Plans For New Heathrow Tube Station 'Up In The Air'
Airport does not support a new airport Piccadilly Line station
Plane landing at Heathrow. Picture: Ian Wylie
Heathrow Airport have announced they will not support a new underground
station on the Piccadilly Line being built to cope with extra demand on
a new runway, if it secures the backing of Parliament next year.
The costs of building a station, which would have served a new Terminal
6, north of the current terminals, would have been paid for by Transport
for London and not Heathrow, who have refused to date to pay for more
than £1.1bn of the total surface access costs associated with a
new runway.
Transport for London estimate the cost of surface access upgrades would
total up to £18bn. The Airports Commission estimated the cost at
£5.5bn in 2015.
Rob Barnstone, Coordinator for the No Third Runway Coalition said: “The
lack of a new train station on the Piccadilly Line, will be a slap in
the face for residents and those travelling to and from the airport, who
would experience a soar in demand but no extra capacity. This new revelation
just shows Heathrow are so desperate for a third runway, it will push
for it at almost any cost. As long as it doesn’t have to pay.”
“These watered-down plans from Heathrow simply highlights their
worry about being able to deliver a third runway – the costs of
which is almost certain to balloon – as in the case of just about
every significant project the UK has ever seen, leaving UK taxpayers –
from Truro to Aberdeen, footing the bill.”
“For residents, this simply adds to the uncertainty and lack of
clarity about the precise plans"
July 29, 2017