Heathwick

Heathwick
Map of the approximate rail route
Overview
Status	Proposed
Locale	Hertfordshire,West London,West Sussex,Bedfordshire
Termini	Luton Airport Gatwick airport
Website	interlinkingtransitsolutions.co.ukat theWayback Machine(archived 20 May 2013)
Service
Type	Commuter railAirport rail link
Technical
Character	Orbital high-speed railway

Heathwickis an informal name for a 2011 proposal to create a high-speed rail link between London'sHeathrowandGatwickairports, in effect to combine them into a single aviation travel hub. Proponents argue this would balance their capacity and so reduce the need to add more runways to Heathrow, or more airports in the south-east ofEngland.In 2018 the similar projectHS4Airwas proposed.

History

A similar plan was first mooted in the 1990s, then by theBritish Chambers of Commercein 2009. Consideration of it by the UK government began in October 2011, when it was dubbed 'Heathwick' by the UKpress.

Proposals

The scheme envisages a 35-mile (56 km) high-speed rail route linking the two airports in 15 minutes, with trains travelling at a top speed of 180 miles per hour (290 km/h) parallel to theM25and passengers passing through immigration or check-in only once. It is hoped that this streamlined immigration/check-in procedure would enable passengers arriving at one airport and departing on a connecting flight from the other to complete the transfer process within 75 minutes, thereby increasing its attractiveness as a viable alternative to changing flights at an overseashub airport.

To make a combined Heathwickhubwork, Gatwick would assume the role of a short- and medium-haul feeder for Heathrow's long-haul flights. The scheme's success rests on the assumption that a high-speed Gatwick–Heathrow rail link would increase the value of the former'stakeoff and landing slotsto a point where it will be attractive for low/no frills airlines that presently account for more than half of its traffic to sell these to full-service rivals and move their operations to other London airportsStansted,LutonorSouthend.This would ensure that Gatwick has sufficient room to accommodate the large number of short-/medium-haul flights needed to feed Heathrow's long-haul services, given that it is already running at 80% capacity. Gatwick would also be required to build a second runway to cope with the huge influx of new short and medium haul flights moving in from Heathrow and to create an effective four runway hub with Heathrow.

Proponents of Heathwick argue that at an estimated cost of £5 billion it is a viable alternative to the politically fraught provision of additional runway capacity at existing airports in theSoutheast of Englandand much cheaper and less time-consuming than building a newhub airport in the Thames Estuary.

In 2013 a group called Interlinking Transit Solutions Ltd submitted proposals to theHouse of CommonsTransport Select Committeewhich outlined aprivately financedrapid transit system namedLondon Air Rail Transit system (LARTs).Thisorbitallight railsystem would follow the M25 route on anelevated guidewayfromLuton Airportin the north, around to Heathrow and terminating at Gatwick. It would include connections to several radial railway lines with interchanges atIver(Great Western Main Line),Kings Langley(West Coast Main Line),West Byfleet(South West Main Line),Merstham(Thameslink) andSevenoaks(South Eastern Main Line). Further extensions as far asStansted Airportare also envisaged. Special light railrolling stockwould be designed to carry baggage, cargo and mail.

Industry reaction

The aviation and rail industry's initial response has been overwhelmingly negative:British Airwayssaid it would not address the South-East's looming airport capacity crunch, which it said must be alleviated to maintain the UK's global competitiveness.EasyJetvowed to fight a forcible move from Gatwick.RyanairCEOMichael O'Learydoubted the feasibility of the Heathwick high-speed rail link in the foreseeable future due to its high cost.BAAand an unnamed rail executive questioned the project's success on grounds of technical, operational, political and financial difficulties as well as long time scales.

Present alternatives

Heathrow area rail services
mi-ch from Paddington Elizabeth lineviaWhitechapel 0-00 Paddington Heathrow Express Elizabeth line Old Oak Common under construction 4-21 Acton Main Line 5-56 Ealing Broadway 6-46 West Ealing 7-28 Hanwell 9-06 Southall 10-71 Hayes & Harlington Piccadilly linetoCockfosters 11-10 Airport Junction Great Western Main Line toReading Hatton Cross Heathrow Junctionclosed 1998 Heathrow Airport: Terminal 4 16-30 Terminal 4 Terminals 2 & 3 14-40 Terminals 2 & 3 16-20 Terminal 5

To travel between London airports the main options are (which can equally work in reverse):

• Elizabeth linetrains run from all Heathrow Airport terminal stations into central London. Passengers are able to change atFarringdononto Thameslink trains to Luton Airport Parkway or Gatwick Airport, and atLiverpool Streetfor Stansted or Southend Airports.

Heathrow to Gatwick

• Heathrow Expresstrains go only toPaddington station.From there, passengers can use bus, taxi orLondon Underground(DistrictorCircle Lines) to transfer toVictoria station.Gatwick Expresstrains go from Victoria to Gatwick Airport. A two-hour journey is standard.
• For those with less luggage and at less cost, a 285 bus from Heathrow Central Bus Station (for Terminals 2, 3) (or the 490 from Terminal 5 calling next at Terminal 4) servesFeltham railway station;passengers should there, normally, await the four- or five-stop trains toClapham Junction;then passengers should change at Clapham Junction for a train to Gatwick Airport. A time of 1 hours 40 minutes is typical from Terminal 4; or as much as 3 hours from the other terminals during heaviest traffic, worse timings and if slow trains are boarded (usually required during the early-morning, weekday peak).

North-south

• Anautomated peoplemover theLuton DartLuton Airport servesLuton Airport Parkway;from there,Thameslinktrains run directly to Gatwick Airport.

All London airports

• Coaches take typically 60 to 90 minutes, plus waiting time (up to 15 minutes peak hour and up to 1 hour off-peak)
• Taxis take around 45 minutes (Heathrow-Gatwick) if in little traffic and 80 minutes (north-south), however, more than double that in heavy traffic.

All options require going through immigration, baggage delivery, a customs channel, and later to check-in and security check pre-flight, which adds to these times. Hand-luggage-only passengers bypass baggage delivery. Passengers should seek to purchase at their first-leg airport an auto-checked, fully issued ticket/e-ticket boarding pass to bypass the first stage of connection flight check-in(s).

See also

• Heathrow Airport transport proposals
• Superlink (railway network)
• Windsor Link Railway
• Airlink (helicopter shuttle service),which linked the airports between 1978 and 1986