Endorsements
We’re striving to meet all stakeholders to describe the HSRL scheme and work together to make the new rail link happen
Many stakeholders tell us that they want to have a public transport alternative to road to better connect them to the jobs and opportunities which Heathrow Airport creates
“The plan to ultimately develop the number of local rail journeys to and from Heathrow is most interesting. I have now written to the Transport Secretary to ask if he will consider your wide ranging scheme, given the numerous benefits it appears that such an ambitious project will bring.”
Michael Gove MP (Conservative, Surrey Heath)
“There is a clear need for better rail connections to Heathrow, particularly from areas south and west of the airport. This scheme would provide those connections and, in doing do, would help reduce traffic levels, congestion and air pollution which are currently causing so many problems in and around the Heathrow area.”
Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (HACAN)
“Efficient and affordable surface access is vital to the successful operation of any airport, and is particularly relevant at Heathrow with the prospect of expansion looming. However, rail connectivity to airports in the UK has often been through spur developments that do not integrate adequately with existing networks and are costly to airlines and passengers. Airlines have their own fleets and infrastructure to invest in and are reluctant to support surface access schemes where an excessive or disproportionate cost falls to airport users through airport charges collected in the airfare. Airlines therefore support improved surface connectivity with through running train services that provide far greater benefits and spread the cost over more passengers on a user pays basis. The Board of Airline Representatives in the UK – the industry association for airlines operating to the UK – therefore welcomes the scheme promoted by Heathrow Southern Railway Ltd as an innovative privately funded solution to the Government’s call for new rail investment. We look forward to engaging further with Heathrow Southern Rail Ltd on their proposals to link new Southern rail access to Heathrow with a viable fast service between Heathrow and London.”
Dale Keller – Chief Executive, BAR UK
“Hampshire County Council remains a keen supporter of a Southern Rail Link to Heathrow Airport. We would not wish to see a situation where Heathrow expansion is delivered but Hampshire is not directly connected to Heathrow by rail. This would be an opportunity missed.”
Hampshire County Council
“This Council.. calls upon the Government to prioritise a southern rail access scheme, which supports strategic transport and economic objectives and contributes to addressing environmental impacts, to be in operation before any new runway comes into service.”
Surrey County Council, Resolution passed 68 in favour with one against
“The success of the Enterprise M3 economy in Hampshire and Surrey depends heavily on economic linkages to both Heathrow Airport and London. Improved access to Heathrow through rail in particular will serve to enhance economic productivity in the Enterprise M3 area and across the South-East”.
Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership
“The lack of transport links [to Heathrow] results in large numbers of people still coming in not by public transport but by car… That’s not just passengers – it’s the huge workforce… What I’m interested in is just the potential that there is for a solution to that problem and I think this could be the solution.”
John McDonnell MP (Labour, Hayes & Harlington)
Writing to the Transport Secretary “We strongly support your initiative in opening up rail infrastructure investment to market led proposals and identifying a Southern Rail Link to Heathrow as the pathfinding scheme for this welcome policy… we jointly urge you to ensure that selection of a privately promoted solution for SRLTH continues to be treated as a matter of high importance by your Department.”
IATA and AOC – representatives of the airlines serving Heathrow
“The importance of the southern access route to North West Surrey and the onward connections to Hampshire… cannot be overstated… We therefore recommend these schemes are pursued now the government has decided to expand Heathrow.”
London TravelWatch
Dear Secretary of State,
RE: Heathrow Southern Railway Limited
I am writing following a meeting that I have had with Heathrow Southern Railway Limited to offer my support for their proposals to connect Heathrow Airport by train to South London and Surrey.
As the Member of Parliament for Mitcham and Morden, I understand that the proposals would be extremely beneficial for my constituents looking to travel towards Heathrow Airport, cutting 29 minutes off the journey from Mitcham Eastfields to Heathrow Terminal 5 and 22 minutes off the same journey from Mitcham Junction, whilst requiring just one change on public transport. This would enable my constituents to access both Heathrow Airport and Gatwick Airport in less than an hour by train.
The building of the railway would come at no capital cost to the taxpayer and would open up the potential for housing development.
My understanding is that a meeting has already taken place between Heathrow Southern Railway Limited and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport regarding these proposals. I would like to offer my support for them.
I look forward to following progress on this with interest.
Yours Sincerely,
Siobhain McDonagh MP
“….the London Borough of Sutton remains opposed to the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport, and a motion of opposition first carried by members in 2009 as a response to the work of the Airports Commission remains unchanged. However apart from Sutton borough residents who use the airport, we know that a number of residents have employment at or businesses dependent upon Heathrow, and so sustainable access remains a key consideration.
In our response to the consultation by Heathrow Airport earlier this year on their initial proposals for surface access, we made it clear that the surface access strategy should be implemented as a priority, regardless of the proposed expansion, and the key public transport elements escalated in partnership with proposals from other partners. This includes western and southern rail access to the airport.
With this in mind we welcome your proposals for a southern access scheme….your proposed alignment appears very much in accordance with the work undertaken in the last 2 years by Network Rail, and would provide our residents with a viable fast access via Clapham Junction, on either the Windsor or South Western Mainlines.
