New RailAir route from Watford to Heathrow, and improved Woking times from today

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• Matt says:

  20 Aug20 August 10:11

  Worth noting Railcards give a discount on the Railair buses, still a third off I believe. Found it a fairly good experience myself when I used the service, also got charged the same amount on the day as online.

• BJ says:

  20 Aug20 August 10:11

  With the provision of RA3 there is nlw little jusification for domestic flights between MAN and LHR. Before MAN area readers get on my case, I think scrapping them would probably be a net win for you as it would likely stimulate growth of both existing frequencies and new destinations for direct medium- and longhaul flights from MAN.

  • Jill Kinkell says:

    20 Aug20 August 10:24

    Careful!!! I’m surprised Anna hasn’t commented yet!

    • BJ says:

      20 Aug20 August 10:46

      Probably too busy sunning herself somewhere lovely. Seriously though, I do think scrapping flights to LHR is the best thing MAN could do for itself.

  • NicktheGreek says:

    20 Aug20 August 10:46

    Of course this ignores the fact the first direct Manchester to Watford train gets you in just before 2100, otherwise you’re changing trains in MK or Birmingham. And you’ll struggle to catch a train 10-15% of days out of the year due to rail strikes or engineering works.

    People from Manchester needing an easier time of escaping the North, not a harder time please.

    • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

      20 Aug20 August 11:23

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AijNCV_JWMs

    • BJ says:

      20 Aug20 August 11:31

      I didn’t know that, I assumed most if not all trains to Euston would stop at Watford. I’d scrap the LHR flights anyway, I think it would be a net win.

      • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

        20 Aug20 August 12:03

        All the times I’ve done MAN-EUS on Avanti the train has never stopped at Watford.

        Some of the other routes may but MAN does not.

        You could get off at Milton Keynes then change to another train to Watford then get the coach to LHR or go into EUS and back out to Watford.

      • novelty-socks says:

        20 Aug20 August 20:11

        I use Avanti to Manchester quite regularly and I don’t think I’ve ever been on a train that stops in Watford. Is this a thing?!

  • Tracey says:

    20 Aug20 August 12:49

    It would be a net win if they made more services stop at Watford. The change is relatively easy if you are able and without luggage as it is generally from the same platform, but it is still a pain and relies on both services running to time.

  • Mike says:

    20 Aug20 August 21:05

    I don’t think an unreliable bus from Watford, where practically no trains stop from Manchester, to LHR is a reason for scrapping MAN-LHR flights. What would be a reason is direct MAN-LHR trains.

• DG says:

  20 Aug20 August 10:28

  Sadly the one time I tried to use Railair (from Woking) the coach didn’t turn up.

  No information boards, no representative, and mass confusion.

  Eventually a vague indication from a driver of the service running in the other direction that there were traffic issues. Finally showed up nearly an hour late limiting my time in the lounge and no refund.

  I’m not sure how this service could be described as fit for purpose.

  • Alayna says:

    20 Aug20 August 13:04

    Happened to me. I got a taxi Woking to lhr5. But since then it’s been fine. Nat-Ex finally has the Portsmouth coach back so the RA2 won’t be on my list again. It’s quicker though to do the bus and train.

  • Jonathan says:

    20 Aug20 August 13:29

    No communication from them isn’t at all good, but unfortunately traffic problems are outside their control a bit like how airlines refuse to honour their EU/UK261 legal obligations at any opportunity, in this sort of circumstance it’s perfectly valid. Lucky the skies aren’t packed like many roads across the world are like that !

• Hugo says:

  20 Aug20 August 11:08

  an add on to a SWR advance ticket tends to only be a few pounds as well.

• Mike Hunt says:

  20 Aug20 August 11:19

  Gosh what a lot of comments just for a new bus service.

  There weren’t many comments when there was a new Sheffield to Doncaster Airport bus route announced in 2020

• Stuart says:

  20 Aug20 August 11:26

  This site allows you to track most buses in real time including RA2.
  https://bustimes.org/stops/40004404140J

  The link above is for the Woking station bus stop (which is mostly RA2). Clicking on the departure time shows the vehicle location.
  It’s a shame there’s not a more user friendly version/app.

• Stuart says:

  20 Aug20 August 11:46

  This bus blog summarises a lot of changes (improvements) to buses to Heathrow airport, apparently as a response to the ULEZ charges.
  https://handsbusblog.wordpress.com/2023/08/17/heathrow-happenings/

  The stand-out update relevant for HfP is the new 730 service from T5 to Basingstoke via Frimley Camberley and Bagshot.

  Also the 710 to Chesham.

  A raft of local bus changes which are mostly too detailed for HfP, but noteworthy, are the improved local connections to Staines, Chertsey, as well as some connections between T4 and T5 (route H30), and out to Feltham from Terminal 4 (route H21) for a train connection. Together these might offer better park-and-bus options outside the ULEZ zone (as some comments were inquiring about).

  Inside London there are now the Superloop routes connecting Heathrow:
  SL9 (to Harrow from Heathrow)
  SL7 from Croydon (formerly X26, and before that 726).

  • editingdeluxe says:

    20 Aug20 August 12:18

    Thanks for the X26 mention, Stuart – didn’t know that had changed (just yesterday it seems). I remember the 725/726 from when it passed through Bexley, where I grew up, starting from Dartford on its way to Heathrow, I think.

  • Brian says:

    20 Aug20 August 13:09

    “The stand-out update relevant for HfP is the new 730 service from T5 to Basingstoke via Frimley Camberley and Bagshot.”

    This is good to know!

• Brian says:

  20 Aug20 August 13:16

  It seems a shame they can’t run an east bound GWR train from Reading to Heathrow going via Hayes and Harlington, yes it would be slower than a new through route, but I imagine at even once an hour it would be popular. Maybe I should start a new company via “open access” – any angel investors about?

  • ChrisBCN says:

    20 Aug20 August 16:43

    The problem is that it would have to reverse once it’s gone past the Heathrow junction. That would mean it has to cross the other tracks, stopping other trains and reducing capacity (and there isn’t spare capacity). Adding one train an hour would mean you would have to cancel several others (in both directions) an hour.

    The other option would be to build a dedicated track from the west, which is what is proposed.

    With regards to investing, let me tell you where I am – I’m out.

  • BA Flyer IHG Stayer says:

    20 Aug20 August 18:01

    An open access operator still needs the train paths and platforms to operate on and from.

    And an additional complication here is that Brian Trains Ltd would need to negotiate (and pay for) the use of the privately HEX owned tunnels and platform infrastructure as well as on the National Rail lines (and pay their access fees as well)

    Brian Trains Ltd might get the former but not the latter or the latter but not the former or get both but the train paths don’t coordinate so you have long delays switching between the lines extending journey times which then make you less attractive to passengers. And you could get paths during off peak hours but not in the peak limiting your opportunistic to make money.

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.