Claiming international hub would undermine alternatives to short haul flights
Councils opposed to Heathrow expansion say any move to create an international rail hub at the airport would undermine efforts to develop alternatives to short haul flights.
Hounslow Council's leader, Cllr Peter Thompson speaking on behalf of the 2M Group said, "Either ministers are hopelessly muddled about the practicalities of high speed rail or their apparent enthusiasm is a ruse designed to deflect attention from a forthcoming decision in favour of expansion at Heathrow.
"The whole point about high speed rail is that customers want to travel directly from city centre to city centre. So if you were serious, that’s where the lines would run.
"Joining up the big centres of population with stations in the heart of each city on the line would generate the critical mass of passengers that high speed rail needs to work."
Mary Macleod, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Chiswick, Brentford, Isleworth, Osterley and Hounslow, joined the comdemnation claiming that the Government wants 'to have its cake and eat it. She said, "It shows just how much of trouble they are in with their expansion plans which are opposed by 95% of local residents.”
"A third runway and mixed-mode operations would be disastrous for local people. There would be a fifty percentage increase in flights and the respite that currently comes from runway alternation would be gone. It is immoral to expect people to live with that level of noise. I will continue to fight against expansion at Heathrow and to safeguard and improve quality of life for local residents."
More than a quarter of all flights at Heathrow serve destinations which could potentially be reached within four hours by high speed rail. With fast city centre to city centre rail links, most of these flights would become unnecessary.
Ninety per cent of travellers heading for London are aiming for the centre of town, not the airport.
The 2M Group published 'High Speed North' in July. This sets out how a high speed link between London and Scotland with efficient links to Heathrow could reduce demand for short haul flights and provide a sustainable alternative to airport expansion. They will be publishing their own plans for improved local rail links later in January. These will put Heathrow at the centre of a local rail network and begin to tackle congestion on local roads.
Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon postponed making a decision on a third runway last month amid mounting political opposition to the project, which would have an environmental impact as well as increasing traffic to the airport. Mary McCleod invited Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon to visit the constituency before making his final decision but has not yet had a response.
January 8, 2009
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