Nightmare at Hayes and Harlington - 1

Over the last few weekends - and especially on this last Sunday
afternoon (1-7-2007), Heathrow Connect services have been dumping
passengers for Heathrow at the bay platform 5 at Hayes and Harlington
Station. Usually these are intending flight passengers with heavy
luggage.

Having paid the cheaper than HEX fare - but still exorbitant at £9 -
to go to Heathrow, they are being abandoned at Hayes and Harlington,
told to lug their luggage up the stairs (there are no lifts) and then
to catch a 140 bus into Heathrow (at additional cost). No-one has been
available to help with their luggage - and much of this is composed of
huge suitcases due to BA's stupid one bag per passenger rule.

No announcements are made at Hayes and Harlington Station. And then
the intending passengers have to pay AGAIN at £2 each for the 140 bus
- which doesn't even go to Terminal 4.

Also the destination sign at Platform 5 has been seen to announce
Heathrow Airport as the next stop for the Connect parked there - a
physical impossibility - whilst the actual train displays Paddington
as the destination.

Confused some passengers for Heathrow have been seen boarding the
Connect on platform 5, and then suddenly realising (or been told) that
the train is in fact returning to Paddington.

This has been going on for quite a few weekends now. Yet Connect get
away with it. And even the HEX is stopped at Hayes to pick up
passengers dumped there by Connect.

This cannot be acceptable service - but due to it mainly affecting
tourists leaving the country Connect management seem to be getting
away with it weekend after weekend.

In fact this is gross incompetance, bordering on deliberate fraud - to
charge for the full Connect service to Heathrow and then dump
passengers at Hayes and tell them to pay again on the 140 bus for the
Airport.

CJB.

CJB wrote:
Nightmare at Hayes and Harlington - 1

Over the last few weekends - and especially on this last Sunday
afternoon (1-7-2007), Heathrow Connect services have been dumping
passengers for Heathrow at the bay platform 5 at Hayes and
Harlington Station. Usually these are intending flight passengers
with heavy luggage.

Having paid the cheaper than HEX fare - but still exorbitant at £9 -
to go to Heathrow, they are being abandoned at Hayes and Harlington,
told to lug their luggage up the stairs (there are no lifts) and
then to catch a 140 bus into Heathrow (at additional cost). No-one
has been available to help with their luggage - and much of this is
composed of huge suitcases due to BA's stupid one bag per passenger
rule.

No announcements are made at Hayes and Harlington Station. And then
the intending passengers have to pay AGAIN at £2 each for the 140
bus - which doesn't even go to Terminal 4.

Also the destination sign at Platform 5 has been seen to announce
Heathrow Airport as the next stop for the Connect parked there - a
physical impossibility - whilst the actual train displays Paddington
as the destination.

Confused some passengers for Heathrow have been seen boarding the
Connect on platform 5, and then suddenly realising (or been told)
that the train is in fact returning to Paddington.

This has been going on for quite a few weekends now. Yet Connect get
away with it. And even the HEX is stopped at Hayes to pick up
passengers dumped there by Connect.

If HEx is able to run to Heathrow, why can't Connect? What reason did
they give for terminating at Hayes?

This cannot be acceptable service - but due to it mainly affecting
tourists leaving the country Connect management seem to be getting
away with it weekend after weekend.

In fact this is gross incompetance, bordering on deliberate fraud -
to charge for the full Connect service to Heathrow and then dump
passengers at Hayes and tell them to pay again on the 140 bus for
the Airport.

I agree. They should either provide a replacement bus at no further
charge or refund the Hayes-Heathrow fare. Have you complained to
Connect about this?

I can't say I'm surprised, given my experience of Connect. It's a
similar situation to their first week of service when a signal used only
when Connect reversed at Heathrow was found not to work. Result:
passengers dumped at Hayes without any announcement or assistance. They
don't seem to have learned much since then.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

OP should read:

This has been going on for quite a few weekends now. Yet Connect get
away with it. And even the HEX is NOT stopped at Hayes to pick up
passengers dumped there by Connect.

CJB

"CJB" wrote in message
oups.com...
Nightmare at Hayes and Harlington - 1

Over the last few weekends - and especially on this last Sunday
afternoon (1-7-2007), Heathrow Connect services have been dumping
passengers for Heathrow at the bay platform 5 at Hayes and Harlington
Station. Usually these are intending flight passengers with heavy
luggage.

Having paid the cheaper than HEX fare - but still exorbitant at #9 [snip]
---
Perhaps they started from Ealing or somewhere and thought they could avoid
the extra time and expense of going into Paddington. I suspect they were
largely local people setting off on their holiday as against foreign
tourists.

