Heathrow Express Service Quality Performance Report 2023-2024
Rail periods 1-13 ran from 01 April 2023 through to 31 March 2024.
Please note that on the 29 December 2020 Heathrow Express replaced the fleet of trains from class 332 with class 387.
Contents
1. Information and Tickets
2. Punctuality and disruption
6. Complaints handling and compensation
7. Top 5 Complaints and Learnings
8. Assistance and contact details
1. Information and Tickets
Provision of travel information during the journey
- All our trains have clear signage above the internal doors, giving information about safety processes and what to do in case of an emergency.
- There is an emergency switch next to the doors through which the driver of the train can be contacted any time.
- The availability of toilets is shown outside the toilet door.
- Customers can also ask a member of the Heathrow Express onboard team for this or any information relating to their current or onward journey.
- Information regarding the next station will be announced onboard by our train announcement system.
- In the case of delays the train announcement system or the train driver will announce information at appropriate intervals.
- Safety guideline information can be found onboard, and the train announcement system will also make announcements shortly before departure, with further announcements made shortly after departure.
- The train driver can be contacted at any time through the emergency call button located in every carriage of the train.
- Airport flight information screens (FID’s) displaying flight departure and arrival information are shown in each carriage.
Provision of travel information before and after your journey
- Our customer service staff are located at every station and at the gate lines, and are on hand throughout the entire day to provide assistance and give information.
- Live departure and arrival information is displayed at all of our stations, on our website and mobile App.
- Scheduled train times are available on our website www.heathrowexpress.com/timetable
- Customers can purchase tickets in advance through our mobile App and website www.heathrowexpress.com or on the day on ticket vending machines (TVM) at Paddington and Heathrow stations and platforms.
- Customers can also use their oyster card or pay by tapping their bank cards at the gate lines and can also purchase tickets directly from our staff onboard the trains or at our sales locations within the airport terminals.
- Our accessible travel policy is available on our website, alongside other useful accessibility information https://www.heathrowexpress.com/the-onboard-experience/accessibility#/
2. Punctuality and disruption
Heathrow Express is an express service that operates four trains per hour, non-stop between London Paddington, Heathrow Central and Terminal 5. Our aim is to get customers to their destination both safely and on time. Our 2023/2024 target is to ensure:
70% of our trains arrive on time.
90% of our trains arrive within 3 minutes.
95% of our trains arrive within 5 minutes.
There are occasions where trains may be delayed or disrupted. When this is the case, our teams will assist passengers by:
Delays between 5 – 9 minutes
- Passengers can continue their journeys with some disruption.
- For further travel advice please speak to a member of station staff or contact our customer services team at https://www.heathrowexpress.com/about-us/contact-us#/
- Updated regular announcements will be made at stations.
- Updated announcements will be made onboard the affected trains at normally within 5 minutes and again at regular intervals.
- Passengers are able to continue their journeys with some disruption.
- For further travel advice please speak to a member of station staff or contact our customer services team at https://www.heathrowexpress.com/about-us/contact-us#/
- Updated regular announcements will be made at stations.
- Updated announcements will be made onboard the affected trains at normally within 5 minutes and again at regular intervals.
- Passengers are able to continue their journeys with some disruption.
- For further travel advice please speak to a member of station staff or contact our customer services team at https://www.heathrowexpress.com/about-us/contact-us#/
- Updated regular announcements will be made at stations.
- Updated announcements will be made onboard the affected trains at normally within 5 minutes and again at regular intervals.
- Passengers are able to request a refund via this link https://www.heathrowexpress.com/contact-form or request a letter from station staff with details including refunds, re-bookings and claiming additional expenses.
Part Suspension, Suspension or Reduced Service
- Arrangements will be made for passengers who have already purchased a Heathrow Express ticket, and wish to use another service, for pre-paid tickets tickets to be accepted by TfL Elizabeth Line services between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport in either direction.
- For further travel advice please speak to a member of station staff or contact our customer services team at https://www.heathrowexpress.com/about-us/contact-us#/
- Updated regular announcements will be made at stations.
- Updated announcements will be made onboard the affected trains at normally within 5 minutes and again at regular intervals.
- Passengers are able to request a refund via this link https://www.heathrowexpress.com/contact-form or request a letter from station staff with details including refunds, re-bookings and claiming additional expenses.
Results from 01 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 are:
- 61.74% of our trains arrive on time of their schedule.
- 73.74% of our trains arrive within 3 minutes of their scheduled time.
- 86.07% of our trains arrive within 5 minutes of their scheduled time.
- 79.73% of our trains departed London Paddington on time.
Heathrow Rail and Network Rail have their own pre-determined contingency plans that act as an initial point of reference when an incident occurs. These are reviewed on an annual basis. We work with all of our strategic partners to ensure that we have aligned contingency processes, allowing a consistent approach to disruption across the network.
3. Cancellations
3.59% of our trains were cancelled
4. Cleanliness
- Throughout the day dedicated cleaning teams at Paddington clean high-frequency touch points such as handrails and door buttons to ensure your safety, and ensure the replenishment of soap in all our on board toilets.
- Each night every Heathrow Express train is thoroughly cleaned at our depot before entering into passenger service by a dedicated cleaning team.
- Train cleaning audits are carried out on a daily basis against an agreed criteria and scored as a ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’.
- During periods of disruption where the cleaning time is limited, cleaning may be modified to reduce the delay to the subsequent journey.
Air Conditioning on trains
- Our trains are equipped with air conditioning.
