eastender wrote:

Mizter T wrote:

The Heathrow Connect fares, whilst being cheaper than HeX, nontheless
has to stay relatively high simply to protect the HeX's revenue base.

Wot, no proper competition allowed? I thought that was why they privatised
the railways.

E.

BAA - Heathrow's owner and operator - owns the rail link (inc. tunnel
and stations) that comes off the Great Western mainline and ends up
underneath Heathrow. They also wholly own Heathrow Express, and co-own
Heathrow Connect (with Frist Great Western). They get to decide what
trains run on their tracks into Heathrow and thus get to decide the
fares as well.

Competition, one could argue, is provided by the Picadilly line,
coaches, local buses, taxis, minicabs and cars.