30/06/2008 09:13:00
Plans to build a third runway at London's Heathrow airport have come under further criticism as it surfaced that 2.5 million passengers a year visit the airport through transfer flights from other British airports.
Challengers to the plans claim that many of the slots at Heathrow are being used for unnecessary domestic flights, the necessity for which could be eliminated if the high speed rail links proposed by Network Rail come to fruition.
The Guardian reports that Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrats' transport spokesman, said: "If the case for domestic flights diminishes then the case for a third runway is also weakened.
"It's absurd to have large numbers of people taking short-haul flights in this country when there is much more extensive use of high-speed rail in other European countries."
The five potential high-speed rail links would connect London to major cities in Britain, such as Edinburgh along the East Coast mainline and Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow along the West Coast mainline.
It is estimated that the 180mph trains would halve journey times, allowing for much quicker access to major cities than is possible at current rail speeds.
Arguments for Heathrow's third runway include lessening the pressure on runway capacity at the airport and the bolstering the importance of Heathrow's status as a hub airport, which is claimed to be vital for the country's economy.
Campaigners for rail travel have hit back that those problems could be solved by the new network as the reduction in transfer passengers would negate the necessity of a third runway.