Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2019 to Written Question 207579 on Heathrow Airport: Railways, what plans the Government has for undertaking a Grip 1-2 study of a Southern Rail Access to Heathrow.

The Government remains committed to significant involvement by the market in designing and constructing a Southern Rail link to Heathrow. The Market Sounding Findings Report published in December 2018 recommended that Government now needs to further clarify the outcomes we want to be delivered from this project and consider appropriate commercial models for the market to take forward the development of potential solutions. This work is being done as quickly as possible following which we intend to set out further engagement opportunities to all interested parties.