HS2 Heathrow spur plans dropped by transport minister, before Airports Commission report
Plans for a new rail spur to Heathrow as part of the HS2 high-speed network have been ruled out by the transport minister Patrick McLoughlin. He was responding to a question by MP Dominic Grieve (MP for Beaconsfield) about the Heathrow spur. Mr McLoughlin said: “I would now like to make clear that we do not intend to build the spur as part of Phase 1 or 2 of the HS2 scheme”. Previously the government had said any decision about the Heathrow spur would be delayed until the Airports Commission’s report with its runway recommendation – which is probably due at the end of June. Mr McLoughlin cited the Airports Commission’s findings – published as part of its consultation in November 2014 – which said: “This review … supports the view that an HS2 spur to Heathrow airport (whether to the airport site or a hub station) is not necessary to support expansion of the airport.” Nick Hurd, Conservative MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner was “delighted” that the spur had been dropped, and believed the best way of connecting passengers to Heathrow was via Old Oak Common. Paul Prentice of Rail magazine said it was a “very sensible decision. Bearing in mind there is already a spur tunnel to Heathrow and another western link being built”.
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HS2: Heathrow spur plans dropped by transport minister
Plans for a new rail link to Heathrow Airport as part of the HS2 high-speed network have been ruled out by the transport minister Patrick McLoughlin.
He was responding to a question by MP Dominic Grieve about the Heathrow spur.
Mr McLoughlin said: “I would now like to make clear that we do not intend to build the spur as part of Phase 1 or 2 of the HS2 scheme”.
HS2 is a planned high-speed rail network from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.
Previously the government had said any decision about the Heathrow spur would be delayed until the Davies Commission’s report on future UK airport capacity had been completed.
Responding to Mr Grieve’s written Parliamentary question, the minister cited the Airports Commission review findings – published in November – which “indicated that an HS2 spur is highly unlikely to be necessary to support any expansion of Heathrow airport”.
Nick Hurd, Conservative MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner tweetedhe was “delighted” the government had dropped the idea and gave “credit to ministers for listening to our argument”.
He said the best way of connecting passengers to Heathrow was via Old Oak Common. He said it also simplified the case for extending the HS2 tunnel to protect Ickenham and Colne Valley.
Paul Prentice, assistant news editor at Rail magazine said it was a “very sensible decision. Bearing in mind there is already a spur tunnel to Heathrow and another western link being built”.
Campaigner Lottie Jones from Hillingdon Against HS2 said the group was “delighted” with the decision but cautious that it was not “just a pre-election sweetener” that might be revoked.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-31814933
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Airports Commission document. November 2014
Surface Access: Process Overview
This says (Page 4):
“The Commission further noted that neither Heathrow Airport Limited nor Heathrow Hub Limited had made a spur from HS2 a component of their core surface access strategy. The Commission asked Jacobs to conduct a review of the available literature regarding the case for the HS2 spur, to determine whether the Commission could agree that it was not essential. This review, which forms part of the package of documents published for consultation, supports the view that an HS2 spur to Heathrow airport (whether to the airport site or a hub station) is not necessary to support expansion of the airport. While the Commission’s extended baseline had originally included the HS2 spur to Heathrow, on the basis of continued uncertainty regarding political support for it and the conclusions of the Jacobs report, the Commission decided that the spur should no longer be considered to form part of the extended baseline.”
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HS2: Heathrow spur work put on hold
28.1.2013 (BBC)
Work on a proposed new rail link to Heathrow Airport as part of the HS2 high-speed network has been put on hold.
Details of the next phase of the £32bn HS2 were unveiled earlier.
The government said it would wait until a report on future UK airport capacity needs was complete before making a decision on the Heathrow spur.
The Davies Commission’s full report is due in the summer of 2015 – after the next general election.
Passengers heading to Heathrow airport will have to change onto the new London east-west Crossrail service for an 11-minute transfer to terminals.
The government announced the preferred route of phase two running northwards from Birmingham will have five stops at: Manchester; Manchester Airport; Toton in the East Midlands; Sheffield; and Leeds.
Chancellor George Osborne said it was “the engine for growth in the north and the midlands of this country”.
More than 70 groups oppose HS2.
StopHS2 has argued that England’s north and Midlands will lose out to London, rather than benefit, and that projections do not take into account competition from conventional rail.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-21230325
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