington and at the 22 stations east of it, giving passengers across a much wider geography direct access to Heathrow without a premium surcharge.
Currently, the Elizabeth line calls at Ealing Broadway with four trains per hour westbound towards Heathrow Terminal 4, but West Ealing, Hanwell and Acton Mainline receive a significantly lower frequency — and Reading branch services skip those stations entirely.
Meanwhile, Heathrow Express trains thunder through the area on the fast lines, offering nothing to local passengers.
TfL Commissioner Stuart Lord has directly acknowledged the opportunity here. In correspondence with Bassam Mahfouz, the Labour Assembly Member for Ealing and Hillingdon, he noted "a great opportunity to put more services into the airport and more services into Terminal 5, which would then relieve pressure on West Ealing, Hanwell and Acton Mainline stations that, even when they do get service as part of the timetable, are quite often busy as they have passengers going to and from Heathrow."
Ealing MP Mahfouz welcomed the commitments, saying Elizabeth Line passengers across Ealing would benefit from the TfL Commissioner's intention to increase services at West Ealing, Hanwell, and Acton Mainline. He added that alongside Network Rail funding already agreed to renew the tracks and signalling on the western section of the Elizabeth line, "these improvements will make a huge difference to the UK's favourite train line and for the lives of Ealing residents."
If Heathrow Express capacity were redirected into increased Elizabeth line services, more trains could stop at the intermediate West London stations. Passengers from Ealing Broadway, West Ealing and Acton Mainline would gain not just more frequent connections to the airport, but more frequent connections to Central London beyond Paddington — to Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Liverpool Street and beyond — without needing to change trains.
This would not be without precedent. Between 2005 and 2018, the Heathrow Connect service ran half-hourly between Paddington and Heathrow Central, stopping at Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southall and Hayes & Harlington. It offered a genuine, affordable airport connection for West London communities at a price point far below the Heathrow Express. In 2018, that service was absorbed into TfL Rail — which became the Elizabeth line in 2022.
The Elizabeth line has continued that stopping service model, but at frequencies that many local users argue remain insufficient. A reconsidered approach to Heathrow Express paths could allow TfL to build on what Heathrow Connect began.
Price has always been a barrier to the Heathrow Express. The premium service charges fares that are significantly higher than the Elizabeth line. While TfL's Elizabeth line fares from Zone 1 to Heathrow rose to £15.50 from March 2026, this remains considerably cheaper than the Heathrow Express walk-up fare. A walk-up single in Standard Class on the Heathrow Express costs £26, while Business First Class is £32. If you book in advance, an Advance Discounted Single booked 30 or more days ahead costs just £10. Concessionary travel cards such as the Over 60s Oyster and Zip Cards cannot be used on the Heathrow Express. The Mayor and TfL's submission explicitly calls for alternatives that can "increase ridership at a lower cost to customers."
Network Rail has flagged the infrastructure challenges involved in rerouting or expanding services on the Great Western relief lines. Heathrow Express — owned by the airport and operated by GWR — will no doubt lobby for a contract renewal when 2028 approaches. And any major restructuring of train paths requires the Department for Transport's agreement. However, the Mayor and TfL have staked out a position. Ten new Elizabeth line trains are on order. Old Oak Common station — which will serve as a new interchange point on HS2's route — is coming, and Heathrow Express trains are planned to call there, which would further undermine the service's non-stop premium proposition.
The 2028 contract expiry may be the moment West London commuters have been quietly waiting for.
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