Hotels near Paddington Railway Station

The most striking feature of this historic station is the glazed domed roof over the main train shed, dating back to 1854. It consists of three spans supported by wrought iron arches and cast iron columns with a fourth section added in a similar style at a later date. A statue of designer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who collaborated with Matthew Digby Wyatt on the plans, sits rather regally on the station concourse. But, although Brunel's impressive arch is still in the piece de resistance, Paddington has come a long way since its early days with a multi-million pound makeover creating an airport-style complex. It is, of course, also the spiritual home of lovable children's book character Paddington Bear, who was found sitting on his suitcase at the station with a note saying "Please look after this Bear. Thank you". Regular trains leave Paddington for destinations in the Southwest including Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter. The Heathrow Express departs every 15 minutes, starting at 5.10am daily with the last train at 11.25pm. Journey time is approximately 15 minutes or 21 minutes to Terminal 5. For Terminal 4, there's a free shuttle train from Heathrow Central (Terminals 1, 2 and 3) and customers should allow up to 30 minutes for their journey from Paddington. Tickets can be purchased at the station or on board the train.