Holiday Lettings news - Conservatives unveil plan for high-speed rail link instead of third runway at Heathrow

Conservatives unveil plan for high-speed rail link instead of third runway at Heathrow

The Conservative party has unveiled plans for a high-speed rail link, which would replace the need for a third runway at Heathrow. The Conservatives claim they could cut 66,000 flights per year with the 180mph rail link.

Instead of creating a third runway at Heathrow, a Conservative government under David Cameron would build a £20bn high-speed rail link between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, reports The Guardian.

The line would terminate at St Pancras station in London, connecting to Eurostar services, which the Conservatives hope would cut flights to Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. The party says that the TGV-style rail link would cut 66,430 flights from Heathrow per year; 44 per cent of the capacity of the planned third runway.

"This is a seriously green decision," Theresa Villiers, the shadow transport secretary, told the paper. "A few years ago it would have been inconceivable for the leader of the Conservative party to say no to a third runway, putting the brakes on Heathrow expansion."

With the new rail link, journey times between the cities on the line would be significantly reduced: London to Birmingham would take 45 minutes rather than the current 80 minutes, London to Leeds would take 97 minutes instead of 125 and Manchester to Leeds would take just 17 minutes instead of 55.

The high-speed rail link would be completely new, meaning the existing West Coast main line could be used for commuter journeys. Cameron's plan was announced on the second day of the Conservative party conference in Birmingham.

This story was brought to you by holidaylettings.co.uk, the UK's No.1 holiday home website.

Related Stories
High-speed London-Scotland rail link could boost Europe rail breaks and reduce internal flights
A third runway at Heathrow is the 'obvious' solution to London's airport congestion
Eurostar to add more London-Paris services
Latest advice for travel on Eurostar following Channel Tunnel fire Print this article