On Sat, 02 Jun 2007 22:13:14 +0100, Richard J.
wrote:

Fig wrote:
On Jun 2, "Paul Weaver" wrote:

[On Heathrow Express] you get assaulted with adverts blaring from
the tvs.
Heathrow Connect takes a little longer, but costs half the price
of the express.

I took the opportunity of riding the HEX today for free (engineering
work on Pic). Sad, I know, but I just wanted to see
what it was like. I have to say that I didn't find the en-route
'entertainment' intrusive at all. On the contrary, I found a quick
update of world-wide weather and the latest headlines quite
enlightening. And I wasn't even going anywhere, nor had I spent 16
hours secluded from the outside world. I didn't notice the adverts
to be 'blaring' at all. As far as I can remember most of them were
silent save for some quiet muzak. The only spoken advert I remember was
the one encouraging me to travel first class next time. (10 second
advert once each way.)

On the other hand, I use the Heathrow Connect fairly regularly to
commute between Hayes & Harlington and Paddington. I can honestly
say I have never traveled on a more annoying train. I haven't timed
them yet, but I'm sure the P.A.s take up more than half
of the journey time and none of them are the slightest bit
interesting or useful. Indeed, the voice used for the announcements
sounds like someone who is barely awake!

I agree with all that, and I've never found the HC staff very friendly
either.

I have to disagree there. I've always found the HC revenue inspectors to be
polite and friendly, even when I've witnessed them dealing with suspected
fare
evaders. I much prefer having my ticket inspected on the train over the FGW
approach of posting rent-a-mob at platform exits. It would be nice to see
revenue inspectors ON the FGW trains. This should prevent all the fare
dodgers
from doing the usual trick of having a quick look out onto the platform and
jumping back on the train if rent-a-mob is present. It would probably deter
them from riding in first class too.

... unless it's an engineering weekend! I felt quite sorry this
afternoon for all the people for whom English is a foreign language
heading for Heathrow on the Piccadilly. I don't know whether they heard
or understood the announcements that "strongly recommended" that they
should take HEx from Paddington (without any explanation of how to get
from their Piccadilly Line station to Paddington). So they trooped off
the train at Hammersmith and squeezed with their baggage on to a packed
Sullivan bus which took them through heavy Saturday afternoon traffic to
Acton Town via Ravenscourt Park, Stamford Brook, Turnham Green, Chiswick
Park, and Gunnersbury.

I'm sure when I looked at the LU site the other day that this bus was
the only replacement service listed, and that HEx was added at the last
minute. Can anyone confirm or refute that? Either way, LU should
improve the advice at each station for Heathrow passengers and/or lay on
a non-stop Hammersmith-Acton Town bus.

I too was surprised by the obvious lack of Piccadilly passengers on the
HEX today.
I know from experience how crowded that branch of the Picc usually is and
the
number of pax on the HEX didn't correlate to even half of them using the
concession.
I didn't venture into the terminals so can't comment on whether sound
advice was being
given to arriving pax.


--
Fig