Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in assessing the Outline Business Case for a southern rail link to Heathrow Airport submitted by Heathrow Southern Railway Limited to the Department for Transport in September 2016.

In September 2016, the Department received an unsolicited Outline Business Case for a rail link to Heathrow Airport from Heathrow Southern Railway Limited. Subsequently, two processes were undertaken regarding the development of a Southern Rail Link to Heathrow, forming the project now known as Southern Access to Heathrow (SAtH). The Market Led Proposals Call for Ideas, and the Southern Rail Link to Heathrow Market Sounding.

The market sounding process undertaken in 2018 did not ask for detailed specific schemes to be submitted, and no procurement process has been undertaken to select a preferred scheme for Southern Access to Heathrow.

The Department is working to develop an appropriate ‘market involved’ commercial model for the delivery of this scheme. This is an exciting opportunity to harness new and innovative ideas from the private sector while reducing the burden on fare and taxpayers.

The Department has continued to work closely with a range of interested stakeholders on the development of SAtH, including with Heathrow Southern Rail Limited.