How to reach Heathrow airport with all trains cancelled

Exclusive: For many passengers in a hurry to reach Britain’s busiest airport, other train options are available

Where travel dreams go to die: Hatton Cross station on the Piccadilly Line of the London Underground (Simon Calder)

Britain’s busiest airport, London Heathrow, is disconnected from the national rail network.

Passengers relying on the Heathrow Express or Elizabeth Line have been forced to change their plans, after the tunnel linking the airport with the Great Western Railway main line was closed “for safety reasons”.

According to National Rail, “there is a problem with the ventilation system in Heathrow tunnels which means trains cannot run on this line until engineers have resolved the issue.”

Passengers are being told to “seek alternative travel methods” to reach or depart Heathrow.

London Underground Piccadilly Line

For most travellers between central London and the airport, the Tube will be the best option. The London Underground is slower but cheaper than the train option. From Piccadilly Circus to Heathrow takes around 50 minutes.

The main problem is an often-erratic service, as well as the curious one-way circular link to Terminal 4. You may need to change at Hatton Cross, where travel dreams sometimes die given the gaps between services.

Other options depend on the terminal you are aiming for. You could cycle to Terminals 4 and 5, but bikes are not allowed through the tunnel to Terminals 2 and 3.

Terminal 2/3

This pair of terminals occupies the central area, where the bus station is located. The fastest alternative travel from the centre of London is on the Elizabeth Line to Hayes & Harlington, although these services are also being disrupted by the tunnel closure. Immediately outside Hayes & Harlington station is the stop for the fast and frequent SL9 bus, which takes 22 minutes to reach the central bus station.

National Express coaches run between Victoria Coach Station and the central bus station at Heathrow.

From Croydon and many places in southwest London, the SL7 is an excellent link to the central bus station at Heathrow, with a flat fare of £1.75.

Terminal 4

Anyone with a bit of time to spare and limited baggage can enjoy something of a nature ramble by taking a fast(-ish) train from London Waterloo to Feltham and walking from there; at a brisk pace, it takes half-an-hour. If you are in more of a hurry, get a cab or Uber for the last leg.

Terminal 5

West Drayton is the Elizabeth Line station to aim for. Follow the signs for the 423 bus, which takes about 20 minutes to reach Terminal 5. Again, time is against you, take a cab or Uber.

From London Waterloo, you could take a train to Staines and a taxi from there.

National Express coaches run between Victoria Coach Station and Heathrow Terminal 5.

Rail Air links

These long-established coaches run from key stations out of London to Heathrow. From Reading, Woking and Guildford, the buses are fastest to Terminal 5 – and continue to Terminal 2 then Terminal 3. From Watford, the Rail Air coach serves only Terminals 2 and 3.

Rail Air does not serve Terminal 4.