Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect rail workers have today (June 4) gone on strike in a long-running row over job cuts.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union walked out for 24 hours from 03:00.
The strike is taking place on the same day as Heathrow’s new terminal 2 opens.
The union claims Heathrow Express’ management have plans to cut 201 jobs, freeze staff pay, remove the Customer Service Representative Grade and create a new Grade in its place on “inferior pay”.
Heathrow Express called the strikes "self-defeating" and said despite the strike there are trains running every 15 minutes from Paddington.
The Heathrow Connect stopping service between Paddington and the airport is not running at all today (June 4).
'Outrageous campaign'
Heathrow Express’ managing director Keith Greenfield, filling in today as a ticket inspector, said: “Strikes are self-defeating because they add to the £6 million we need to save over the next five years in order to secure our future and jobs for our people."
The company said trains staffed with reservist employees were running to and from the airport between 5am and 10pm today.
Mick Cash, RMT acting general secretary, said: "Despite an outrageous campaign of intimidation by Heathrow Express managers, RMT members are solidly supporting the action again this morning in a fight over cuts that would halve staffing numbers and decimate the safety regime on the Heathrow rail links.
"Instead of conning the public over the level of service that's running, and dressing up for ludicrous publicity stunts, the HEX management should be round the table with the union addressing the deadly serious issues at the heart of this dispute.”
The Heathrow Express service connects the west London airport to London Paddington Station.
In May RMT members walked for two 24-hour periods over the bank holiday weekend in the ongoing dispute.