Assembly to urge faster Heathrow links

7:10pm Tuesday 13th January 2009

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The Assembly Government will press for swifter train journeys from South Wales to Heathrow airport, coalition leaders said today.

Rhodri Morgan said a link from the airport to the main rail line between south Wales and Paddington would be a major boost for the Welsh economy.

"The benefit to be able to persuade investors to move to Wales would be enormous if there was a link to the main line,’’ he told reporters at the Cabinet's weekly press briefing.

The current "palaver’’ of passengers from Wales changing at Reading and catching a "charabanc’’ to Heathrow was a "nightmare’’, the First Minister said.

He was responding to questions about what impact a third runway would have on Wales as exchanges continue between supporters and opposers of expanding the airport.

Mr Morgan said he was against an idea put forward by London Mayor Boris Johnson who has called for the construction of a new airport in the Thames Estuary instead.

"That would be very adverse to Welsh interests if Heathrow was closed and moved to the other side of the Thames Estuary,’’ he said.

Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones, the coalition Government's economy and transport minister, said he would be raising the main line rail link in meetings with UK ministers.