I would encourage you to continue developing your proposal, and look forward to hearing about any further developments as they arise.”
Councillor Manuel Abellan
“Along with my colleague Councillor Martin Whelton – Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Housing and Transport – I was very interested to receive the presentation from Graham Cross, your Chief Executive, on Heathrow Southern Railway Limited’s plans for a new railway serving south and west London and Surrey.
Your proposed new railway will make possible direct services between London Waterloo, Clapham Junction and Heathrow via Staines without the problems which have beset earlier schemes and of which we are very much aware. Graham’s presentation was especially interesting to us in describing how several stations in the Borough of Merton will be just one easy change away from Heathrow Airport once your proposed line is open.
Councillor Whelton and I were struck by the alignment of your scheme with our vision for the economy, environment, infrastructure and housing provision in Merton. Our Borough is already located around one hour from Gatwick Airport by train, and your scheme once complete will put our residents and businesses roughly one hour from Heathrow also. With many international investors being attracted to Merton through our regeneration schemes such as our Wimbledon Plan, we greatly appreciate the additional boost that your scheme will bring to our Borough.
For these reasons, I am very happy for you to list the London Borough of Merton as a supporter of the Heathrow Southern Railway project in your dealings with the Government and other stakeholders as well as in your publications. I will also make our support known to Merton’s local Members of Parliament and London Assembly Members.”
Councillor Stephen Alambritis — Leader, London Borough of Merton
“The DfT’s call for private companies to come forward with ideas to deliver a new southern rail link to Heathrow is a great step forward in transforming rail connectivity to Heathrow and providing our passengers and colleagues – particularly those living to the south and west of the airport – more reliable, sustainable and accessible choices for travel to the airport. New public transport infrastructure such as the Elizabeth Line, HS2, Western Rail Link, Southern Rail Link and upgrades to the Piccadilly Line will treble rail capacity to Heathrow by 2040 and enable 30 million more passengers to use public transport, helping us take cars off the road and improving local air quality for our neighbours.”
Heathrow Airport Limited
“….your central case has assumed trains running from Basingstoke and Guildford, via Woking, to Heathrow Airport and Paddington with a call at Old Oak Common, on paths operated by Heathrow Express. As regeneration agency for the Old Oak Common and Park Royal Opportunity Area, the opportunity to boost rail accessibility further is something of interest to us….If HSR can be brought in via the GWML platforms…this could cement Old Oak and Park Royal’s position as the most connected location and station on the UK’s rail network. Notwithstanding our future detailed consideration of your preferred route options, I am happy to offer OPDC’s in-principle support for HSR…”
Old Oak Common & Park Royal Development Corporation
“Heathrow Southern Railway is an important project that would help to deal with the long term problem of rail inaccessibility to the Airport from Surrey and South West London. There are huge potential economic and environmental benefits from this scheme across the region but especially for Woking which will gain from transformed connectivity to Heathrow, Old Oak Common and Paddington.”
Jonathan Lord MP (Woking)
This is an imaginative project that would ease motorway congestion, deliver reliable journey times and support both local and national businesses, by boosting connectivity with a major, international transport hub. Hampshire has long called for better rail services to Heathrow, and I hope HSR’s exciting proposals will be given very serious consideration.”
Caroline Dinenage MP (Gosport)
“I am extremely supportive of schemes like this which improve the public sector infrastructure and take people out of their cars.To me this is a totally laudable scheme.”
Baroness Jenny Randerson (Liberal Democrat Principal Spokesperson on Transport)
“One thing that everybody agrees on is that investing in our railway, making it easier to get to our key hub airport is really valuable….It will help to tackle some of the issues around air quality and, as the Transport Select Committee concluded, this is something that’s desirable with a two runway airport – it will probably be absolutely essential with a three runway airport.”
Lilian Greenwood MP (Labour, Nottingham South and Former Chair of the House of Commons Transport Committee)
“Highways England is in agreement that potential southern (and western) rail access proposals will bring wide benefits to public transport provision in the area and the M25 corridor, and we are keen to work in conjunction with developers so both the Strategic Road Network and emerging public transport schemes function in the most optimum way.”
Highways England
“The lack of transport links [to Heathrow] results in large numbers of people still coming in not by public transport but by car… That’s not just passengers – it’s the huge workforce… What I’m interested in is just the potential that there is for a solution to that problem and I think this could be the solution.”
John McDonnell MP (Labour, Hayes & Harlington)
“From the perspective of my own constituency of Guildford, I have been grateful for information supplied to me by the directors of Heathrow Southern Railway Ltd, whose design proposal avoids the busy level crossings at Egham, which proved so tricky for Airtrack. They envisage frequent trains from Guildford reaching terminal 5 in just 29 minutes and then continuing on
to Old Oak Common for interchange with HS2 and the long-awaited Elizabeth line, before terminating at Paddington. This will be transformative for my constituents and for the capacity of Guildford and other towns similarly served, such as Woking, Basingstoke and Farnborough, to attract investment.”
Angela Richardson MP (Guildford) in the House of Commons, 22 July 2020