LOX Summary Report: Surface access

The airport and its associated surface access infrastructure will have significant medium and long-term implications for the planning of all transport modes. They would inform the Regional Transport Strategy and the normal strategic planning processes of the Highway Agency and the Strategic Rail Authority.

The LOX proposal outlines of the principal infrastructure works required for the operation of the airport. Further work would be required to determine the detailed nature of provisions and required levels of investment and the apportionment of these burdens between the airport developer and the transport network providers.

Rail

The site adjoins the Paddington / South Wales Main line. The airport would provide full integration with rail transport: with an 8 platform passenger station adjoining the passenger terminals and a 2 platform cargo station within the mid-field Air Cargo centre.

On the Great Western Main Line, the Didcot east grade separated junction and new stations at Grove [note 3] and the proposed urban expansion of Swindon are assumed.

Potential strategic rail improvements:

• Enhanced capacity to the GWML.
• Additional London Terminal capacity.
• The extension of Crossrail to the airport.
• A inter-main line shuttle service linking the existing radial main line network between London and Scotland, the Midlands and the North of England [see figure 3].
• A LOX-Heathrow Express using the existing GWML with a new dedicated line to Heathrow Terminal 5 using a grade separated junction to the east of Langley. This could offer a 20 minute service between the airports [see figure 4].

Roads

The airport is accessed from the A34, A415 and A338. The projected A415 Marcham bypass has been assumed on its presently declared route.

Strategic road improvements needed

The A338 from Grove to the A420 would be diverted to the west of the airport and would be upgraded from single carriageway to dual-carriageway standard.

The following strategic road improvements would be needed to service the airport demand beyond the initial airport phase:

• widening of the A34 to dual 4-lane motorway from junction 13 on the M4 to the A34 Abingdon junction;
• modification of junction 13 on the M4;
• construction of a dual 4-lane motorway link from the A34 at Didcot to the M40 [see Figure 5]. This link would also provide a new Thames crossing;
• construction of a dual-carriageway standard link road from the A419 at Swindon to the A34 [see Figure 6]. This route would share the transport corridor of the Paddington/South Wales railway for the majority of its length.