Elizabeth Line through ticketing

[ge-gn]

Hi, a family member asked me to sort her out a rail ticket to Heathrow from East Anglia.

Searches online seem to always include the Heathrow express.

I’m just wondering if through ticketing is possible through to Heathrow on the Elizabeth Line changing at Liverpool Street and Paddington, and if it is how do I ”force” search engines to give these fares.

Many thanks.

 

[Haywain]

Hi, a family member asked me to sort her out a rail ticket to Heathrow from East Anglia.

Searches online seem to always include the Heathrow express.

I’m just wondering if through ticketing is possible through to Heathrow on the Elizabeth Line changing at Liverpool Street and Paddington, and if it is how do I ”force” search engines to give these fares.

Many thanks.

Just selecting a via point of Hayes & Harlington seems to restrict the options offered to Elizabeth line services.

 

[Watershed]

Hi, a family member asked me to sort her out a rail ticket to Heathrow from East Anglia.

Searches online seem to always include the Heathrow express.

I’m just wondering if through ticketing is possible through to Heathrow on the Elizabeth Line changing at Liverpool Street and Paddington, and if it is how do I ”force” search engines to give these fares.

Many thanks.

You need to either use a journey planner which allows you to manually filter by operator, or put in a via point (such as Hayes & Harlington) which excludes HEx services by default.

It's worth noting that through tickets to Heathrow Rail are generally priced for use on HEx and accordingly you will need to buy a combination of tickets to save any money.

 

[plugwash]

Is this a one-way or a return journey? if the latter do they intend to return the same day?

Through tickets to Heathrow Rail are valid on the Elizibeth line, but there generally will not be through fares priced specifically for the Elizibeth line, so it won't save you anything compared to using Heathrow express.

If returning the same day or if making a one-way journey and no advance fares are available, then an outboundary travelcard seems like it may be a good option. There are no period return travelcards though so it's probablly not a good choice if returning a different day.

Otherwise I suspect the best option is to buy a regular ticket to Liverpool St and then use Oyster/Contactless from there.

 

[ge-gn]

Thanks for your reply’s.

Even selecting Haynes & Harlington still brought up Hex fares.

I have managed to find a decent priced single for her Greater Anglia leg, so she’ll just have to tap in/out on the Liz.

I had thought that the Elizabeth was part of the National network, but it seems to be ticketed as a tube (oyster,etc). I wonder if this will change when its full length is open, so I can buy a through ticket Norfolk to Heathrow changing at say Shenfield, without having to pay the ridiculous Hex premium.

 

[XAM2175]

I had thought that the Elizabeth was part of the National network, but it seems to be ticketed as a tube (oyster,etc). I wonder if this will change when its full length is open, so I can buy a through ticket Norfolk to Heathrow changing at say Shenfield, without having to pay the ridiculous Hex premium.

It is ticketed as part of the National Rail network - you can travel on it using a ticket to or from "Heathrow Rail". Your problem is that all Heathrow Rail tickets are priced on the assumption that you'll use HX.

 

[yorkie]

Hi, a family member asked me to sort her out a rail ticket to Heathrow from East Anglia.

Searches online seem to always include the Heathrow express.

I’m just wondering if through ticketing is possible through to Heathrow on the Elizabeth Line changing at Liverpool Street and Paddington, and if it is how do I ”force” search engines to give these fares.

Many thanks.

Where are they travelling from in East Anglia?

Have you tried Trainsplit?

 

[plugwash]

I had thought that the Elizabeth was part of the National network, but it seems to be ticketed as a tube (oyster,etc). I wonder if this will change when its full length is open, so I can buy a through ticket Norfolk to Heathrow changing at say Shenfield, without having to pay the ridiculous Hex premium.

like the overground it leads a double life, it's part of the national rail network but it's also part of TfLs empire.

Operator-specific flexible fares are mostly seen on journeys that can be completed using a single operator, or occasionally when a couple of operators collaborate to abstract revenue from a third operator. x& connections advance tickets were a thing on some journys, but mostly where there was a clear "main operator" for the journey and AIUI they have become harder to buy in recent years due to reservation quota issues.

I also suspect TfL would rather people use thier oyster/contactless system than pay commission to a rail ticket booking website. So I can;t see them dealing with another operator to set up "not heathrow express" or similar fares to stations off their network.

 

[kieron]

If the fares are any guide, TfL would rather people use the Underground to get to Heathrow. It's significantly cheaper that way, with paper tickets or oyster/contactless.

 

[Sleepy]

Surely the easiest way to buy through tickets from East Anglia stations is to Zone 6 which would be valid on Elisabeth line ( or tube) to Heathrow Airport ? Use code 0786 as destination. Advance fares from Norwich for example are available from £26.50

 

[Watershed]

Surely the easiest way to buy through tickets from East Anglia stations is to Zone 6 which would be valid on Elisabeth line ( or tube) to Heathrow Airport ? Use code 0786 as destination. Advance fares from Norwich for example are available from £26.50

Unfortunately TfL want to have their cake and eat it; they don't accept Underground tickets outside the core (including out to Heathrow) on EL services, yet they pretend that Underground validity is mandatory to use EL services in the core.

 

[fandroid]

If the fares are any guide, TfL would rather people use the Underground to get to Heathrow. It's significantly cheaper that way, with paper tickets or oyster/contactless.

Not necessarily. Under a revision of Heathrow fares any non-HEx journey (Tube or Liz line) from or through zone 1 to Heathrow is going to be charged peak fares throughout the day.