Heathrow Southern Rail Link Gets Boost As London Mayor Gives Backing
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
These were the two introductory paragraphs.
The Railway Industry Association has welcomed the backing from London Mayor, Sadiq Khan for the proposed Heathrow Southern Rail Link.
Speaking at the London Assembly recently, Mr Khan said: “I welcome the useful role that a Southern Rail Link to Heathrow could play in supporting a shift to sustainable modes, while transforming access to Heathrow Airport for passengers and staff from south London, Surrey and Hampshire.
I introduced the Heathrow Southern Railway in November 2016 in Why I Like The Heathrow Southern Railway Proposal.
I still like it and we now have more information, which includes this map.
Note.
- The blue line is the Elizabeth Line.
- The yellow line is a direct link from Waterloo to Heathrow.
- The station in a six pointed star is Clapham Junction.
On the Heathrow Southern Railway web site there is a section called Service Opportunities.
It details two routes.
- Heathrow and Waterloo via Staines and Clapham Junction
- Basingstoke/Guildford and Paddington via Woking and Heathrow
These are a few random thoughts.
A ULEZ Avoiding Line
If the Elizabeth Line is extended to Staines, then Heathrow Southern Railway provides a ULEZ avoiding route for Heathrow employees to help get the Mayor out of a hole. A station guy at Staines told me a lot of Heathrow staff take buses to the airport from Staines station.
West London Orbital Railway
I believe that the West London Orbital Railway would make sense to give lots of other routes for Heathrow staff and passengers.
Conclusion
I’ve always liked the Heathrow Southern Railway and I hope this interest from the Mayor moves the project forward.
The Anonymous Widower 
Where did you get that map? It differs from the similar one on the Service Opportunities page, as it includes the W link, but is obviously older as it refers to Crossrail.
Comment by Peter Robins | September 12, 2023 |
Perhaps more importantly, has there been any sign of support for HSR from the Conservative candidate for Mayor?
Comment by JohnC | September 12, 2023 |
Support for a public transport project from a Conservative mayoral candidate? You must be joking! I’ve been checking her out on another topic and it’s hard to credit her lack of awareness and understanding of almost any subject she talks about. I’m not party political at all – I’m happy to support the best person for the job – but in Susan Hall the Conservatives do seem to have made a very unfortunate, Liz Truss-type choice.
Comment by Stephen Spark | September 12, 2023 |
I do not understand why an extension of the Elizabeth line would make any sense
in case that the Waterloo – Heathrow line will be realized as well.
Can anyone explain ?
Comment by Wolfgang Maresch | September 12, 2023 |
The obvious extension to the Elizabeth line would be from Heathrow over the W link to Reading, so some trains would run direct Reading-Padd and some via Heathrow. However, that’s a different project.
The map on HSR’s website shows services Padd-LHR-Woking-S coast, and also LHR-Staines-Waterloo. It doesn’t show the Elizabeth line extension to Staines on the map Anonw has posted. These are, however, just suggestions, there are no firm plans atm.
Comment by Peter Robins | September 12, 2023 |
I’d love to see this project succed but seven years after you first highlighted this plan it is, like so many other plans, nothing more than that.
Now if it figured in the National Infrastructure Commission’s strategy for rail, implied or otherwise I might get enthusiatic but no its not there, only HS2, the Integrated Rail Plan for the Midlands and the North, and Crossrail 2.
This project is supposed to be privately funded yet has any company or consortia committed to the project, I don’t think so AECOM who’s name is on the website promoting it certainly won’t be financing it
The road to wasted money is littered with planners.
Comment by fammorris | September 12, 2023 |
I don’t think funding is the issue. AECOM did commit to moving the project forward back in 2017, but HSR has always said that further progress depends on the DfT committing to train paths being allocated – which has not been forthcoming. As new railway lines go, this is not a particularly big deal: it’s only a few km long, much of it in tunnel, which costs more, but removes issues with level crossings etc. But it only makes sense if trains run over existing lines to access it. To do that, there would have to be some major rerouting of existing services, and there would have to be agreement on how fares would be allocated. Also, how trains would be powered (3rd rail/OLE/both/battery?). HSR are confident that, given such agreements to establish the level of income, the track can be financed by private capital alone.
It won’t appear in the NIC’s list because it isn’t national infrastructure.
It’s understandable that there was a pause during covid, but now that Heathrow is back to pre-covid normal, it’s time there were some serious discussions on implementing this and the W Link. However, given the lengthening list of issues the current gov has to address, I would be surprised if anything happens before the next election.
Comment by Peter Robins | September 12, 2023 |
Agree with fammorris that this is just one more in a long string of failed Heathrow southern connection projects (eg HASQUAD, the elevated monorail of the 70s, Staines West branch-based schemes). The need is undeniable, but nothing has ever progressed, because you’re stitching it in to already overloaded rail infrastructure – the Windsor lines are full of flat junctions and level crossings. You’d either have to spend billions of pounds upgrading the routes and removing all the obstacles or spend even more on lengthy tunnelled routes. Newbuild would be the best long-term option and a better investment than CR2, but in the preent financial climate it won’t happen. In the interim, some kind of express tram from, say, Feltham would be the most cost-effective, achievable solution.
Comment by Stephen Spark | September 12, 2023 |