London TravelWatch today commented on the Government’s announcement to look into High Speed Rail, links to Heathrow and further electrification of the rail network.

Sharon Grant, Chair, London TravelWatch, said: “Obviously, we will need to look closely at the proposed routes of any high speed rail links as they are developed, and we await these with interest. However, we would expect the link between London and a Heathrow hub to be built entirely independently from any existing route to avoid using existing lines that are already crowded*. We would also want to ensure that users of local lines do not lose vital services at the expense of long-distance, high speed lines.”

London TravelWatch will be looking more closely at these proposals at its next board meeting in February.

*The use of existing lines could add to overcrowding on the North London Line, the West Coast and Great Western main lines and termini such as Euston and St Pancras.


For more information, please contact Jo deBank in the London TravelWatch press office on 020 7726 9953 or out of hours on 07734 055494

The voice of London's transport users
15 January 2009