A £900 MILLION project to provide rail access to Heathrow Airport from the west has been put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the aviation industry.
Construction was expected to start in 2021 but supporters of the 6.5km link from the Great Western Main Line near Iver now fear it may never be built. The decision was confirmed in a Network Rail board meeting as far back as January, but an“indefinite delay”has now been publicly confirmed.
Network Rail Western Route Director Mike Gallop told the NR board that the scheme could be“picked up again at some future point”as the DfT will periodically update its business case to reflect any changes to both the aviation and rail sectors after pandemic.