Heathrow Express free terminal transfer arriving on a Z1-6 Travelcard

[Royston Vasey]

Hello all

I am familiar with the blue free terminal transfer tickets for use on Heathrow Express between Heathrow Central (HXX) and Heathrow Terminal 5 (HWV) and the option to tap in and out at the barriers using a contactless card.

I will most likely arrive at HXX on an Elizabeth Line T4 train, and will want to catch the following Heathrow Express to T5 with a 7 minute connection, if all on time.

I will be travelling on a Travelcard, but will I still have to exit the barriers at HXX, and then tap in or obtain a free transfer ticket? I am fit and familiar with the station, so 7 minutes is plenty to do so, but must I really do this?

I noted during the booking process on Trainsplit (Beta) that any itinerary with a HXX to HWV transfer on HEX was charged with the premium, and I was not offered an itinerary on a Travelcard that included the "free terminal transfer" on HEX. This implies that the only valid tickets for terminal transfer are the blue tickets or a contactless tap, and perversely not a paid Travelcard! I do appreciate that arriving on a Travelcard rather than a HEX or terminal transfer ticket does not prove you only transferred between terminals for revenue protection purposes. AFAIK it's not possible to board HEX without a ticket scan at Paddington, but I will be travelling in the early morning so cannot be certain.

In practice, would I have any problems arriving at T5 on HEX on a Travelcard? If the barriers reject it and I explain to the gateline that I had only travelled from Central, would they have an issue?

 

[bcarmicle]

In practice, would I have any problems arriving at T5 on HEX on a Travelcard?

No, as Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express trains use the same platforms as T5 and a Travelcard is valid on Elizabeth line services.

 

[signed]

If the barriers reject it and I explain to the gateline that I had only travelled from Central, would they have an issue?

You won't have any issues, the EL/HX fare separation is at the other side, not at Heathrow. They both use the same platforms and gateline at Heathrow stations.

 

[Watershed]

In practice you would not have a problem; your Travelcard would work the barriers at T5. The Heathrow Express premium is enforced at the Paddington end rather than the Heathrow end, through the existence of a separate gateline for the platforms that HX trains normally use at Paddington.

Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line journeys between Heathrow terminals are free. The blue tickets are just issued to enable you to get through the barriers (and presumably for internal accounting/charging purposes).

 

[signed]

The blue tickets are just issued to enable you to get through the barriers (and presumably for internal accounting/charging purposes).

The only reason they exist is probably for foreigners who don't hold a contactless/Oyster card.

 

[Royston Vasey]

All as I thought, thanks. I couldn't remember if the barriers were programmed to reject Travelcards, because I have certainly had to show my paper Travelcard to a human at the gates before when arriving at HWV, but that could be for a number of reasons.

If I have the full 7 minutes I'll probably do the dodge up the escalators anyway, if only for the souvenir blue ticket, but I won't delay myself if the HEX is following closely behind.

 

[MrJeeves]

All as I thought, thanks. I couldn't remember if the barriers were programmed to reject Travelcards, because I have certainly had to show my paper Travelcard to a human at the gates before when arriving at HWV, but that could be for a number of reasons.

If you have a super off-peak outboundary Travelcard, the gateline isn't programmed to recognise this (in my experience), but off-peak or anytime ones will work fine.

 

[Royston Vasey]

If you have a super off-peak outboundary Travelcard, the gateline isn't programmed to recognise this (in my experience), but off-peak or anytime ones will work fine.

That may well have been it. I have an outboundary Anytime Day Travelcard this time

 

[sammyg901]

I was let through the T5 barrier with a Travelcard having done this with a warning that it wasn't the right ticket and I might be charged next time. I was surprised by this and have since often heard passengers being advised to take the first train and change at T2-3 so assumed (it seems correctly) that it was a poorly trained member of staff but this does seem a rather basic aspect of working the T5 barrier !

 

[TravelDream]

I was let through the T5 barrier with a Travelcard having done this with a warning that it wasn't the right ticket and I might be charged next time. I was surprised by this and have since often heard passengers being advised to take the first train and change at T2-3 so assumed (it seems correctly) that it was a poorly trained member of staff but this does seem a rather basic aspect of working the T5 barrier !

That is the standard advice.

Worrying if there are then threats of fines.

 

[Royston Vasey]

I was let through the T5 barrier with a Travelcard having done this with a warning that it wasn't the right ticket and I might be charged next time. I was surprised by this and have since often heard passengers being advised to take the first train and change at T2-3 so assumed (it seems correctly) that it was a poorly trained member of staff but this does seem a rather basic aspect of working the T5 barrier !

My suspicion is that it's technically not allowed for (rather than intentionally not allowed in practice) as a hangover from before the Elizabeth Line served Heathrow and Travelcards were only valid at the LU station and not on Heathrow Connect. I've searched and failed to find any reference to "free inter-terminal transfer ticket, contactless payment methods or a Travelcard" and I wouldn't expect them to tbh, since it would inevitably lead to some transfer passengers buying a Z1-6 just to change terminals!

