Delivering a global Britain
As the arguments of the future shape of the UK continue post Brexit, the UK government is pressing on with building the infrastructure that will support the country – whatever the outcome of the divorce talks with Brussels. This makes a lot of sense. Economic dynamism will be a condition of success in the future irrespective of the arrangements the UK has with its trading partners.
On the agenda are Crossrail 2 and HS2 but leading the way is the development of a third runway at the UK’s largest airport, Heathrow.
Heathrow’s third runway has been decades in the making but has now received the blessing and approval of the cabinet and parliament literally paving the way for a further 740,000 flights per year to enter London, allowing for a more global Britain, and improved economy in the long term.
The new runway also brings with it plans for new terminals to withstand passenger capacity. These expansions will also allow for minimum connection times to be reduced from 75 minutes to 60 minutes, bringing an improved travel experience for all passengers and a less crowded airport as a whole.
The new terminals will also be built in a new area, trebling the rail capacity from 18 to 40 trains per hour, growing the seat capacity from a modest 5,000 seats an hour to 15,000. Along with this, the coach and bus services will be improved, encouraging 30 million more people to travel via public transport to Heathrow in 2030. This will in turn reduce emission levels on the roads.
Although the runway has been debated over many years, cabinet have made a forward thinking decision for Britain’s future, and for future business and Tier 1 investors it’s very positive news for more international connections to the UK. And with the economy showing improvements, the UK is set to have a promising future.