Viable, deliverable, affordable": Plans unveiled to give Dorset a direct link to Heathrow Airport
Plans to connect Dorset with the UK's biggest airport are set to move a step forward.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has said that he is now "committed" to bringing forward a southern rail link from Heathrow Airport, which would give people living in Dorset direct access to Heathrow Airport through a new route, and could see trains from Woking head directly to Heathrow Airport from the South Western Mainline which runs between London Waterloo and Weymouth.
Mr Grayling said in Parliament last week that he will invite private companies to present market-led proposals for the development of a southern rail link to the airport and will bring forward proposals from a number of private consortia interested in developing the line, expected to cost around £1.2 billion.
At the same time, the House of Commons Transport Committee also released a report into the draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) noting that Southern Rail Access was "essential" for a two-runway Heathrow even before a three-runway airport with an extra 50 per cent capacity is developed.
The concept was originally put forward by Heathrow Southern Railway Limited (HSRL), an independent venture set up to build the rail link. The firm expects it could be used by as many as 33,000 people per day, and remove 86 million car kilometres from Britain's roads every year.
Speaking to the Dorset Echo, Baroness Jo Valentine, chairman of Heathrow Southern Railway said: “We welcome the Transport Secretary’s invitation and stand ready to fulfil this once in a generation opportunity to open up Heathrow to train services from London and the south of England whilst also transforming connectivity across the whole region.
"We want to put many more communities including Dorset within easy reach of the UK’s only hub airport by train, enabling them to reap economic benefits whilst at the same time reducing road congestion and improving air quality."
South Dorset MP Richard Drax welcomed the news and stressed that improving rail links to Weymouth was vital to creating wealth and prosperity in the area.
He added: "Better connectivity for South Dorset is welcomed particularly from Heathrow as the implications for business and tourism would be extremely good."
Emma Gilthorpe, Heathrow’s executive director for expansion, said: "This is a great step forward in transforming rail connectivity to Heathrow and providing our passengers and colleagues - particularly those living to the south and west of the airport- more reliable, sustainable and accessible choices for travel to the airport."