The Anonymous Widower

HS4Air And Heathrow Airport’s Third Runway

HS4Air will pass under Heathrow Airport in a tunnel, where there will be a new station.

Look at how Crossrail hasn’t resulted in major demolition in Central London.

For this and other reasons, I believe that HS4Air can be built underneath the Airport without affecting what Heathrow do on the surface.

The only effect that a possible third runway and an extra terminal at Heathrow, would be minor changes to the route of the tunnel and the layout of the station.

But I suspect that HS4Air will be built, so that it is totally future-proofed for all possible developments at Heathrow.

On the other hand, HS4Air might have effects on Heathrow Airport.

• Passengers from the North of England would be more likely to come by high speed train from Birmingham and Manchester.
• Passengers from South Wales and the West of England would be more likely to come by high speed train from Bristol and Cardiff.
• The transfer between Heathrow and Gatwick would be less than twenty minutes. HS4Air claim just fifteen.
• If there was sufficient demand there could be a Heathrow-Gatwick shuttle every 10-15 minutes.

Just as some of these effects will be positive for Heathrow, they will also be positive for Gatwick.

Conclusion

I am led to the conclusion, that some politicians, who are seriously against a third runway at Heathrow, could manage to get the runway blocked or delayed for a decade, by citing HS4Air and Gatwick as a viable alternative.

But that won’t matter, as Gatwick will build the much-needed runway for the South-East and it will be less than twenty minutes from Heathrow.

July 26, 2018 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport, HS4Air, Third Runway At Heathrow Airport