Heathrow ‘must not expand’ without new rail access

HEATHROW expansion must not go ahead without a new southern rail access route, according to Surrey County Council.

“We have increasing concerns over the expansion of Heathrow. It doesn’t necessarily seem that Heathrow has been listening,” said Tim Oliver, the council’s Conservative leader.

“We are the meat in the sandwich. We have Heathrow at the top and Gatwick at the bottom, and we need to make sure that whatever happens there is sufficient protection put in there for our residents.

“Heathrow must not go ahead without southern rail access. That is an absolute red line for this authority.”

The council has consistently taken a strong position on a third runway at the airport. But it fell short of stating that expansion was against the council’s declaration of a climate emergency in the county, or that local authorities should join forces in a legal challenge to the airport.

Heathrow completed consultation on its expansion plan in September. It will now submit a final proposal to planners as part of an application for a Development Consent Order.

Last year, the Government called for proposals to build privately financed rail access to Heathrow. Then-Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling stated that a southern route into Britain’s busiest airport would be one of the first rail projects for which he was seeking market-led proposals. However, there has been little progress throughout 2019.

Heathrow Southern Railway Ltd, backed by AECOM, proposes eight miles of new track leading into the existing station beneath Terminal 5, which was constructed with additional space for future platforms. This would enable trains to run from Waterloo via Clapham and Staines, as well as a link from Woking and Guildford.

Unlike previous schemes, trains would continue beyond Heathrow, offering passengers from Surrey and Hampshire connections to Old Oak Common for HS2 and the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail), and into Paddington.

It would also open the possibility of direct Heathrow and Paddington services from Basingstoke and the South Coast.

Services from Heathrow would use the existing Byfleet Junction, enabling trains to join the slow line of the South Western Main Line to Woking. This junction already has a dive-under. Journey times would be 16 minutes from Heathrow to Woking, 26 minutes to Guildford, and 40 minutes to Basingstoke.

Another scheme, named Windsor Link, was also submitted. It features a route through the middle of Windsor, connecting Slough and Staines, with a fork into Heathrow. The idea was rejected by the Department for Transport.

A light rail proposal favoured by Spelthorne Council was submitted, with a far lower cost of £375 million.

Throughout 2019, there has been no sign of progress from the Department for Transport.

Meanwhile, an application for a Development Consent Order to build the separate Heathrow Western Rail Link was due this autumn. This would involve a spur from the Great Western Main Line at Langley, and a tunnel beneath the M25 into Terminal 5 for trains from Reading.

This scheme has been delayed for several years, and a decision on the application is not now expected until 2021, with a provisional opening date of 2028.

The Government’s Airports National Policy Statement requires Heathrow to maximise the proportion of journeys made by public transport. The target is 50% by 2030, compared with 39% today.

Local campaign groups have previously criticised the lack of robust plans relating to air quality and road and rail provision around the airport.