Two contrasting views have emerged today (24 June) concerning the future of UK rail and air travel.
The train union RMT is ” perhaps naturally ” banging the rail drum but is also insisting that further investment in high-speed surface transport would negate the need for a third runway at London Heathrow.
In a report titled Who says there is no alternative? the RMT claims that a third of flights from Heathrow are short-haul and that more than 20% serve destinations that already have a viable rail alternative.
”This report shows that high-speed rail can provide a win-win solution for the economy and the environment,” said RMT general secretary Bob Crow. ”There are as many flights leaving for Edinburgh as for New York and if we provide a viable, fast and sustainable alternative to short-haul flights the case for Heathrow expansion would evaporate.”
The RMT”s backing for the train comes after Network Rail said yesterday it would look at five major UK lines with a view to potentially building new ones. Britain”s countrywide train system is creaking as record numbers of passengers increasingly turn to rail as the oil price soars.
UK rail upgrade study