Heathrow Airport has lent support to the campaign for a £1.2 billion Southern Rail Link at the airport, as part of its expansion consultation.

The link would connect the UK's busiest airport with the Southern Rail network, with connections to Waterloo, Clapham Junction, Hounslow , Putney, Twickenham, Richmond , Staines and stations in Surrey.

The scheme would also connect parts of Surrey with Crossrail and the Piccadilly line in the west.

Heathrow Southern Rail Limited has welcomed the inclusion and said improved rail access should be central to plans for the airport's expansion.

As part of Heathrow's consultations on expansion, the Southern Rail Link is a prerequisite to one of the options for a new "Modal Hub" for cargo.

The airport is already the UK's biggest port by value, with 143 million kilogrammes of freight flown from the airport in the month leading up to Christmas.

The Southern Rail Link proposal includes an additional eight miles of rail to be constructed along the M25

One of the options for the cargo terminal lies to the south-west of the Heathrow estate, near the existing cargo centre but it depends on the construction of a Southern Rail Link.

If the Southern Rail Link and Modal Hub is built, it would mean each train taking between 10 to 25 lorry movements off the roads, relieving congestion near the airport.

The scheme would tie in with a requirement in the draft National Policy Statement on airports to use freight consolidation sites to mitigate construction impact and to reduce road congestion.

What would the £1.2billion offer?

According to the HSR website, the £1.2bn scheme would aim to deliver:

  • Fast, direct and frequent rail access to Heathrow from the south and south west where services are not offered by rail
  • Frequent service to Waterloo via Richmond and Putney and giving major connecting opportunities to south London, Sussex and Kent through Clapham Junction and Waterloo East
  • Direct trains to Paddington from the south and south west via Heathrow creating an alternative London terminal to Waterloo and with Elizabeth Line providing connections to the West End, the City and Docklands
  • Direct trains to Old Oak common, providing a "one stop" connection to High Speed 2 and access to the proposed major development site
  • Continuation of a fast Heathrow to Paddington service with the same journey times to the current Heathrow Express

Heathrow Southern Rail Limited's executive director Graham Cross said: “Even with the existing two-runway airport, there is an air quality emergency in west London to which road traffic around Heathrow contributes significantly.

"A third runway will make a southern rail link essential if passengers and airport workers are to access Heathrow without making this crisis even worse.

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“HSRL’s scheme is well-developed and the wide support it enjoys means that it can quickly proceed. The time for debate is over and the need for action is imperative.”

The 10-week Heathrow consultation launched on Wednesday (January 17) and closes on March 28. Other aspects of the consultation include where terminal facilities should be moved, plans for the M25 and how airspace should be remapped.

To find out more details about the consultation events, detailed proposals and to respond to the consultation visit the website.