In a climate where tourism may already have taken a knock after the recent
averted incidents this kind of thoughtless/hostile treatment is not the kind
of story that wants to be taken back to the home country and related to
friends and neighbours who may be thinking about taking a similar holiday.

Have you related your story to the London Tourist Board for their reaction?

Roger R

On Jul 3, 10:29 am, "Roger R" wrote:
"CJB" wrote in message

oups.com...
Nightmare at Hayes and Harlington - 1

Over the last few weekends - and especially on this last Sunday
afternoon (1-7-2007), Heathrow Connect services have been dumping
passengers for Heathrow at the bay platform 5 at Hayes and Harlington
Station. Usually these are intending flight passengers with heavy
luggage.

Having paid the cheaper than HEX fare - but still exorbitant at #9 [snip]
---
Perhaps they started from Ealing or somewhere and thought they could avoid
the extra time and expense of going into Paddington. I suspect they were
largely local people setting off on their holiday as against foreign
tourists.

In a climate where tourism may already have taken a knock after the recent
averted incidents this kind of thoughtless/hostile treatment is not the kind
of story that wants to be taken back to the home country and related to
friends and neighbours who may be thinking about taking a similar holiday.

Have you related your story to the London Tourist Board for their reaction?

Roger R

Hadn't thought of raising this with the LTB. I have raised it with
John McDonnell the local MP though. He is pretty hot at chasing up T4L
and FGWL about performance issues - he travels the line most days!!
CJB.

On Jul 3, 10:29 am, "Roger R" wrote:
"CJB" wrote in message

oups.com...
Nightmare at Hayes and Harlington - 1

Over the last few weekends - and especially on this last Sunday
afternoon (1-7-2007), Heathrow Connect services have been dumping
passengers for Heathrow at the bay platform 5 at Hayes and Harlington
Station. Usually these are intending flight passengers with heavy
luggage.

Having paid the cheaper than HEX fare - but still exorbitant at #9 [snip]
---
Perhaps they started from Ealing or somewhere and thought they could avoid
the extra time and expense of going into Paddington. I suspect they were
largely local people setting off on their holiday as against foreign
tourists.

In a climate where tourism may already have taken a knock after the recent
averted incidents this kind of thoughtless/hostile treatment is not the kind
of story that wants to be taken back to the home country and related to
friends and neighbours who may be thinking about taking a similar holiday.

Have you related your story to the London Tourist Board for their reaction?

Roger R

Actually the tourists that I helped at Hayes Station on Sunday - just
after they had been dumped off Connect at bay platform 5 - were
elderly Americans - totally lost as to what to do - had HUGE suitcases
- no lift available - no porter to help - single temp. FGWL staff
hiding in the 'tea' room. They had paid a premium fare to be so
dumped - and were then were told to catch a 140 bus to continue their
journey. They would have had to have paid £2 each extra for that -
making £8 for the four. They were NOT happy. In fact it was due to
their experience that I have raised this matter here and with John
McDonnell. CJB.

CJB wrote:
On Jul 3, 10:29 am, "Roger R" wrote:
"CJB" wrote in message

oups.com...
Nightmare at Hayes and Harlington - 1

Over the last few weekends - and especially on this last Sunday
afternoon (1-7-2007), Heathrow Connect services have been dumping
passengers for Heathrow at the bay platform 5 at Hayes and Harlington
Station. Usually these are intending flight passengers with heavy
luggage.

Having paid the cheaper than HEX fare - but still exorbitant at #9 [snip]
---
Perhaps they started from Ealing or somewhere and thought they could avoid
the extra time and expense of going into Paddington. I suspect they were
largely local people setting off on their holiday as against foreign
tourists.

In a climate where tourism may already have taken a knock after the recent
averted incidents this kind of thoughtless/hostile treatment is not the kind
of story that wants to be taken back to the home country and related to
friends and neighbours who may be thinking about taking a similar holiday.

Have you related your story to the London Tourist Board for their reaction?

Roger R

Actually the tourists that I helped at Hayes Station on Sunday - just
after they had been dumped off Connect at bay platform 5 - were
elderly Americans - totally lost as to what to do - had HUGE suitcases
- no lift available - no porter to help - single temp. FGWL staff
hiding in the 'tea' room. They had paid a premium fare to be so
dumped - and were then were told to catch a 140 bus to continue their
journey. They would have had to have paid £2 each extra for that -
making £8 for the four. They were NOT happy. In fact it was due to
their experience that I have raised this matter here and with John
McDonnell. CJB.

Yet more reasons to avoid rail ravel like the plague.