It would be nice to have it written in an industry document somewhere or on the Heathrow Express website "Help Centre" but as it is, only paper transfer ticket or contactless.

The "Free train transfer" ticket I have buried deep in my wallet is dated 8th January 2020, pre-Crossrail, which was a T4-T5 transfer between trips to Japan and Germany, a scruffy 360 and a 332. Little did I know it would be my last trip on either class and my last flight for over two years!

 

[Hadders]

Back in December I travelled to Heathrow T2,3 on the ELizabeth Line and transferred to the Heathrow Express to tarvel to T5 using a railcard discounted Stevenage to London Zones 1-6 Super Off Peak Day Travelcard.

I didn't encounter any issues anywhere, and iirc the Travelcard worked the barriers at T5.

 

[boiledbeans2]

[...]

If I have the full 7 minutes I'll probably do the dodge up the escalators anyway, if only for the souvenir blue ticket, but I won't delay myself if the HEX is following closely behind.

No need to dash up at Heathrow Central. The blue ticket machines can also be found in T5, both at the station and on the Arrivals Hall of the terminal.

Before printing, you can select the quantity on the touch screen. The printed ticket numbers on a single batch of printing will match except for the last digit. The first ticket of the batch will end with -1, the second will end with -2, and so on. I collect these tickets everytime I visit Heathrow.

 

[Royston Vasey]

No need to dash up at Heathrow Central. The blue ticket machines can also be found in T5, both at the station and on the Arrivals Hall of the terminal.

Before printing, you can select the quantity on the touch screen. The printed ticket numbers on a single batch of printing will match except for the last digit. The first ticket of the batch will end with -1, the second will end with -2, and so on. I collect these tickets everytime I visit Heathrow.

A life hack for the truly dedicated ticket collector!

For what it's worth, the Travelcard worked the gates and the staff member at the gate was busy assisting another passenger so I didn't interrogate him as to the policy on terminal transfers on a Travelcard. Perhaps tonight on my way back.

 

[redreni]

A life hack for the truly dedicated ticket collector!

For what it's worth, the Travelcard worked the gates and the staff member at the gate was busy assisting another passenger so I didn't interrogate him as to the policy on terminal transfers on a Travelcard. Perhaps tonight on my way back.

I don't think the terminal transfer is "on a Travelcard" as such. It's free. It's free with or without a blue ticket, and irrespective of whether you've touched in on Contactless - these are just methods of getting through the barriers without being charged.

Obviously anyone making that transfer has to get inside the barrier somehow. That means they either have to enter the station where they begin their free transfer by way of the ticket barriers, which requires either tapping in with Oyster or Contactless or using a blue ticket, or they arrive by train from outside the airport. If they arrive by train from outside the airport then they should have a valid ticket, which will in most cases either be a Travelcard or a train ticket to Heathrow Rail, but might be some sort of Rover or Britrail pass, etc,; if any of these tickets are valid at any one of the Heathrow stations then they would also be valid at any of the others as well, even if not necessarily valid on Heathrow Express. So I think it's one of those cases where it may be neater to exit and re-enter, but in reality it's pointless because tickets are never going to be inspected on Heathrow Express between T23 and T5 as tickets are not required, and the ticket you used to arrive at T23 will work the barriers at T5 (or even if it doesn't, will be valid and will be accepted by staff).

 

[Haywain]

I don't think the terminal transfer is "on a Travelcard" as such.

This is a daft statement - if the journey is free and a Travelcard can be used to make it then it is "on a Travelcard". A Travelcard is either valid or it isn't, and I'm not aware of any claim that it isn't valid.

 

[redreni]

This is a daft statement - if the journey is free and a Travelcard can be used to make it then it is "on a Travelcard". A Travelcard is either valid or it isn't, and I'm not aware of any claim that it isn't valid.

You can use the Heathrow Express between T23 and T5 whether you hold a Travelcard or not. In the OP's scenario you use the Travelcard to exit at T5, but you don't need it to travel on the HX train.

A distinction without a difference, perhaps, because I accept of course that you need to have it with you in order to be able to use it to exit at T5, but all I'm saying is you don't need a ticket of any kind to travel on the Heathrow Express between T23 and T5. You only need a ticket to get through the barriers.

 

[Hophead]

Strictly (pedantically?) speaking, you needn't have a ticket for pretty much any journey in Greater London (and, increasingly, beyond its boundaries).

 

[Royston Vasey]

Well for completeness and a data point, I was told at the gate just now that the Travelcard is fine for the free transfer, although the staff member was understandably confused by the question and said "or you can get a blue ticket from the machine".

 

[Tazilly]

Although you can pay £23.60 if you try…