Heathrow Express, the world’s most expensive railway, is cutting prices for the first time.
The move comes as high speed city centre to airport connection prepares for the potentially hugely damaging onslaught of Crossrail on the capital’s transport sector from 2019, The Times reported.
One-way fares are being reduced by £6, or more than 25%, for those passengers who book online one week ahead. The return fare on the same terms is being cut by £5.
Heathrow Express has long held a simple one-price structure for journeys to central London, at £21 one way and £34 return for the 15-minute journey.
The company, owned by Heathrow, attracts 6 million passengers a year, helping to bring in income of £124 million.
Managing director Keith Greenfield told the newspaper: “We want to grow all sections of our customer base, in particular leisure.
“Our hope is that advanced-purchase deals will achieve this.”
He said he expected to make inroads into the rail company’s passenger mix, which is split 70:30 between business and leisure.
“Without doubt Crossrail will bring new competition,” said Greenfield. “But there are plenty of ways in which we will be able to remain distinctive.”
The price cut trial is aimed at not only winning more passengers but showing the rail regulator that it should be considered as the operator of future railway services to the airport, according to Greenfield.
A new spur linking Heathrow to Slough and Reading and the Great Western mainline is expected to be operational from 2021 and Greenfield is pitching to the Department for Transport to run the services.
“We are testing in the short term what will and won’t work in the long term,” he said. “We are reshaping our business to stand the best chance of running west to the Thames Valley in future.”