Heathrow Western access - when?

[MarkRedon]

Claire Perry was reappointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport when the current Tory government replaced the coalition government earlier this year. In general, she has been an enthusiastic and reasonably capable minister. But she gave a reply worthy of a Peter Sellers parody of a minister telling us precisely nothing (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw15MsGlxuclast) last week in Parliament. She was asked about progress on the Heathrow airport Western rail link (I will confess to having quite liked the now discredited acronym "Wrath Western Rail Access to Heathrow"!).

From Hansard, 10/12/2015, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151210/debtext/151210-0001.htm

Ben Howlett (Bath) (Con): As my hon. Friend is aware, the largest investment in the railway since the Victorians on the great western main line will have a huge impact on the Bath and west of England economy. What progress is she making on the four miles of track that will link the electrified great western main line with Heathrow?

Claire Perry: Again, this is part of the overall proposals. As my hon. Friend knows, the western rail link is absolutely vital. It has been set out, and work is going on to make sure exactly how it is delivered. We understand how important it is. My hon. Friend represents a fine city. He and I went through Box tunnel together on a little people mover—[Interruption] That sounds worse than it is—with others to see at first hand the transformational effect that electrification work is having on his city.

I make the basic assumption that Heathrow will remain by far the most important airport in Great Britain even if my personal preference would be for an expanded Gatwick over building a third runway at Heathrow. The West of England needs better, faster rail links to Heathrow as soon as is reasonably practicable. The Hendy report makes it quite clear that delivery of this project is intended to take place in CP6, see http://networkrail.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/hendy-report.pdf#page=27. I certainly hope that this development will take place sooner rather than later.

 

[swt_passenger]

At the start of CP5 WRATH was shown as starting in 2017 with completion in 2021. I don't think that had changed prior to the Hendy report.

 

[Ironside]

I suppose she may have avoided the question as it might look odd if she could answer when the rail link would be put in place but not whether an extra runway will be built, as surely the latter has an effect on the former.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I suppose she may have avoided the question as it might look odd if she could answer when the rail link would be put in place but not whether an extra runway will be built, as surely the latter has an effect on the former.

I also think DfT wants Heathrow Airport to fund most of the rail link.
They are not likely to shell out if the new runway answer (in six months' time) is "no".

 

[swt_passenger]

More from the June 15 update to the enhancement plan (dates still as in my earlier post):

Further development of the project was announced in both the DfT’s Draft Aviation Policy Framework published 12 July 2012 and High Level Output Specification (HLOS), published 16 July 2012, as an “illustrative infrastructure enhancement requiring further business case work and conclusion of an agreement with the aviation industry”.

and

Development work will deliver a final option to deliver the required outputs within the funding available to enable construction work to commence circa 2017 for completion in early CP6 (2019-24). Programme subject to successful Development Consent Order application (18 – 24 months).

The 2012 HLOS included this:

43.The Secretary of State wishes the industry to develop plans to build a new rail link from the Great Western Main Line to London Heathrow Airport to enhance rail access from the Thames Valley and the West and, subject to a satisfactory business case and the agreement of acceptable terms with the Heathrow aviation industry, to commence construction of this during CP5. Delivery of the Heathrow western link is anticipated to extend into CP6.

None of that suggests there should have been any evidence of a start yet, or that it is significantly behind schedule. The Hansard question linked above was probably one of those put in just to keep the pot boiling...

 

[MarkRedon]

None of that suggests there should have been any evidence of a start yet, or that it is significantly behind schedule. The Hansard question linked above was probably one of those put in just to keep the pot boiling...

Thank you to all respondents for your various comments, all of them illuminating. I suspect that this particular pot will truly come to the boil only if and when the government ever has the courage to make a decision about where to build a new runway in the south-east.The Prime Minister is rumoured to favour Gatwick. If the eventual decision did go in the Gatwick direction, really serious consideration would need to be given to a new rail route between a London core business district and Brighton. Again, to express my personal preference, that would be for something along the lines of the BML2 proposal. This adds capacity between the Canary Wharf area and the south coast and with its Croydon Gateway will provide a number of new journey opportunities - albeit sometimes with a single change. But Heathrow will continue to be the most important international gateway, and the need for better connectivity from the West will not go away. Thus WRATH is probably needed in any event.

 

[civ-eng-jim]

The Western Rail Link to Heathrow project is independent of any decision on runway expansion at the airport. It is designed to alleviate traffic on the M4/M25 by providing a high-quality sustainable alternative to driving as well as open up Heathrow to the West.

As the route is to be in tunnel, the possible options for a 3rd runway shouldn't provide any unresolvable conflicts.

The GRIP3 Option Selection has been completed and will support the Development Consent Order process next year.

Two route options have been reviewed (Green and Orange) and a robust outline design has been carried out.

http://www.colnbrookwithpoyleparish...40318WRAtHColnbrookwithPoyleParishCouncil.pdf

GRIP 4 design out for tender - still on track for 2021

 

[HowardGWR]

I notice the Windsor option was ruled out partly because 'no western access at Slough' but that would have been better expressed as 'no flying junction possible at Slough' perhaps. They do tend to gild the lily in these consultations.

 

[Philip Phlopp]

I notice the Windsor option was ruled out partly because 'no western access at Slough' but that would have been better expressed as 'no flying junction possible at Slough' perhaps. They do tend to gild the lily in these consultations.

There was the Heathrow Airtrack proposal - that suffered from excessive level crossing closures and an inability to easily replace them with bridges.

 

[mr_jrt]

My preference was for a tunnelled metro-style route under the A4 with new stations at Poyle, Colnbrooke, Kederminster Park and entering Slough from the east, and absorbing the Windsor service.

 

[civ-eng-jim]

My preference was for a tunnelled metro-style route under the A4 with new stations at Poyle, Colnbrooke, Kederminster Park and entering Slough from the east, and absorbing the Windsor service.

From what I've seen, it proposed to put a ventilation shaft near the old golf driving range. It would be great to incorporate an underground station there for the Colnbrook/Poyle residents but it would prohibitively expensive and be on the edge of the conurbation.