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tim... · January 15th 18, 04:33 PM posted to uk.transport.london,uk.railway

"Someone Somewhere" wrote in message
news

On 15/01/2018 16:29, Recliner wrote:
Graeme Wall wrote:
On 15/01/2018 11:04, Someone Somewhere wrote:
On 15/01/2018 09:19, Recliner wrote:
Here's the latest hyperloop hype from CES, now proposed as a means of
providing very fast links between Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted,
instead
of a new runway:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2018/01/14/build-heathrow-gatwick-hyperloop-instead-third-runway-says-branson/

snip hyperloop ********

Whilst the idea of linking all the London airports is sensible and
reasonable, how does it do away with the need for a third runway? Last
time I checked slots were at a premium at all London airports and it's
not like they're being used for inter-London flights is it?

Now, the third runway could be a second runway at Gatwick or whatever,
but you still need more overall capacity surely?

Arguably a second runway at Gatwick is more practical and a lot cheaper
than a third at Heathrow. But the former directly affects more tory
voters than the latter.

The commission found that both the costs and the benefits were lower at
Gatwick, but Heathrow was better overall.

But isn't the point of this discussion that if (and it's a whopping great
if) using the Hyperloop technology could give us inter-airport transfers
in the time it typically takes to change terminals in an airport then that
might change the dynamics and cost-benefit analysis of where to put
additional airport capacity in the overall London area.

Personally I'm still a fan of building an aiport in the middle of the
Severn estuary on a tidal barrage and connecting that with Heathrow (and
Gatwick/Stansted/Luton) via Hyperloop along the Great Western alignment
(which is pretty flat and straight). Benefits would be that the airport
would generate a massive amount of green power for the rest of the
country, you'd gain a further west road link between South Wales and the
South West (you might as well put a big road on top of the tidal barrage
as well), the Hyperloop would improve transport to South Wales / South
West, and you'd have an aiport that was marginally closer to the USA but
most importantly could be far enough from population centres that it could
operate 24x7 with impunity....

you are Michael Bell AICMFP

tim