London Airport Seen as Ideal Hub for Proposed High Speed Rail

A conservative think tank in the UK is calling for London's Heathrow Airport to become a new high speed rail hub. However, the group warns that increased traffic would necessitate the construction of a third runway.

1 minute read

January 21, 2010, 9:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg


"[T]he report from the Bow Group also concludes that a Heathrow hub on a high-speed rail network would bring in tens of thousands of new passengers a day, thus emphasising the need for a new runway at the airport.

The report, to be unveiled by Lord Heseltine, the Tory grandee, is likely to embarrass David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader, who has pledged to block the construction of a third runway at Heathrow. He and Theresa Villiers, the Shadow Transport Secretary, have championed a North-South high-speed rail link as an alternative to Heathrow expansion."

Political parties in the UK are gathering behind the idea of creating a new high speed rail link connecting London with Birmingham, Manchester and the North.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 in The Times

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A pencil rendering of Foundry Park, which shows skyscrapers and public green spaces.

Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment

The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.

October 23, 2026 - Chicago Sun Times

A yellow, two-story building named Ferns with two American flags.

This MA town is drowning in its own sewage — and residents like it that way

Susan Murcott, a waste water expert, said if Carlisle didn't address their leaking sewage, the problem could turn “deadly.”

October 22, 2026 - Boston Globe

A rendering of the proposed facility. Trees are made slightly translucent so a large, rectangular cement building can be seen

Feds to more closely scrutinize proposed Amtrak facility’s environmental impact

The Federal Railroad Administration had initially said the facility qualified for a less extensive environmental review.

6 hours ago - Block Club Chicago

A crowd of people walking down a street in Boston

Boston is hard to build housing in: its chief of planning wants to keep it that way

Chief of Planning Kairos Shen said she would not make changes to Boston’s affordability requirements for new housing, which critics say have slowed down development.

7 hours ago - Boston Herald

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28 - Grist

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.