HC Deb 01 February 1956 vol 548 cc917-8
35. Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he has completed his examination of the proposal for a new railway line from London Airport via Whitton to Waterloo.

Mr. Profumo

The possibility of a rail link to London Airport is still under examination. A possible railway alignment has been found, and the next stage would be to commission an engineering survey.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

Will the Minister press on with this proposal? The efficiency of London Airport would be vastly increased if some fast nonstop rail communication to Waterloo or some other rail terminus were provided at the earliest possible moment, as it would obviate the present dreary journey from the airport and reduce traffic congestion?

Mr. Profumo

The dreary journey will be cut down when the Cromwell Road extension is completed. I must make the point that any agreed scheme would have to take its place among other capital investments.

Mr. Page

But was not a committee set up to consider the installation of a monorail between central London and London Airport? Has that committee reported and, if so, what is its report?

Mr. Profumo

The committee was charged with looking into the possibility of a monorail, and it is at the present moment considering that as well as the railway, but I do not think that one should necessarily wait for such a scheme as the monorail if one can find another way to speed up the time taken to get to and from London Airport.

Mr. Beswick

Will the possibility of having a rail extension to London Airport affect the decision to move the Air Terminal to Kensington?

Mr. Profumo

No, Sir. When the Air Terminal is moved to Cromwell Road we hope that the time taken by the B.E.A. buses to get to London Airport will be cut down by between ten minutes and a quarter of an hour.