Editing Heathrow Express (section)

=== Opening ===
Beginning in January 1998, an interim service called Heathrow FastTrain ran to a temporary station called [[Heathrow Junction railway station|Heathrow Junction]], where a coach took passengers the rest of the way.<ref>{{Cite news |title = New Heathrow Service From Central London |newspaper = [[New York Times]] |date = 22 February 1998 |url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9C06EFDC163FF931A15751C0A96E958260 |archive-date = 12 December 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201212013406/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/22/travel/travel-advisory-new-heathrow-service-from-central-london.html |url-status = live |language = en-GB}}</ref> Full service between London Paddington, Heathrow Central and Terminal 4 opened on 23 June 1998, with an opening by Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]].<ref name="BBC News-1998" /> The Heathrow Express brand, as well as staff uniforms, train design and station architecture were designed by [[Wolff Olins]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 May 1996 |title=Wolff Olins rolls out its Heathrow Express plan |url=https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/23-may-1996/wolff-olins-rolls-out-its-heathrow-express-plan/ |access-date=12 January 2024 |website=designweek.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Heathrow Express - Robert Wood |url=https://robertwoodstudio.com/Heathrow-Express |access-date=12 January 2024 |website=robertwoodstudio.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>

From 1999 to 2003, a check-in service was provided at Paddington, allowing Heathrow Express passengers to check in and drop off their luggage prior to flights, which was similar to the service currently provided on [[Hong Kong|Hong Kong's]] [[Airport Express (MTR)|Airport Express]]. Checked baggage was transported to the airport by using the luggage space in the westbound first carriage. This service was withdrawn due to low usage and high cost of operation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2003/jul/07/1 |title=BAA's Paddington check-in faces axe |first=Andrew |last=Clark |date=7 July 2003 |work=The Guardian |access-date=18 March 2018 |archive-date=21 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121184409/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2003/jul/07/1 |url-status=live |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Today's Railways UK]] |date=March 1998 |title=Heathrow Express Starts Public Service |first=Peter |last=Fox |pages=27–29 |publisher=Platform 5 Publishing Limited |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In the late 1990s, BAA proposed an extension of the line to [[St Pancras railway station|St Pancras]], proposing use of the [[Dudding Hill line]] to access the [[Midland Main Line]] to access St Pancras.<ref name="Harper-1999" /> [[Railtrack]] proposed a stopping service from Heathrow to St Pancras, by using [[London Underground]] tracks.<ref name="Harper-1999">{{Cite news |last=Harper |first=Keith |date=13 September 1999 |title=Threat to Heathrow Express extension |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/1999/sep/13/2 |access-date=12 January 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> This was part of Railtrack's bid to win the [[public-private partnership]] (PPP) contract to upgrade and maintain the sub-surface lines of the Underground.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harper |first=Keith |date=16 June 1999 |title=Prescott rolls out rail-tube link offer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/1999/jun/16/5 |access-date=12 January 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name="Harper-1999" /> Neither proposal took place, following Railtrack's financial issues in the early 2000s.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 October 2001 |title=Railtrack goes bankrupt with debts of £3.3bn |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/railtrack-goes-bankrupt-with-debts-of-acircpound33bn-630604.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312220300/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/railtrack-goes-bankrupt-with-debts-of-acircpound33bn-630604.html |archive-date=12 March 2011 |work=The Independent |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In March 2008, the service was extended to the [[Heathrow Terminal 5 station]] with the opening of the new [[Heathrow Terminal 5|Terminal 5]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2008 |title=Heathrow Terminal 5 opens |url=https://www.lurs.org.uk/documents/pdf%2008/may/heathrow%20terminal%205%20opens.pdf |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=London Underground Railway Society}}</ref> In 2010, a dedicated shuttle between Heathrow Central and Terminal 4 was introduced, timed to connect with the main Heathrow Express service to/from Terminal 5 to improve connections between the terminals.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 June 2010 |title=UK News in Brief |url=http://railwayherald.com/magazine/download/228 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211171558/http://railwayherald.com/magazine/download/228 |archive-date=11 December 2013 |access-date=26 December 2013 |work=Railway Herald |location=Scunthorpe, UK |page=6}}</ref>

During 2009, flight information display screens were introduced at London Paddington.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facts & Figures {{!}} Statistics on our service {{!}} Heathrow Express |url=https://www.heathrowexpress.com/about-us/facts-figures#/ |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=heathrowexpress.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> In 2017, Heathrow Express announced that over 100 million passengers had used the service since opening in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swinnerton |first=Lois |date=3 July 2017 |title=Heathrow Express celebrates 100 millionth passenger with exhibition |url=http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/heathrow-express-celebrates-100-millionth-13261610 |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=My London |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In March 2018, the Department for Transport and Heathrow Airport Holdings announced that the contract allowing Heathrow Express to operate had been extended to 2028.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=27 March 2018 |title=Heathrow Express service confirmed to 2028 |url=https://mediacentre.heathrow.com/pressrelease/detail/9298 |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=mediacentre.heathrow.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> During August 2018, [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] (GWR) took over the operation of Heathrow Express as part of a new management contract.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/gwr-to-manage-heathrow-express-service/46205.article |title=GWR to manage Heathrow Express service |magazine=Railway Gazette International |access-date=9 March 2020 |archive-date=3 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603162618/https://www.railwaygazette.com/gwr-to-manage-heathrow-express-service/46205.article |url-status=live}}</ref> Heathrow Airport continues to be responsible for commercial aspects of the service, including marketing, ticket pricing and revenue management, while GWR are now responsible for operations.<ref name="heathrowexpress.com">{{Cite web |url=https://www.heathrowexpress.com/news/2019/09/10/heathrow-express-service-confirmed-to-at-least-2028/ |title=Heathrow Express service confirmed to at least 2028 |website=heathrowexpress.com |access-date=9 March 2020 |archive-date=6 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206190521/https://www.heathrowexpress.com/news/2019/09/10/heathrow-express-service-confirmed-to-at-least-2028/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=28 March 2018 |title=GWR to manage Heathrow Express operations |url=https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/main-line/gwr-to-manage-heathrow-express-services/ |access-date=1 January 2021 |magazine=International Railway Journal |archive-date=13 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113100939/https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/main-line/gwr-to-manage-heathrow-express-services/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In December 2020, new trains were introduced, replacing the trains used since the service began in 1998.<ref name="Heathrow Express" />