In message , at 14:07:50 on Sat, 14 Jun
2014, Robin remarked:
I'd think much depends on your getting the more precise destination.
"West London" covers a big area. Even if it's just "the West End"
there's a significant difference between, say, Pimlico and Paddington
when it comes to late night pubic transport.

I don't know yet, it's currently midnight where they are. Previous
places have been in the Hammersmith area I think.

Perhaps a toss-up between
(a) hoping for tube + cab or HEX plus cab,

Tube and HEx will have closed.

(b) a pre-booked car which should be cheaper
than a cab all the way but more expensive than tube/HEX+cab. All to be
weighted by traveller's fitness, willingness to walk the streets of
Londonat 01:00, ability to fight off marauding gangs, .........

They are pretty good at navigating strange places at night.

--
Roland Perry

In message , at 15:09:07 on Sat, 14
Jun 2014, tim..... remarked:
(An aside - the N9 bus could be particularly troublesome for visitors
when buses go cashless next month - the least that's needed is a 24/7
Oyster vending arrangement at Heathrow's T5 and central bus station.)

Which they could sort-of do by having at least one of the tube ticket
machines accessible in a foyer of the station 24x7.

Is it not already?

I haven't really noticed if there is a gate that could be closed
between the TO and the subway that runs from the terminals to the bus
station.

Dunno. Does anyone publish maps (like the NRES ones?)
--
Roland Perry

On 2014-06-14 11:35:06 +0000, Roland Perry said:

I have a colleague on a delayed flight who looks as if they'll be
landing Heathrow at 10.45pm Sunday night, and probably looking for ways
to get to West London at about midnight.

I think the chances of getting the 11.48pm last HEx are slim to none;
they aren't an EU citizen, will have hold baggage, and it's an A380.
The last tube is at 11.28pm

What does the team think?

(My initial thought is bonding with a few fellow-countryman delayed pax
en-route and sharing a cab for three.)

Your initial thought is good - last time this happened to me (landing
at LHR at about 2.00 am) I organised a minicab with some other
passengers (there weren't many of us though - it was a 777 from Paris
with about 10 people on board). There were no black cabs at that time
though.

Seems to me that the airline could suggest infromally that people share
cabs in these situations but it's probably against policy.

E.

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:07:29 on
Sat, 14 Jun 2014, Recliner remarked:

However, I do see a last tube departure at 23:55, and Heathrow Connect
at 00:07, and maybe there's a small chance of catching one of those.

On a Sunday??

That's what the TfL journey planner shows. The last trains are probably
later M-F. The last tube might only go as far as Acton Town, which has
lifts and a minicab office in the concourse.

Roland Perry wrote:

In message , at 13:07:29
on Sat, 14 Jun 2014, Recliner remarked:

However, I do see a last tube departure at 23:55, and Heathrow
Connect at 00:07, and maybe there's a small chance of catching one
of those.

On a Sunday??

The last through train to Cockfosters is the 2325 from T5 (2328 T123),
however the last train is 2351 from T5 (2355 T123) which runs as far as
Acton Town.

Peter Smyth

In message

, at 08:52:24 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014, Recliner
remarked:

However, I do see a last tube departure at 23:55, and Heathrow Connect
at 00:07, and maybe there's a small chance of catching one of those.

On a Sunday??

That's what the TfL journey planner shows. The last trains are probably
later M-F. The last tube might only go as far as Acton Town, which has
lifts and a minicab office in the concourse.

I picked Earls Court as the tube destination, but the Heathrow Connect
timetable fooled me. The "last train" on a Sunday is actually on the
Monday "first train" timetable. You couldn't make it up!!

--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" wrote

I picked Earls Court as the tube destination, but the Heathrow Connect
timetable fooled me. The "last train" on a Sunday is actually on the
Monday "first train" timetable. You couldn't make it up!!


Isn't that standard on National Rail ?

I recall M-F timetables which started with lots of MX and a few MO columns.

Sometimes a train was in both the Sunday and M-F table, true.

--
Mike D

You couldn't make it up!!

I think it may be a tad worse than that. Heathrow Express site shows
the last train at 23:48 from T5 as you said. But both TfL and Realtime
Trains showed a departure from T5 at 23:58 (to connect with the Heathrow
Connect at 00:07). Just a "shuttle" between terminals?

--
Robin
reply to address is (meant to be) valid

In message , at 18:15:43 on Sat, 14 Jun
2014, Robin remarked:
I think it may be a tad worse than that. Heathrow Express site shows
the last train at 23:48 from T5 as you said. But both TfL and Realtime
Trains showed a departure from T5 at 23:58 (to connect with the Heathrow
Connect at 00:07). Just a "shuttle" between terminals?

No, it goes to Paddington:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/trai...06/15/advanced

It's missing from the HEx website timetable (and hasn't been shunted to
an "early Monday" column either).
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 18:12:58 on Sat, 14
Jun 2014, Michael R N Dolbear remarked:
I picked Earls Court as the tube destination, but the Heathrow
Connect
timetable fooled me. The "last train" on a Sunday is actually on the
Monday "first train" timetable. You couldn't make it up!!

Isn't that standard on National Rail ?

It would be if the train departed after midnight, but this one departs
at T5 at 23.58, so by convention would be on the *Sunday* page.

I recall M-F timetables which started with lots of MX and a few MO columns.

Indeed, I've been spending quite a bit of time with my head inside a
1975 'big red' timetable the last couple of days.

Sometimes a train was in both the Sunday and M-F table, true.

What they did in 1975 was put the *full* service in a late-night column,
and then the service *from it's first stop timed the next day* in an
early morning column.

Thus the 23.58 should show up in the "Until (aka last train)" column for
Sunday and also as the 00.07 from T123 in the first column for Mon-Fri.
[It would do no harm to also show that the 0007 originated at T5 at
23.58] The fact you have to change trains at T123 (if starting from T5)
is a slight complication, but should not change this presentational
issue.

Then of course there's the peculiarity of having the 23.58/00.07 in a
column headed *first* train, although it's easier for passengers to see
what's going on there, than having the 23.58 inexcusably missing from
the column headed "until".

ps Even if the final train of the day departed T5 after midnight, I
still think it should be shown in the "running until on Sunday" column,
rather than the "First train Monday" column.
--
Roland Perry