London Mayor gives qualified support to ‘Airtrack-lite’
03.12.11
London Mayor Boris Johnson has given qualified support to the London Borough of Wandsworth's proposal for a new direct train service between Waterloo Station and Heathrow Airport. The councils 'Airtrack-Lite' proposal is based on a previous scheme drawn up by airport owner BAA, which was abandoned earlier this year due to a lack of funding and concerns about the impact of sending extra trains across already busy level crossings in south west London.
The new proposal would offer four trains an hour from Waterloo to Heathrow Terminal 5 via Clapham Junction and Putney. Half the trains would run via the Hounslow loop and half via Richmond. The plans avoid sending extra trains via level crossings in Mortlake and Egham, which had prompted opposition from local residents. The scheme would not change the overall number of trains running to and from Waterloo as it would merely reroute existing services.
Conservative London Assembly member for Wandsworth and Merton, Richard Tracey, tabled a question to Mr Johnson to find out whether the Mayor would back the plans. The Mayor replied in a written answer: ‘The London Borough of Wandsworth has used considerable initiative to develop the proposal they have entitled Airtrack-Lite. New infrastructure between Staines and Heathrow Terminal 5 would still be required but some of the impacts on level crossings in south west London could be avoided.'
‘This scheme could have the potential to improve rail access to Heathrow from south west London. However, while the cost of the scheme could be less than the original BAA proposal, it would require funding support from the Government and BAA. Transport for London would be happy to work with Wandsworth, Network Rail and BAA to explore this scheme further.’
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