Roberta Aguirre
Heathrow Airport is accessible via the London Underground, with stations at Terminals 2 and 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5. The Piccadilly Line offers a frequent service to central London, with journeys typically taking around 50 minutes. Standard fares on the Piccadilly Line start at £5.80, and you can use contactless payment options like the Transport for London Oyster card. Additionally, London residents over 60 can travel for free on TfL services. From May 20, 2021, those with a Zone 1-6 season ticket can travel to Heathrow for free on Heathrow Connect/TfL Rail, and similar fares are expected for the Elizabeth Line when it becomes fully operational.
Is the TfL Heathrow Airport free?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| TfL Rail Fares | £12.50 daily Oyster cap for Zones 1-6 |
| Single Journey Tickets | Can be purchased from airport station ticket machines |
| Travelcards | Can be purchased from airport station ticket machines |
| London Underground Stations | 3 (Terminals 2 and 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5) |
| Travel Time to Central London | 50 minutes |
| Travel Frequency | A train every 10 minutes |
| Standard Operating Hours | 05:00 - 23:30 |
| Night Tube | Available on Friday and Saturday nights |
| Night Tube Service to Terminal 4 | Not available |
| Piccadilly Line Fares | £5.80 at all times of the day |
| Elizabeth Line | Available |
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What You'll Learn
London Underground to Heathrow
Heathrow Airport has three London Underground stations, serving Terminals 2 and 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5. The Piccadilly Line provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow and Central London, with trains running every 5 minutes or every 10 minutes during the day. Journeys to Central London typically take 45-60 minutes. The Piccadilly Line starts operating at 5:00 and ends at 23:30. On Friday and Saturday nights, the Piccadilly Line runs throughout the night, with six trains per hour between Heathrow Airport and Central London. However, the Night Tube does not serve Terminal 4.
The London Underground system can be crowded at all times of the day, and this is especially true during peak rush hours. While it is possible to use the Underground with luggage, it may not be a pleasant experience if you have a large amount of baggage. Heathrow Airport is in Zone 6 of London's zoned transport system, and travel on the Piccadilly Line starts from £5.80 at all times of the day. Single journey tickets and Zones 1-6 Travelcards can be purchased from airport station ticket machines.
When travelling to and from Heathrow, it is important to ensure that you are boarding the right train for your terminal. All trains visit Heathrow Central Station, which serves Terminals 2 and 3. Some trains go to Terminal 4, while the rest go to Terminal 5. No train visits both Terminal 4 and 5. When returning to Heathrow, make sure you board the correct train for your terminal.
For journeys outside of the Piccadilly Line hours, the N9 night bus runs every 30 minutes to Central London from Terminal 5 and Heathrow Central Bus Station.
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Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3
In 2005, the opening of the Terminal 5 tunnel works led to the temporary closure of the loop track and Terminal 4 station, and Heathrow Terminals 1, 2, 3 once again became the terminus of the line. After the completion of the tunnel works in 2006, the loop tunnel and Terminal 4 station reopened, and alternate trains now run either to Terminal 4 (around the loop and back to Central London via Terminals 2 and 3) or direct to Terminals 2, 3, and 5.
Renovation works at Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 station in 2012 included an extended control room, refurbishment of all six escalators, a station enhancement, and the addition of two Step Free Access lifts from the ticket hall to the platforms. As of 2012, free travel was introduced for Oyster card and contactless payment cardholders between the Heathrow stations on the Piccadilly line.
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Heathrow Connect/TFL Rail
TfL Rail (formerly Heathrow Connect) is a dedicated airport train service running between Heathrow Airport and Paddington Station in London. It is a cheaper alternative to the premium Heathrow Express service, which also runs between Heathrow and Paddington. The TfL Rail Heathrow train is aimed at workers at Heathrow Airport, making five stops between the two destinations and taking 15 minutes longer than the non-stop Heathrow Express service (30 minutes compared to 15 minutes).
The TfL Rail Heathrow train serves Terminals 2, 3, 4, and 5 at Heathrow Airport, while the Heathrow Express train serves Terminal 5 more frequently than the TfL Rail service. The TfL Rail Heathrow trains terminate at Terminal 4 and also stop at Heathrow Central (for Terminals 2 and 3). The Heathrow Express train is also more frequent, arriving every 15 minutes, while the TfL Rail Heathrow train arrives every 30 minutes.
