Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce (TVCC) has been championing efforts for the timely delivery of the WRLtH scheme for many years. In a significant step, the Chamber is announcing that it has commissioned an economic study that will refresh the financial model and new business case to deliver the scheme.
Connecting 20% of the UK population to within one interchange of the UK’s only hub airport, the link will bring economic, environmental, and social benefits and substantial improvement in connectively to 14 million people across the Thames Valley and wider catchment of English regions and south Wales. The economic study has been funded largely by private sector donations as well as public sector contributions from Slough Borough Council and Oxfordshire County Council. The Chamber is anticipating the study being completed in around three-four months.
Most recently the Chamber welcomed the continued support of Tan Dhesi, MP and Chair of the WRLtH APPG. He comments, “As longstanding champions of the WRLtH scheme, I am delighted to hear that Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce have now commissioned a refreshed economic study looking at the financial and economic benefits of WRLtH. This marks a significant, and timely step, for the scheme and will build the momentum around the call for government to support one of the UK’s top infrastructure priorities. With our government placing growth at the top of the agenda, when completed, WRLtH is set to bring 20% of the UK population within one interchange of our main port – Heathrow – and be a real engine of that growth not just for the Thames Valley region, but far beyond”.
Tan added, “Our APPG members will welcome the report findings and mobilised to take this forward, alongside the Chamber, to secure a clear timeline for when we can expect the project to be finally set in action?”
Ruth Bagley, Chair of the TVCC’s WRLtH working group says, “I want to particularly thank those businesses, and local authorities, who have help fund the refreshed economic study. It’s the strongest possible statement of support and evidence that business wants this scheme delivered.
Our thanks go to our partners on the working group, and most especially the organisations who have funded this study, namely Great Western Railway, SEGRO, Mapletree (Green Park), Heathrow, Oxfordshire County Council, Slough Borough Council and Transport for the SouthEast. We are also grateful to Atkins Realis for their continuing support of the project. Our work continues”.
Sophie Chapman, Surface Access Director at Heathrow comments, “Heathrow supports a Western Rail link and the benefits it would bring to the Thames Valley and wider UK, including boosting economic growth through improved and more sustainable regional connectivity to the UK’s only hub airport. We support the Chamber in commissioning the refreshed economic study and look forward to its findings.”
Paul Britton, Chief Executive of TVCC adds, “We won’t stop lobbying and working towards the timely delivery of the WRLtH scheme – it’s a game-changer for businesses and communities not only for our Thames Valley region, but for those across the southeast, southwest, Wales and into the Midlands. We are continuing to work with the APPG and MPs to bring the merits of the scheme to Parliament. Better connectivity to Heathrow, from the west, will help address some of the flashing indicators for our regional and national competitiveness, reduce car travel and costs, and unlock massive additional investment too – helping to meet many of the ambitions set-out in the government’s most recent Industrial Strategy”.
About the Scheme
The WRLtH is a proposed 6.5km rail link which would connect the Great Western Main Line east of Slough with Heathrow’s Terminal 5 largely via a 5km tunnel. As it currently stands, rail passengers across Wales, Southwest England, South Central, the West Midlands and the Thames Valley must travel to London Paddington before taking a connecting train westwards to reach Heathrow Airport. This proposed link would eliminate the need to travel into London for more than 20% of the UK’s population, reducing their journey times by an average of 30 minutes.
To find out more visit TVCC’s WRLtH page.
