Western Rail Access to Heathrow WRAt H Daniel

Western Rail Access to Heathrow (WRAt. H) Daniel Wilson Western Rail Access to Heathrow Project Officer Slough Borough Council / Thames Valley Berkshire LEP

Heathrow and its hinterland • UK’s only hub airport - busiest for international travel in the world • Handles 67 million passengers each year • Gateway to the Thames Valley: most productive sub region outside of London, economy worth £ 30 bn (5% of output), almost 1 million jobs • Heathrow directly employs 76, 000, supports 220, 000 jobs, and contributes £ 11. 1 bn to the UK exchequer • Rail access in only one direction – London bound • Misses opportunity to connect with 20 million passengers • Roads around Heathrow are congested – predicted to reach critical levels by 2026 • 70% of users believe transport to Heathrow is less convenient than global counterparts

The solution: WRAt. H • Proposed rail link from Heathrow to Reading directly serving Slough and Maidenhead/Twyford • Delivers – Up to 70% reduction in journey time from Thames Valley stations, shorter journeys for 20% of UK’s population – Could be operational from 2020 onwards – Will cost under £ 500 m – 4 trains per hour Reading-Slough-Heathrow and return, 2 trains per hour calling at Maidenhead/Twyford – 6 minute journey time from Slough reduced from 45 minutes – 28 minutes from Reading to Heathrow

Beneficiary areas 20% of the UK’s population within one interchange of Heathrow Journey time reductions up to 70% for South East, South West, South Wales and West Midlands WRAt. H link

Proposed route Direct rail service from Reading to Heathrow Airport via Maidenhead and Slough

Headline UK benefits • Predicted to generate £ 1. 5 billion economic activity for the UK, £ 800 million economic activity and 42, 000 jobs for the Thames Valley alone • 113 million car km removed from regions roads; M 3, M 4, A 4, M 25 • 5, 100 tonnes less CO 2 produced each year • Safeguards role of Heathrow as a hub airport • Excellent transport links with international markets to secure trade and investment • Essential for Thames Valley that Heathrow continues to develop and remain competitive

Economic benefits • Accessibility improves attractiveness of vast swathe of the UK to business investment • 70% of foreign owned businesses establishing in the UK locate within 60 minutes of Heathrow • 75% of businesses in the TV state proximity to Heathrow as the primary factor for their choice of location • Heathrow facilitates the majority of face to face business meetings in the UK, which cumulatively generate £ 150 bn • 17 million sq ft office space due for renewal in next 3 years in region • Saves local businesses employee time • Savings on taxi fares

Recognition • The demand for WRAt. H acknowledged in: – Network Rail Route Plans (2009) – Network Rail Great Western Route Utilisation Strategy (March 2010) – Network Rail London & South East Route Utilisation Strategy (July 2011) – Treasury National Infrastructure Plan (2011) – Economic Impact Study (2011) – GW franchise ITT (2011) – GRIP 2 study (2012)

Progress and Support • Thames Valley LEP Key priorities (2012) • Project supported by local government, key stakeholders and a number of international businesses • Support from the Greater Western Partnership, a collection of towns and cities which would benefit, including Cardiff, Bristol, Newport & Swindon • Listed by a number of organisations as their number one transport priority • Featured at Link to China investment conference (Beijing, 2012)

Current activities Emerging issues • GRIP 3 – commitment from Network Rail to commence, lobbying for funding to continue GRIP 3 = £ 6 m, GRIP 3 -5 = c. £ 20 m • Secure commitment to project – while early delivery is important, an early announcement of support is critical • High Level Output Specification • UK aviation consultation & Thames Estuary airport Promotional events • TVBLEP Collaborating for Growth event • GWP Conditional Output Specification launch

You can help by • Visit our website wrath. thamesvalleyberkshire. co. uk and register your interest under ‘involvement’ • Give your support in future lobbying, for example for the HLOS • Talk to your MPs, businesses and other organisations • Follow us on twitter @Heathrowby. Rail

The future of Heathrow • Uncertainty abounds on the future of Heathrow • Thames Valley Chamber already detecting reluctance to invest in TV • 17 million sq ft office space due for renewal in next 3 years in region • Casts uncertainty around future infrastructure, e. g. HS 2 Heathrow link, WRAt. H • A decision, whatever that is, is time critical

A view from the Thames Valley • While Heathrow generates some negative outputs, it is the lifeblood of the Thames Valley • £ 19. 5 bn of SE & London exports depend on aviation. UK companies trade 20 times more with growing markets which have daily flights • Thames Estuary airport would require closure of Heathrow to support interlining flights (currently 8 million at Heathrow) • Re-configuration of UK economy from west to east • Decades of access development • Wholesale transfer of ancillary support sectors • Can’t assume domestic businesses will move east, may relocate across Europe, or consolidate existing portfolios

Heathrow fit for purpose • Thames Valley cannot afford to lose Heathrow, and a Thames Estuary airport would be disastrous to TV economy and wider • Increase capacity without expansion if required e. g. operational freedoms • More sustainable approach to Heathrow e. g. improved public transport access and modal shift (WRAt. H & HS 2)