Editing Heathrow Airport (section)

===New transport proposals===
{{main|Heathrow Airport transport proposals}}
[[File:Western Rail Approach to Heathrow.png|thumb|One of the transport projects being considered is the [[Western Rail Approach to Heathrow]].]]

Currently, all rail connections with Heathrow Airport run along an east–west alignment to and from central London, and a number of schemes have been proposed over the years to develop new rail transport links with other parts of London and with stations outside the city.<ref name="Coogan">{{cite book |last1=Coogan |first1=Matthew A. |title=Improving Public Transportation Access to Large Airports |date=2000 |publisher=Leigh Fisher Associates, Transportation Research Board, Transit Cooperative Research Program |isbn=9780309066594 |page=66 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E3a7n--Se9wC&q=heathrow%20airport%20transport%20links%20central%20london&pg=PA66 |access-date=12 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912131434/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=E3a7n--Se9wC&lpg=PA66&dq=heathrow%20airport%20transport%20links%20central%20london&pg=PA66 |archive-date=12 September 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> This mainline rail service has been extended with the opening of the Elizabeth Line.

A 2009 proposal to create a southern link with {{rws|London Waterloo}} via the [[Waterloo–Reading line]] was abandoned in 2011 due to lack of funding and difficulties with a high number of [[Level crossings in the United Kingdom|level crossings]] on the route into London,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13042740|title=Heathrow Airtrack Waterloo rail link shelved by BAA|work=BBC News London|date=11 April 2011|access-date=23 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030124455/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13042740|archive-date=30 October 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rail.co/2011/04/11/heathrow-no-option-but-to-withdraw-proposed-airtrack-link-to-staines/|title=Heathrow: 'No option but to withdraw proposed Airtrack link to Staines'|last=Samuel|first=A.|work=Rail News from Rail.co|date=11 April 2011|access-date=11 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118181237/http://www.rail.co/2011/04/11/heathrow-no-option-but-to-withdraw-proposed-airtrack-link-to-staines/|archive-date=18 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> and a plan to link Heathrow to the planned [[High Speed 2]] (HS2) railway line (with a new station, {{rws|Heathrow Hub}}) was also dropped from the HS2 plans in March 2015.<ref name="Oakeshott2009">{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5439472.ece|work=The Times|location=London|title=Heathrow train plan to allay environmental fears|first1=Isabel|last1=Oakeshott|first2=Chris|last2=Gourlay|date=4 January 2009|access-date=23 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927122107/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5439472.ece|archive-date=27 September 2011|url-status=dead}}{{subscription required}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/hs2-high-speed-rail|title=High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain's Future|publisher=Department for Transport|access-date=23 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324230842/https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/hs2-high-speed-rail|archive-date=24 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-31814933|title=HS2: Heathrow spur plans dropped by transport minister|newspaper=BBC News|date=10 March 2015|access-date=21 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007212458/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-31814933|archive-date=7 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Among other schemes that have been considered is a rapid transport link between Heathrow and Gatwick Airports, known as ''[[Heathwick]]'', which would allow the airports to operate jointly as an [[airline hub]];<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15227879|work=BBC News|title=Heathrow and Gatwick airports: Ministers mull rail link|date=8 October 2011|access-date=23 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007205251/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15227879|archive-date=7 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Commons|first1=The Committee Office, House of|title=House of Commons – Transport Committee: Written evidence from Interlinking Transit Solutions Ltd (AS 115)|url=https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmtran/78/78vw_d15.htm|website=www.publications.parliament.uk|access-date=1 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801155219/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmtran/78/78vw_d15.htm|archive-date=1 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018, the Department for Transport began to invite proposals for privately funded rail links to Heathrow Airport.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=DfT tests appetite for £2.3bn Heathrow rail links {{!}} Construction Enquirer |url=http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/05/08/dft-tests-appetite-for-2-3bn-heathrow-rail-links/ |access-date=12 September 2018 |work=constructionenquirer.com |agency=Construction Enquirer |date=8 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912113402/http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/05/08/dft-tests-appetite-for-2-3bn-heathrow-rail-links/ |archive-date=12 September 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Projects being considered under this initiative include:
* the [[Western Rail Approach to Heathrow]], a proposal for a spur from the [[Great Western Main Line]] to link Heathrow to {{rws|Reading}}, {{rws|Slough}}, the [[South West England|South West]], [[South Wales]] and the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]];<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=MCINTYRE |first1=FIONA |title=Private partner wanted for £900M Heathrow rail link |url=https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/private-partner-wanted-for-900m-heathrow-rail-link/10030804.article |access-date=12 September 2018 |magazine=New Civil Engineer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912113541/https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/private-partner-wanted-for-900m-heathrow-rail-link/10030804.article |archive-date=12 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Heathrow Southern Railway]], a similar scheme to the abandoned Airtrack proposal, which would connect Terminal 5 station with {{rws|Chertsey}} or {{rws|Virginia Water}}, {{rws|Staines}}, {{rws|London Waterloo}}, [[Guildford railway station (Surrey)|Guildford]] and {{rws|Clapham Junction}};<ref name="route">{{cite web |title=Proposed Route – Heathrow Southern Railway |url=https://heathrowrail.com/proposed-route/ |website=Heathrow Southern Railway |access-date=22 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822151427/https://heathrowrail.com/proposed-route/ |archive-date=22 August 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>