Since June 23 1998, Heathrow Express has offered a premium, fast, reliable service to its business travel customers. With 150 trains a day, departing every 15 minutes, and a journey time of just 15 minutes, this is the fastest route between Heathrow and central London. Heathrow Express transports over 16,000 passengers to and from the airport every day and in 15 years has clocked up a record 60 million passengers.
Statistically excellent
Speed and reliability are at the heart of the Heathrow Express proposition. Flying to Heathrow or Paddington in only 15 minutes ensures business passengers will always get to their flights or meetings on time. An impressive 98 percent of customers rate the service as reliable, while 96 percent say they would recommend it to colleagues and friends.
A recent national survey of 60,000 UK train passengers (Passenger Focus Spring 2013) named Heathrow Express as the top train company for both punctuality and reliability. It also earned a top score of 95 percent for passengers’ satisfaction with the train itself.
The service beats taxis for price and pace. A black cab takes an average 60 minutes and costs around £60. Heathrow Express takes just 15 minutes and ticket prices start at £20. That’s 45 valuable minutes saved in a busy travel schedule.
Always improving
Since launch, Heathrow Express has improved its customer service with ongoing investment and variety of innovations. On-board wi-fi, continuous mobile phone network coverage – even in the tunnels – and the introduction of mobile ticket apps were all UK firsts introduced by the business class train service.
As London took centre stage to the world in Summer 2012, the business unveiled a £16m investment programme, including a complete refurbishment of the rolling stock. A full corporate rebrand and the first refurbished train were unveiled in May 2012 in London, ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Extensive customer research was conducted ahead of the investment programme to ensure customer satisfaction was at the heart of all changes. The train refurbishment alone involved over 200 suppliers providing in excess of 1,300 new components for the upgraded fleet. With airline travel at the heart of the transformation, the interior was inspired by designs from the industry leaders responsible for British Airway’s first flat bed concept.
Suppliers were chosen carefully to reflect the premium nature of the trains. Internationally renowned British brands Axminster carpets, (who have been producing luxurious carpeting for 250 years) and Replin Fabrics (whose renowned tartans supply the Scottish regiments and have been produced in Britain since the Industrial Revolution) were selected for the makeover.
60,000 UK train passengers named Heathrow Express as the top train company for both punctuality and reliability
First-class features
In a UK first, the Heathrow Express first class carriage now has individual seating, providing customers with more privacy, more space and the option to keep their luggage right beside them. The First class tables now feature two integrated power sockets plus reading lights and cup holders. In Express class the configuration of seating was developed to include a mixture of bay and airline seating layouts. Research showed that customers felt full-size tables were not needed for such a short journey, therefore they have now been replaced by smaller ‘trinket tables’ with useful cup holders. At-seat power sockets have also been added throughout Express class.
Luggage security was a key customer concern so seats now face the luggage racks and these are not visible outside the train. In first class, overhead racks were removed to minimise the risk of leaving luggage behind. To enhance the ambience, coloured mood lighting has been introduced; to aid transition from train to platform, the lights intensify when the train arrives at its destination. New window positions have been added and new glazing has improved passenger visibility and encouraged natural light into the carriages.
From website to app and from airport to the stations, the Heathrow Express rebrand touched all areas of the business. New uniforms for staff completed the look in Spring 2013. In addition to achieving service, performance and financial goals, in 2012 Heathrow Express became more integrated with Heathrow Airport than ever before, supporting the airport in its aim to become Europe’s hub of choice.
With guaranteed speed and reliability, the business class rail service offers a seamless transition from plane to train to city centre. Heathrow Express is definitely the smarter way to travel.
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