Heathrow Airport (Hansard, 20 July 1988)

§ Mr. Channon

The report on the evaluation of consultation responses to the Heathrow surface access study is being published today by my consultants, Howard Humphreys and Partners. They prepared the report in association with the MVA Consultancy and Kennedy Henderson Limited.

The report analyses more than 100 comments made on the main study, which was published by the consultants in June 1987. The report finds virtually unanimous support for rail-based options, especially those involving a direct service between the airport and Paddington station.

The consultants examined five specific schemes proposed in response to the main study: for a direct rail link, put forward by BAA plc in partnership with British Rail; for improvements to the existing Underground connection, submitted by London Underground Limited; and for a number of people-mover options proposed by three private sector groups. The report concludes that, while several of the schemes could be viable, the option proposed by BAA and BR is the one most likely to meet objectives for a financially viable scheme, attractive to providers of private capital, increasing consumer choice, benefiting the maximum number of people and attracting passengers off the road.

The BAA/BR project would cost about £190 million and would be financed largely by the private sector. A new branch would be built off BR's western region main line into the airport with stations under the terminal buildings. Fast direct trains would operate between the airport and Paddington, providing a regular service modelled on the successful Gatwick Express. The journey time—including access to the passenger concourses—could be as little as 17 minutes to terminal one. The first train would run in 1993.

Special facilities at Paddington would be part of the scheme. BR has commissioned a study into pedestrian and vehicular movements within the station and on the approaches to it. I understand that discussions have already been held with Westminster city council, and that it will be consulted as the study progresses.

In the light of the consultants' report, I am giving my approval in principle to BR's participation in the joint 599W venture and inviting it and BAA to work out detailed proposals. I shall want to see the maximum contribution from the private sector and a fully commercial return from British Rail. I understand that the promoters intend to deposit a private Bill in Parliament in November.

I wecome not only this exciting initiative, but the other imaginative proposals that were developed in response to the study. They serve to demonstrate the private sector's potential to solve transport problems and its strong interest in playing a part in future transport infrastructure projects. I congratulate the organisations involved on all their hard work and originality. The BAA and BR still have many matters of detail to resolve, and Parliament will be asked to consider the proposals once their Bill has been deposited. But we now have the prospect that Heathrow—the world's busiest international airport—will have passenger transport connections to central London fit for the 21st century. I am delighted to see the continuing involvement of the private sector in the country's transport infrastructure, following the example set by the Channel tunnel. I look forward to many more similar schemes.

I am placing copies of the consultants' report in the Library of the House. Copies are also being sent to those more closely involved. Further copies are available direct from the consultants.

In addition, I share the concern of the relevant local authorities, BAA and the road transport associations that some complementary improvements should be made to the road system around Heathrow. I am therefore commissioning two further studies.

First, I have appointed Howard Humphreys and Partners to develop for my consideration a consistent strategy for management of the motorway and trunk road network within the A4-M4 corridor. I want them to give particular attention to junction improvements, traffic management proposals such as those recommended in their Heathrow surface access study report, and variable signing to give travellers better information on road conditions.

My overall objective here is to improve the reliability of journey times from London to Heathrow. There will of course be co-ordination with the west London and south circular assessment studies that are already in progress.

Second, and following consultation with the local authorities concerned, I am now commissioning a review of access to Heathrow from the surrounding area and of orbital movement in the south-west quadrant of London within the M25 between the A23 and A40 (Hasquad). This part of London suffers from heavy traffic congestion.

The first stage of the Hasquad study will be to review the traffic related problems in the quadrant to the same time scale as the M25 review that I announced in April. On the basis of the results of the first stages of the Hasquad and M25 reviews, we shall ask the consultants to search for solutions on the M25 itself and on the departmental and local authority highway networks in a wider area either side of it.

This is an important package of initiatives to improve both public transport and road access to Heathrow. Taken together they should do much to reduce the access problems identified in the Eyre report, bringing valuable benefits to business and tourism, and to the economy as a whole.