Heathwick

Last updated

Heathwick
Heathwick.jpg
Map of the approximate rail route
Overview
StatusProposed
Locale Hertfordshire, West London, West Sussex, Bedfordshire
Termini
Website interlinkingtransitsolutions.co.uk at the Wayback Machine (archived 20 May 2013)
Service
Type Commuter rail Airport rail link
Technical
CharacterOrbital high-speed railway

Heathwick is an informal name for a 2011 proposal to create a high-speed rail link between London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports, in effect to combine them into a single aviation travel hub. Proponents argue this would balance their capacity and so reduce the need to add more runways to Heathrow, or more airports in the south-east of England. In 2018 the similar project HS4Air was proposed.

Contents

History

A similar plan was first mooted in the 1990s, then by the British Chambers of Commerce in 2009. Consideration of it by the UK government began in October 2011, when it was dubbed 'Heathwick' by the UK press. [1] [2]

Proposals

The scheme envisages a 35-mile (56 km) high-speed rail route linking the two airports in 15 minutes, with trains travelling at a top speed of 180 miles per hour (290 km/h) parallel to the M25 and passengers passing through immigration or check-in only once. It is hoped that this streamlined immigration/check-in procedure would enable passengers arriving at one airport and departing on a connecting flight from the other to complete the transfer process within 75 minutes, thereby increasing its attractiveness as a viable alternative to changing flights at an overseas hub airport.

To make a combined Heathwick hub work, Gatwick would assume the role of a short- and medium-haul feeder for Heathrow's long-haul flights. The scheme's success rests on the assumption that a high-speed GatwickHeathrow rail link would increase the value of the former's takeoff and landing slots to a point where it will be attractive for low/no frills airlines that presently account for more than half of its traffic to sell these to full-service rivals and move their operations to other London airports Stansted, Luton or Southend. This would ensure that Gatwick has sufficient room to accommodate the large number of short-/medium-haul flights needed to feed Heathrow's long-haul services, given that it is already running at 80% capacity. Gatwick would also be required to build a second runway to cope with the huge influx of new short and medium haul flights moving in from Heathrow and to create an effective four runway hub with Heathrow.

Proponents of Heathwick argue that at an estimated cost of £5 billion it is a viable alternative to the politically fraught provision of additional runway capacity at existing airports in the Southeast of England and much cheaper and less time-consuming than building a new hub airport in the Thames Estuary.

In 2013 a group called Interlinking Transit Solutions Ltd submitted proposals to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee which outlined a privately financed rapid transit system named London Air Rail Transit system (LARTs). This orbital light rail system would follow the M25 route on an elevated guideway from Luton Airport in the north, around to Heathrow and terminating at Gatwick. It would include connections to several radial railway lines with interchanges at Iver (Great Western Main Line), Kings Langley (West Coast Main Line), West Byfleet (South West Main Line), Merstham (Thameslink) and Sevenoaks (South Eastern Main Line). Further extensions as far as Stansted Airport are also envisaged. Special light rail rolling stock would be designed to carry baggage, cargo and mail. [3]

Industry reaction

The aviation and rail industry's initial response has been overwhelmingly negative: British Airways said it would not address the South-East's looming airport capacity crunch, which it said must be alleviated to maintain the UK's global competitiveness. EasyJet vowed to fight a forcible move from Gatwick. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary doubted the feasibility of the Heathwick high-speed rail link in the foreseeable future due to its high cost. BAA and an unnamed rail executive questioned the project's success on grounds of technical, operational, political and financial difficulties as well as long time scales. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Present alternatives

Heathrow area rail services
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from Paddington
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Paddington Bakerloo line roundel (no text).svg Circle line roundel (no text).svg District line roundel (no text).svg H&c line roundel (no text).svg Elizabeth line roundel (no text).svg Heathrow Express icon RDT.svg National Rail logo.svg
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Old Oak Common
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West Ealing Elizabeth line roundel (no text).svg National Rail logo.svg
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Hanwell Elizabeth line roundel (no text).svg
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Southall Elizabeth line roundel (no text).svg
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Hayes & Harlington Elizabeth line roundel (no text).svg
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Airport Junction
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Heathrow Junction closed 1998
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BSicon FLUG.svg Heathrow Airport:
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Terminal 4
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Terminal 4
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Terminals 2 & 3 Piccadilly line roundel (no text).svg BSicon BUS.svg BSicon FLUG.svg
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Terminals 2 & 3 Elizabeth line roundel (no text).svg Heathrow Express icon RDT.svg BSicon BUS.svg BSicon FLUG.svg
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Terminal 5 Piccadilly line roundel (no text).svg Elizabeth line roundel (no text).svg Heathrow Express icon RDT.svg BSicon BUS.svg BSicon FLUG.svg

To travel between London airports the main options are (which can equally work in reverse):

Heathrow to Gatwick
North-south
All London airports

All options require going through immigration, baggage delivery, a customs channel, and later to check-in and security check pre-flight, which adds to these times. Hand-luggage-only passengers bypass baggage delivery. Passengers should seek to purchase at their first-leg airport an auto-checked, fully issued ticket/e-ticket boarding pass to bypass the first stage of connection flight check-in(s).

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. Pickard, Jim; Parker, Andrew (7 October 2011). "Heathwick airport hub on agenda". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  2. Ahmed, Kamal (8 October 2011). "Heathwick? It that some kind of bad joke?". Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  3. Commons, The Committee Office, House of. "House of Commons - Transport Committee: Written evidence from Interlinking Transit Solutions Ltd (AS 115)". www.publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Evening Standard (Comments – Walsh, W., 'Heathwick' rail link won't solve our airport crisis), London, 11 October 2011
  5. "Heathrow and Gatwick airports: Ministers mull rail link". www.bbc.co.uk. 8 October 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  6. The Times (UK News – 'Heathwick' plan to create mega-airport), UK Edition, London, 8 October 2011
  7. Financial Times (Welcome to 'Heathwick' – ministers consider radical £5bn plan for hub), UK Edition, London, 8/9 October 2011
  8. Financial Times (National News – Airports rail link fails to carry industry), UK Edition, London, 8/9 October 2011