London’s Heathrow Express to be axed?

London’s Heathrow Express may soon be completely replaced by more affordable and better connected Elizabeth Line services, according to reports in the UK media.

The Heathrow Express offers a 15-minute non-stop ride between London Heathrow airport and Paddington, with standard one-way fares ranging from £10 to £26 depending on how far ahead they are purchased.

The Elizabeth Line, which opened in 2022, is around half of Heathrow Express’ walk-up price, and takes around 30 minutes on the same Heathrow-Paddington leg.

But the key advantage of the ‘Lizzie Line’ is that it reaches across greater London.

The new Elizabeth Line connects Heathrow to dozens of stations across greater London.

Trains run from all four Heathrow terminals eastwards to six ‘core’ underground stations – including Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road and Liverpool Street – and then continue to the Canary Wharf business district and beyond.

All six of those key stations, and several others along the Elizabeth Line, also serve as interchange stations for eight popular Tube lines as well as the Overground and DLR lines and regional Network Rail services.

Transport for London (TfL) says it intends to double the frequency of Elizabeth Line services when ten more trains are delivered in the next two years.

Meanwhile, patronage on the Heathrow Express “is steadily falling and we need to reconsider whether this service is the best use of these valuable train paths into Paddington,” TfL noted in a recent submission to the UK government.

Is this the end of the line for the Heathrow Express?

The axe could fall on the Heathrow Express in 2028, which marks not only the end of the current track access agreement but the 30th anniversary of the high-speed train, launched in 1998 by then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.

“The current service contract ends in 2028 and alternative options should be considered that can increase ridership at a lower cost to customers to the airport.”

“With limited capacity on the Great Western Main Line (GWML) and competing demands from a number of train services, the focus must be on using it in a way that benefits the most passengers and improves reliability.”

Heathrow Airport, which runs the service as a joint venture with Great Western Railway, maintains there has been a year-on-year increase from 4.3 million passengers in 2024 to 4.5 million in 2025.

It also says the Heathrow Express is geared to the needs of travellers by providing dedicated luggage space and on-board toilets, and should sit alongside the Elizabeth Line and London Underground (Piccadilly) line in providing options to the public.

“Passengers value our convenient, direct service – twice as quick as the Elizabeth Line – and this is reflected in the latest Rail Customer Experience national survey, where Heathrow Express achieved 90% passenger satisfaction and ranked among the top performers in the UK for value for money.”

The UK Department for Transport has confirmed ongoing discussions with Heathrow Airport regarding to the future of the Heathrow Express.

A spokesperson said “no decision has yet been made on the future operator of the Heathrow Express. The current franchise exemption ends in 2028 and a decision will be announced in due course.”

Also read: Heathrow Express vs Elizabeth Line