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Runway opponents unveil Heathrow ‘rail hub’
Katharine Barney26.01.09
The coalition of councils opposing the third runway will this week launch plans for a new rail network around Heathrow.
The group, known as the 2M Group, claim 40 trains an hour could pass through the airport.
Their blueprint, Getting to Heathrow, to be launched on Thursday, shows that the airport could become a rail hub serving large areas of London and the South-East. The new local network would provide links to mainline services and a London-to-Scotland high-speed rail line from Euston. It would offer connections to 150 stations within a 25-mile radius of the airport. Representatives say it would take a million cars off the road every year.
Wandsworth council leader Edward Lister, speaking on behalf of 2M, said: “Government plans include a £4.5 billion high-speed hub. This is nothing more than a high-speed hoax as just about all the costs will be swallowed by a 15-mile tunnel to St Pancras and unnecessary tunnelling under Heathrow.
“Our scheme is practical and offers much better value for money. The Government says Crossrail and Airtrack will be enough to cope with Heathrow expansion. Whether the airport grows or not the best way to tackle congestion is to make it the centre of a new network that links all existing and proposed lines.”
Reader views (13)
If Airtrack gets of the ground, the Level Crossings in Egham will be CLOSED for most of the time:
37 minutes per hour at the Thorpe Road Crossing,
39 minutes at Pooley Green, and
44 minutes per hour at Egham Station.
AND THEY SAY WE DON'T NEED A BRIDGE OR TUNNEL
If you live, work, study, shop or play in Egham, you will be stuck in a monster traffic jam..
Protest. Demand a Tunnel or a Bridge. Make them realise we will not take this lying down.
They can afford it, why should they kill our town so that other people can zoom through on a train? Contact BAA, Network Rail, Surrey County Council, the Highway agency... Please don't let our town be cut in two
- Lee Hamilton, Egham, UK
Of course train travel does not get duty free deisel or energy to power its trains - the plane companies do and they don't pay VAT on airline tickets - this special treatment is frankly the throw back the glam travel days of jet travel for the well heeled - our DFT seems to be completely sold on aviation despite the damage it does to people over a huge area and despite the fact we are know that electrified rail is the only way to travel in a future with silly oil prices - and trust me they will get silly again!
- Christian Ball, London, UK
I fail to see why we should give BAA and their Spanish owners more money and more free buildings. It is not as if they do something good with them!?
- Steveo, London
Why is it that Nu Labor thinks that Heathrow will get better by making it bigger?? It does not work as it is?? BAA the operator is worse than Gordon Brown. Again yesterday night: two security screening stations, 250 waiting people in front of them, only 1 station "manned" (if you can call them that) and ask to take of our shoes - the other UNMANNED station where you do not have to take shoes off. Go figure
- Jonathan, London NW1
Lufthansa have been running high speed trains round Germany for years in order to cut the congestion at Frankfurt. They are clean and speedy and are run as an airline with on board meals and hostess service with trolly drinks service. This could be the future for a Heathrow hub going to the major cities
- Roger Turner, Algarve Portugal
Al, Mark, I was not born yesterday and frankly prefer to travel by train than plane to Scotland. However, I stand by my comparisons (especially when multiplied by 5 to tske the whole family), or when I can't be flexible and have to be there on certain dates at certain times. Anyway, well done for getting a £54 return - try and get that at the weekend ! ! !
- Paul, London
As long as they close that horrible shopping centre they call airport Heathrow.
- Peteo, Primrose Hill, London
An excellent idea. They should also look at reopening the Staines line to connect with Heathrow
- Malcolm Smith, Herts
In my opinion, the Heathrow Hub is a much better railway plan. It would give high-speed travel into central London, and high-speed lines towards Bristol and Birmingham International and the North of England.
Other main-line routes could be reached from central London, where all trains stop, rather than on the periphery of north London, where most trains will not.
- Jay, London
Heathrow is a dirty, old building and shopping centre, without little to show airline service wise. It should be closed and rebuilt somewhere else, without the BAA.
- Phil, Islington, London
Paul - you seem to have fallen hook line and sinker for the 'Easy Jet' trap.
You have to pay £38 for a train from London to Stansted and back for your Easy Jet flight, and £6 for a shuttle bus at Edinburgh. Add on Easy Jet's credit card and luggage fees... are planes still cheaper?
- Mark Lee, Vauxhall
Paul - Stating one fare for one journey is just nonsense. I got a London-Edinburgh return for £54 last week. It just shows that it's possible to choose the route, fare flexibility and/or time of travel to massage the figures to prove any point you want to make.
- Al, London
Take 2 minutes to compare train fares against flights and you'll see where the problem lies. Looking at next weekend a London-Edinburgh return Fri-Mon is £108 with Virgin by train, £72 flying with EasyJet. Go figure!
- Paul, London
