London’s shiny new £18.9billion Elizabeth line has been hailed as a transport revolution.
However how does it measure-up speed-wise on the traditional Central London to Heathrow journey towards the capital’s trusty black cab and the lauded Heathrow Specific? Not so nicely it seems.
Three journey consultants from The Factors Man UK filmed a captivating race between the three modes of transport from Oxford Circus to Heathrow Terminal 2 on the day the Elizabeth line opened, Tuesday Could 24 – and the Elizabeth line got here final. The highest podium spot was, surprisingly, taken by the black cab, with the Heathrow Specific coming second.
Elizabeth line
Nicky Kelvin is pictured right here racing in the direction of Heathrow on the £18.9billion Elizabeth line
Nicky Kelvin, Head of The Factors Man UK (TPG UK), paid £12.50 to whizz alongside the Elizabeth line from Tottenham Courtroom Street (simply east of Oxford Circus Tube) to Terminal 2 through a change at Paddington railway station.
He mentioned: ‘It was extremely thrilling to be on the Elizabeth line inside hours of its opening. The expertise on board the practice was sensible with brand-new recent carriages and a conveniently positioned and spectacular station on Tottenham Courtroom Street. The opposite enormous profit was the associated fee. At £12.50 this was far cheaper than the opposite strategies.
‘The place this feature falls down is time and comfort. The practice takes just a little longer because it makes numerous stops and in the meanwhile, it’s important to change trains at Paddington in an effort to attain Heathrow. The Elizabeth line will come into its personal within the coming months when direct trains from Central London to Heathrow are set to start.’
Heathrow Specific
Liam, above on the Heathrow Specific, mentioned: ‘The entire expertise felt very relaxed and ensured I arrived on the airport with none stress’
Racing the Heathrow Specific from Paddington, with just a little assist from a connecting Bakerloo Tube practice, was Liam Spencer, who paid £25 for his ticket.
He advised MailOnline Journey: ‘The comfort and luxury of the Heathrow Specific service can’t be overstated.
‘When it comes to pace, there is not a sooner possibility than the quarter-hour it takes to get from Paddington Station to Terminals 2 and three.
‘As was the case on this event, there are nearly at all times loads of seats obtainable, full with charging ports and tray tables.
‘The entire expertise felt very relaxed and ensured I arrived on the airport with none stress.
‘On the draw back, a £25 one-way fare is definitely not low cost. Reserving additional upfront can land you a greater value, however this is not at all times an possibility for last-minute journey.
‘It is also a disgrace that the service solely operates from Paddington – including one other departure level would assist to serve extra of London.’
Black cab
Placing his religion in certainly one of London’s cabbies was Benjamin Smithson, who paid a whopping £74 for his experience
Placing his religion in certainly one of London’s cabbies was Benjamin Smithson, who paid a whopping £74 for his experience.
He commented: ‘It was an opulent expertise taking an iconic London black cab to Heathrow airport.
‘With six passenger seats in my explicit cab, there was loads of room for each my baggage and myself to unfold out and my cheery cab driver was up for a chat as we headed to the airport.
‘I used to be shocked by how shortly we reached Terminal 2 – there was no visitors and the whole journey was lower than 40 minutes.
‘Nonetheless, this comfort and luxury got here at a value – at £74 it’s a expensive journey, although if there have been six of us, it could have made extra monetary sense.
‘It took a very good 5 minutes to hail a cab down even on busy Oxford Circus.
‘Rideshare apps are cheaper, so subsequent time I feel I’ll save £20 or so and take an Uber or Bolt as an alternative.’
To see the total video click on right here. For extra data on journey ideas and tips, signal as much as The Factors Man UK.
The Factors Man UK group evaluate notes on the end line
