Rail alternative to Heathrow plans

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A study commissioned by the Rail Maritime and Transport union said a controversial third runway at Heathrow would be "unnecessary" if there was serious investment in rail.

An environmentally friendlier alternative to tens of thousands of short-haul flights could be offered, boosting the economy and leading to new jobs, said the RMT.

The report, Who Says There Is No Alternative?, followed an announcement by Network Rail of a study into the prospect of opening a number of new high-speed lines

The RMT said it was the first union to look for an environmentally acceptable alternative to Heathrow expansion.

The report points out that well over a third of flights from Heathrow are short-haul, that more than 20% go to destinations already served by a viable rail alternative, and that another one in five are to places where rail is the potential alternative.

It also shows that where high-speed rail links have been opened there has been a significant switch from air to rail, and warns that the UK is in danger of being left behind as countries like Spain reap the benefits of massive rail investment.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said at his union's annual conference in Nottingham: "This report shows that high-speed rail can provide a win-win solution for the economy and the environment. Paris remains Heathrow's top destination and there are as many flights leaving for Edinburgh as for New York, and if we provide a viable, fast and sustainable alternative to short-haul flights the case for Heathrow expansion would evaporate."

Labour MP John McDonnell, chairman of the union's parliamentary group, and MP for Hayes and Harlington, which includes Heathrow, said: "This report proves conclusively that there is a rail alternative to Heathrow expansion and undermines totally the argument for a new runway and sixth terminal,

"It should provide the basis upon which the government thinks again."