Early Heathrow T123 / Reduced Kenny O

[nick468]

Hi all,

I've come across an issue which could cause a big problem to tube challenges in the future. Or at the very least, one which people might want to be aware of at the start of a day.

I'd always do Heathrow T4 to Amersham or Chesham in a bid to get 'on the board'. However, the last three times I have interchanged at Heathrow T123 to go to T5, the first train of the day has left early.

tube challenge 2 tinyt.jpg

tube challenge tiny.jpg

It now means that it can be potentially be 5:40 before you leave T5 for the last time, something which can potentially put a connection to one of the Kensington Olympia District Line trains in jeopardy. I might be wrong, and apologies if so, but I could have sworn there used to be four connections between Kenny O and Earls Court between 6am and 7am. Now it's down to three according to the District line timetable.

Kenny o timetable.jpg

On each of the last three occasions, I've managed to get across from Barons Court to Kenny O in (just about) enough time to get the last District Line service of the hour. But it's obviously led to a bit of redoing in the area.

Anyway, just thought I'd flag. Thoughts welcome as always.

- Nick

PS My last FNC timings were: 14/11 - 20:15:05 (Heathrow T4 to Chesham) and 15/11 - 20:08:27 (Heathrow T4 to Amersham). I won't be doing it again for a while!!!

[Steeevooo]

Timetables change, hence the change in Ken O times/frequency. More annoying is the HT5 train - do you know if it definitely left early or just didn't run/ran extremely late? Either way that is incredibly frustrating, and not something that you can really plan for/do a lot about - don't give up though!

[RJSRdg]

Just out of interest, why is the DMI saying the train is for "Heathrow T2,T3 & T5" when the station is T2, T3?

[nick468]

I know, I wondered that too...

Also on train, on day one, I missed first one - I saw it pulling away from the platform. On day two, a TfL staffer told me I had just missed first one out. Total indifference when I suggested to him that it should not have left so early and pointed to the timetable.

Que sera sera,

- Nick

[jrparkin]

Just out of interest, why is the DMI saying the train is for "Heathrow T2,T3 & T5" when the station is T2, T3?

I got this too during my FNC attempt. I can only guess it's for clarification to avoid confusion in case people think that a train is terminating at Heathrow Terminal 4, it isn't and will continue to Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3

For a Heathrow Terminal 5 train again, I just think it's to make it more clearer. If you arrive at Heathrow Terminals 1,2,3 from Hatton Cross then your next station is Heathrow Terminal 5. It won't go round the loop to Heathrow Terminal 4

[al]

I imagine the DMI question has the more mundane answer of the same destination being triggered at all stations on the line, and no ability to customise it at the penultimate stop. I can't think of anywhere else on the network where the destination is two separate stops.

With the early departure, I've always considered that connection flakey, and is one reason I hate Heathrow starts. The last time I tried it was when Geoff was doing Walk the Tube, so I knew he'd arrange for someone to try and hold it if it arrived early!

[jrparkin]

Silly question, but why not start at Heathrow Terminal 5

[stepneygreen05]

heathrow terminal 4

[nick468]

You'd lose vital minutes at the top of the day. Think first T5 train not until.after 5.20. First T4 is 5.02.

[RJSRdg]

Also, you'd either have to go out to Hatton X and right round the loop, with the long wait at T4 and repeating T23 to Hatton X, or you would have to run from T23 LU to T23 HEx/EL, then from T4 Hex/EL to T4 LU.