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Plans for Heathrow rail link scrapped

A rail link from Heathrow Terminal 5 through south west London has been shelved by BAA due to a lack of funds.

The £675 million line would have connected the airport terminal to Reading, Guildford and London Waterloo stations.

Airport operator BAA said the rail link application had been withdrawn because of concerns over level crossings delays.

“We have been unable to develop solutions which fully address these concerns,” BAA said.

Heathrow’s surface access director Allan Gregory said: “We’ve listened to the concerns raised by local residents about the impact of Airtrack and worked hard to try and resolve issues including level crossings.

“Despite our considerable efforts, including discussions with Network Rail and the local highway authorities, we have been unable to develop solutions which fully address these concerns.”

He added the project was also cancelled due to lack of funds.

“We have considered alternative scheme options and how these might be funded but in the absence of securing additional funding in the current economic climate, Heathrow Airport is unable to justify meeting the full cost of the project,” he said.

 

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