- Should this fail our onboard staff will do everything they can to move customers to an alternative coach.
Toilet Availability on trains
- Heathrow Express endeavours to ensure all our toilets are serviceable before entry in service.
Customer satisfaction surveys
Our internal satisfaction survey is conducted quarterly by our survey partner Ipsos. The results are under constant review and support the strategic and tactical decisions made by the senior leadership team.
The National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) was paused during the COVID pandemic and so we are only able to share the 2023 spring results below:
| |
Overall satisfaction with the journey | |
| |
Information to passengers in case of delays | |
Accuracy and availability of information on train times/platforms | |
Consistently good maintenance/excellent condition of trains | |
Personal security onboard the train | |
Personal security at the stations | |
Cleanliness of inside of the train | |
Provision of useful information throughout the journey | |
Availability of good quality toilets on every train | |
Cleanliness and maintenance of stations to a high standard | |
6. Complaints handling and compensation
Heathrow Express are committed to ensuring our customers get to their destination safely and on time. That’s our key aim and our number one priority. When you buy a ticket to travel on Heathrow Express, or tap in using Contactless or Oyster you enter into an agreement with us which gives you the right to make the journey you are paying for.
However, if for any reason your service has been disrupted or unsatisfactory please let us know and we will review your case.
- Our Conditions of Carriage set out the rights you have, what you can expect from us and what we are obliged to do if your train is delayed.
- You can claim for compensation via the Heathrow Express Delay Compensation Scheme or by relying on your statutory rights such as those outlined in the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Complaint data from 1st April 2023 through to 31 March 2024 (Rail periods 1-13)
| 01 April 2023 to 31 Mar 2024 (P1-P13) |
| | | % of complaints responded within 20 working days | Average response time to close complaints |
Ticket and Refunds Policy | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Provision of information about train times/platforms | | | | |
Provision of information on website and app | | | | |
Information during the journey | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Attitude/helpfulness of platform staff | | | | |
Punctuality / Reliability | | | | |
| | | | |
7. Top 5 Complaints and Learnings
Punctuality / Reliability | The passage outlines the measures taken to address major incidents in a network, including signal failures and track defects, which have led to customer complaints. Here’s a summarised version: Recent major incidents, including track circuit failure, have caused significant disruptions in our network, resulting in increased customer complaints. We are collaborating with industry partners to minimise service disruptions and are leveraging technology to monitor delay trends. Regular internal and external meetings are conducted to identify and address ongoing issues, aiming to reduce delays. To enhance customer experience, we have launched a "Service Updates" page on our website for real-time travel information. Additionally, complaints data has been shared with GWR and Network Rail so better our position. This summary captures the key points and actions being taken to address the issues and improve service reliability. |
Ticket and Refunds Policy | The high number of complaints in this category is largely due to the current refunds process. To address this, we have introduced a self-serve refunds system that allows customers to apply for refunds autonomously through an automated process. This improvement is expected to significantly reduce the number of complaints. |
Provision of information on website and app | Complaints in this category arise occasionally due to technical glitches in our app or website, affecting ticket purchases. These issues are promptly reported to our technology team for resolution. We are developing a new website and app to eliminate these problems and improve customer experience. |
| Complaints in this category often result from ticket vending machines going out of service, leaving passengers without tickets. To address this, we have established a dedicated TEA team to service and monitor the maintenance of these machines. |
Attitude/helpfulness of platform staff | We provide continuous dedicated training for all front-line colleagues, including comprehensive onboarding for new employees. Specialised accessibility training has been completed for all colleagues to better support customers with specific needs. Additionally, we have deployed new technology, including an app for real-time service information, eliminating the need for colleagues to check emails for updates. We also introduced a Passenger Assist QR Code, equipping our staff with tools to better assist customers. |
8. Assistance and contact details
We operate an always accessible ‘Turn Up and Go’ service at all our stations. This is part of our commitment to providing appropriate arrangements and assistance to disabled passengers using our service and means that passengers travelling with us do not need to pre-book assistance unless you wish to.
If you would prefer to pre-book your assistance, this can be done as part of the National Passenger Assist service.
If you would prefer to pre-book your assistance, this can be done as part of the National Passenger Assist service.
You just need to let us know up to 2 hours before your journey, within our Assistance Team.
The quickest way to contact us is our Customer Query and Feedback Form on our website https://www.heathrowexpress.com/about-us/contact-us# where we are obliged to respond to your query within 20 working days. When completing the form, choose ‘complaint’ in the query drop down.
You can also contact us by the following methods:
You can contact our Customer Relations Department on: +44 (0) 345 600 1515. (09:00-17:00hrs GMT Monday-Sunday). Calls from the UK to this number are charged at the local rate. Costs from international networks may vary.
Freepost HEATHROW EXPRESS Customer Relations Department. Please include an email address and contact phone number in your letter to enable us to contact you about your query.
Heathrow Express Customer Relations Department
PO Box 887
3 Manor Court
Exeter EX1 9YT
United Kingdom
Please include an email address and contact phone number in your letter to enable us to contact you about your query.
You can contact us on Twitter @HeathrowExpress or via Facebook.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome, we will refer your case to the independent body, The Ombudsman who can mediate your redress grievance.
Where assistance was not provided due to train delays, you may be able to claim under our delayed train refund policy. Please contact our Customer Relations team for assistance. You will not be able to claim for both, but our team will be happy to advise you on the best action for your redress claim.
