Heathrow local residents pledged to oppose high-speed rail unless 3rd runway is dropped
Local residents around Heathrow, whose communities are threatened by the third
runway, have pledged to oppose any high-speed rail schemes unless plans for the
new runway are dropped.
Geraldine Nicholson, the Chair of NoTRAG (No Third Runway Action Group), said,
"If the Government thought it was going to get plaudits from us for its plans,
it is sorely mistaken. What we want to see is a high speed rail scheme that goes
all the way to Scotland; a scheme that is designed to make it easy for people
to use the train instead of the plane. We will oppose any scheme that does not
involve the dropping of the third runway."
The Government’s scheme, unveiled today, only has detailed plans for a route
as far as Birmingham. It was put together by High Speed 2, a government quango
headed up by Sir David Rowlands, formerly Permanent Secretary at the Department
for Transport and now Chairman of Gatwick Airport.
Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have said that they favour high-speed
rail instead of a third runway. Both parties have said they will drop plans for
a third runway if they win the forthcoming General Election.
Geraldine Nicholson said, "If the Government thought it would win green brownie
points with this announcement, it has failed dismally."
ENDS
by the government later.
with a future extension to northern England and Scotland.
until 2017 at the earliest.
growth and boost jobs”.
a high-speed rail network.
prove to be difficult ahead of the general election.
 |  Like many people, we’re yet to be convinced that the overall business case forHS2 – the high-speed line – stacks up environmentally, financially and socially  |
flights and release capacity on the existing rail network, transforming services
even for those communities not served directly by a high-speed line.
(Atoc), said: “The commitment that all three parties have shown to HSR [high-speed
rail] is a vote of confidence in the industry, and will help place train travel
at the heart of a successful low-carbon economy.
and must show how HSR will be paid for while continuing to invest in the existing
network on which passengers make more than a billion journeys a year.”
on plans to develop a new high-speed rail network, initially between London and
Birmingham.
by the company detailing where this route would be built and whether it would
go via London’s Heathrow airport.
|  |
from a new London station, with the route of the line likely to pass through the
picturesque Chiltern Hills to Birmingham.
the rail network and to bring more passengers on to the trains.
of our fragmented, privatised system which puts short-term profits first and long-term,
strategic planning a very poor second.”
the proposed route could cause “serious and significant impacts on the landscape”
of the Chilterns.
and assessed, particularly exploring the government’s proposals for mitigating
against these impacts through design and tunnelling.
HS2 – the high-speed line – stacks up environmentally, financially and socially.”
which is opposed to Heathrow Airport expansion, said: “If the government thought
it was going to get plaudits from us for its plans, it is sorely mistaken.
that is designed to make it easy for people to use the train instead of the plane.