The TfL Rail service was previously known as Heathrow Connect until May 2018, when it was rebranded as part of the new Crossrail project, now known as the Elizabeth Line. The Elizabeth Line is expected to offer competitive fares compared to the Heathrow Express. Passengers can use Oyster cards, Travelcards, and Freedom Passes on the TfL Rail Heathrow service, and the fares are integrated with the London Underground and bus services.
The Heathrow Connect service, which operated until May 2018, offered standard-class travel between Heathrow Airport terminals for free. This included travel on Heathrow Connect trains between terminals. Heathrow Connect was marketed as a cheaper alternative to the Heathrow Express service, with a single fare of £10.30, compared to the Heathrow Express fare of less than half that price. Heathrow Connect also had a longer journey time of 25 minutes compared to the 15 minutes of the Heathrow Express.
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Elizabeth Line to Heathrow
The Elizabeth Line provides a direct connection between Heathrow Airport and Central London, East London, and Essex. The line serves all three of Heathrow's rail stations, which are located at Terminals 2 and 3, Terminal 4, and Terminal 5. From 22 May 2023, four Elizabeth Line trains per hour will run directly between Terminal 4 and Abbey Wood via Canary Wharf, and two trains per hour will operate a direct service between Terminal 5 and Shenfield via Stratford. Six trains per hour will serve Terminals 2 and 3, with two running through to Shenfield and four to Abbey Wood. All stations are located in Travelcard Zone 6.
When travelling on the Elizabeth Line from Heathrow, it may be quicker to take the first train and change at Whitechapel and/or Terminals 2 & 3. For trains towards Abbey Wood or Reading, passengers should change at Whitechapel. For westbound Elizabeth Line trains terminating at Liverpool Street, passengers should change at Stratford and stay on the same platform for the next train towards Paddington or Heathrow.
Passengers travelling to or from stations beyond West Drayton using an Oyster card to pay as you go will need to use contactless payments or buy a paper ticket. Passengers with a Railcard discount set on their Oyster card can benefit from a 1/3 discount on off-peak pay-as-you-go fares. Passengers travelling to or from Heathrow on the Elizabeth Line will need to touch out at Paddington and Liverpool Street National Rail stations to change for trains towards Reading, Heathrow, or Shenfield. Tickets for National Rail services to/from London Terminals are not valid on the Elizabeth Line between Paddington and Liverpool Street.
The Elizabeth Line offers newer trains with a mix of both long-distance and longitudinal seating, ambient lighting, information displays, and no interconnecting gangway doors, making the journey extremely spacious and ideal for baggage. Fares for the Elizabeth Line start at £12.80 for a journey to or from Heathrow Airport, and tickets can be purchased from airport station ticket machines or via contactless payment options.
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Heathrow Express
The Heathrow Express is the fastest route from London Paddington to Heathrow Airport, with trains departing every 15 minutes and the journey taking 15 minutes to Heathrow Central (Terminals 2 and 3) and 18 minutes to Terminal 5. Passengers travelling to Terminal 4 can change to a free transfer train at Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3, with connecting trains every 15 minutes and a journey time of four minutes.
Tickets for the Heathrow Express can be purchased online, via the Heathrow Express app, or at the stations. The Heathrow Express app is available for iOS and Android devices. Ticket options include Singles, Returns, and Carnets (multiple journey tickets). Advance discounted tickets are available from £10 for single journeys booked at least 45 days in advance. Children aged 15 and under travel free in Standard Class when accompanied by a paying adult.
The Heathrow Express began as a project in 1988 and received royal assent in 1991. Construction began in 1993, and the full service between London Paddington, Heathrow Central, and Terminal 4 was opened in 1998 by Prime Minister Tony Blair. The service was later extended to Terminal 5 in 2008.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the TfL Heathrow Airport is not free. Fares will vary depending on the zone.
Fares to Heathrow Airport will vary depending on the zone. Journeys on the Piccadilly line start from £5.80 at all times of the day. If you have a Zone 1-6 season ticket, you can travel to Heathrow for free on Heathrow Connect/TfL Rail.
You can get to Heathrow Airport via the Piccadilly line, the Elizabeth line, or the Heathrow Express.
Journeys to central London from Heathrow Airport typically take 50 minutes.
