Multinational engineering firm AECOM is to invest in a new rail access scheme at Heathrow Airport.
Led by Heathrow Southern Railway Limited (HSRL), the project includes around 13 km of new rail infrastructure along the M25 from the west side of the Terminal 5 station to Chertsey.
Creating a new link to the existing Windsor-Staines line will allow direct services to run between Heathrow and London Waterloo via Clapham Junction, Putney, Hounslow, Twickenham, Richmond and Staines.
It will also create a new link to the Virginia Water-Weybridge line, providing a direct connection between the airport and Woking.
HSRL chair Baroness Jo Valentine said: “Coming from such an internationally respected organisation as AECOM, this funding represents a significant vote of confidence in our project.
“The funding from AECOM will be used for developing the project to the next stage, which will include further stakeholder engagement – vital given that our proposed new rail connection will benefit many communities in the region.
“This is a significant step forward for the Heathrow Southern Railway, which will be fully financed privately – at no net cost to the taxpayers – and could be operational by as early as 2024.”
David Barwell, chief executive, AECOM London, said: “We are delighted to announce our investment in Heathrow Southern Rail.
“As a long-term partner to Government AECOM is delighted to bring its development, engineering and delivery capability to resolve current and future infrastructure needs and to bring private sector funding to accelerate the delivery of critical public infrastructure.”
