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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.
1. Information and Tickets
2. Punctuality and disruption
3. Cancellations
4. Cleanliness
5. Customer satisfaction
6. Complaints handling and compensation
7. Top 5 Complaints and Learnings
8. Assistance and contact details
Provision of travel information during the journey
Provision of travel information before and after your journey
Full details of our passenger information during disruption (PIDD) can be found on our website https://www.heathrowexpress.com/conditions-of-carriage#/ to summarise:
Delays
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
Delays over 10 minutes
Delays over 15 minutes
Part Suspension, Suspension or Reduced Service
Punctuality Performance
Results from 01 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 are:
Disruptions
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.
3.59% of our trains were cancelled
Air Conditioning on trains
Toilet Availability on trains
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:
| Spring 2023 |
Overall satisfaction with the journey | 94% |
Punctuality of trains | 95% |
Information to passengers in case of delays | n/a |
Accuracy and availability of information on train times/platforms | 88% |
Consistently good maintenance/excellent condition of trains | 93% |
Personal security onboard the train | 93% |
Personal security at the stations | 90% |
Cleanliness of inside of the train | 93% |
Provision of useful information throughout the journey | 88% |
Availability of good quality toilets on every train | 62% |
Cleanliness and maintenance of stations to a high standard | 90% |
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.
Complaint data from 1st April 2023 through to 31 March 2024 (Rail periods 1-13)
| 01 April 2023 to 31 Mar 2024 (P1-P13) | |||
Category | No. complaints | % Total complaints | % of complaints responded within 20 working days | Average response time to close complaints |
Ticket and Refunds Policy | 140 | 13% | 100% | 10 working days |
Environmental | 0 | 4% | 100% | 10 working days |
Ticket buying facilities | 105 | 19% | 100% | 10 working days |
Provision of information about train times/platforms | 28 | 1% | 100% | 10 working days |
Provision of information on website and app | 342 | 19% | 100% | 10 working days |
Information during the journey | 0 | 1% | 100% | 10 working days |
Facilities on board | 5 | 1% | 100% | 10 working days |
Toilet facilities | 3 | 1% | 100% | 10 working days |
Attitude/helpfulness of platform staff | 76 | 12% | 100% | 10 working days |
Punctuality / Reliability | 212 | 31% | 100% | 10 working days |
Total | 911 | 100% | 100% |
|
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: Summary: 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 | Summary: 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 | Summary: 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. |
Ticket buying facilities | Summary: 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 | Summary: 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. |
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.
More comprehensive information about the assistance we provide can be found on our website https://www.heathrowexpress.com/the-onboard-experience/accessibility#/
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:
By Phone
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.
By Post
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.
By International Post
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.
Via Social Media
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.