Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost of the Western Rail Link to Heathrow is; and whether the project is fully funded.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government supports the development of a Western Rail Link to Heathrow, subject to a satisfactory business case and the agreement of acceptable terms with the Heathrow Aviation industry. The Western Rail Link to Heathrow is included in the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, and in line with our normal rail investment process, the scheme is fully funded to its next business case review point.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the projected cost to the public purse of the proposed Western Rail Link to Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Government policy is for developers to pay the costs of upgrading or enhancing road, rail or other transport networks or services where there is a need to cope with additional passengers travelling to and from expanded or growing airports. Where the scheme has a wider range of beneficiaries, the Government will consider, along with other relevant stakeholders, the need for additional public funding on a case-by-case basis.
The Western Rail Link to Heathrow is being promoted by Network Rail and is expected to benefit both airport and non-airport users. The scheme must demonstrate a satisfactory business case; with the cost to the public purse being a factor. The Department and Network Rail are engaged with Heathrow Airport Limited, the Civil Aviation Authority and Her Majesty’s Treasury on this issue and to comment further would prejudice the department’s commercial position.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2019 to Question 249314 on Railways, what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) a Western Rail Link to Heathrow Airport and (b) a Southern Rail Link to Heathrow Airport on the level of emissions of (i) greenhouse gases and (ii) other atmospheric pollutants in relation to (A) the existing configuration and (B) the addition of the North West Runway at London Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Andrew Jones
When developing the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), the Government considered the environmental impacts of airport expansion, including surface access, in its assessment. The ANPS is clear that a new Northwest Runway will not receive Development Consent unless it can demonstrate compliance with air quality and climate change obligations.
Specific assessment of air quality and climate change impacts associated with the proposed Western and Southern Rail Links will form part of the required environmental assessments accompanying any development consent application. Both schemes are intended to support travel mode shift from road to rail, therefore supporting air quality and climate change targets.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect (1) funding to be approved, and (2) an application for a Development Consent Order to be made, for a Western Rail Link to Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government fully supports the development of a Western Rail Link to Heathrow.
The development of a five case business case for the Western Rail Link to Heathrow is nearing completion. The Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline sets out the process and principles underpinning funding of enhancements to the railway.
Subject a satisfactory business case, and the agreement of acceptable terms with the Heathrow aviation industry, funding would be made available to take the project forward to the ‘Design’ gateway. On that basis, Network Rail expects to submit its Development Consent Order later in the Autumn.
Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to make a progress report on improvements in rail access to Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Network Rail are progressing the design and development of the Western Rail Link to Heathrow and recently concluded a statutory consultation on the proposed alignment of the route. This is a major step for the scheme and is required before Network Rail can submit its planned application to the Planning Inspectorate for the necessary consents in 2019.
In respect of the proposed Southern Access scheme, the Department undertook market testing earlier this year. This is the first step in the development process, and will inform the work required before any decision on whether to progress the scheme is made, and if so, how to progress it.
For both Western and Southern rail access, a summary of responses to the market testing will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the capital contribution required by his Department to ensure the delivery of (a) southern rail access and (b) western rail access into Heathrow airport.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government’s position in relation to funding Surface Access at airports is set out in the 2013 Aviation Policy Framework and reiterated in the Airports National Policy Statement which was designated in June 2018. Where a scheme is not solely required to deliver airport capacity and has a wider range of beneficiaries, the Government, along with relevant stakeholders, will consider the need for a public funding contribution alongside an appropriate contribution from the airport on a case by case basis. The Government is supporting these schemes subject to the development of a satisfactory business case and the agreement of acceptable terms with the Heathrow aviation industry.
In line with the published Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, my Department is developing the Business Case for the Western Rail Link to Heathrow. Network Rail intends to apply for planning powers in 2019, and details of the scheme funding will be published.
In May 2018, my Department launched a Market Sounding to test the market’s appetite to share the risk of development for a proposed Southern Rail Link to Heathrow in order to reduce the burden on taxpayers and fare payers. A summary of responses will be published later in the Autumn.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made to ensure that no extra airport related road traffic will result from the increase in passenger capacity after the North West Runway is built; whether they intend to make this an legally binding requirement on Heathrow Airport Ltd; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Airports National Policy Statement was designated on 26 July 2018, paving the way for a development consent application from Heathrow.
Heathrow airport is already well connected by rail and tube and will benefit from transport improvements which are already in construction or planned, such as Crossrail, HS2 and the proposed Western Rail Link.
The Airports National Policy Statement sets out that Heathrow Airport should continue to strive to meet its public pledge to have landside airport-related traffic no greater than today.
As part of a Development Consent Application, Heathrow would need to undertake detailed assessments of the impacts of expansion. Only once the detailed assessments have been carried out, can these impacts can be fully assessed.
This pledge may become a legally binding requirement as part of the development consent process.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish a breakdown of the funding identified for the proposed western access rail to Heathrow; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Network Rail are funded by the Department for Transport to submit the Development Consent Order for the Western Rail Link to Heathrow. The 2013 Aviation Policy Framework clearly sets out that developers should pay the costs of upgrading or enhancing road, rail or other transport networks or services where there is a need to cope with additional passengers travelling to and from expanded or growing airports.
The Western Rail Link to Heathrow has a wider range of beneficiaries, and the Government will consider, along with other relevant stakeholders, the need for additional public funding. The quantification of non-airport benefit is dependent on agreement of the final design and decisions on the train operating company. This is expected in Summer 2019. The airport contribution would be subject to a negotiation, and review by regulators.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish a breakdown of the funding identified for the proposed western access rail to Heathrow; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Network Rail are funded by the Department for Transport to submit the Development Consent Order for the Western Rail Link to Heathrow. The 2013 Aviation Policy Framework clearly sets out that developers should pay the costs of upgrading or enhancing road, rail or other transport networks or services where there is a need to cope with additional passengers travelling to and from expanded or growing airports.
The Western Rail Link to Heathrow has a wider range of beneficiaries, and the Government will consider, along with other relevant stakeholders, the need for additional public funding. The quantification of non-airport benefit is dependent on agreement of the final design and decisions on the train operating company. This is expected in Summer 2019. The airport contribution would be subject to a negotiation, and review by regulators.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for work to (a) commence and (b) finish on the Western Rail Access to Heathrow project.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
My Department is working with Network Rail to progress the design and development of the Western Rail Link to Heathrow scheme and a final consultation on the proposed alignment will commence this month.
This is a major step in the development of the scheme and is required before Network Rail can submit its application to the Planning Inspectorate for the necessary consents. The construction timetable is subject to obtaining these planning consents but an indicative timetable would see this commence during Network Rail’s Control Period 6 (the funding period 2019 to 2024).