Joe Patrick wrote:
The Times this morning reports that Luton Airport is to build a new
runway in time for 2012 Olympics together with a new terminal and
monorail connection to Luton Airport Parkway.The City of London has
issued a report indicating that rail links will become increasingly
congested as a result on increasing employment in London and call for a
"step change in the level of investment".
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspap...843035,00.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspap...843483,00.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspap...843849,00.html

Why not, rather than expand the airport, and create more noise and far
more pollution, build a high-speed domestic rail link and ban all
domestic flights to destinations served by said rail link?

No need to ban the domestic flights; even with the under-taxing of air
travel, new TGV routes have decimated air competition in those corridors
- e.g. Paris-Brussels. With a proper tax on plane fuel, a well-designed
UK high-speed line would virtually eliminate significant volumes of
domestic air travel. If it were connected to Heathrow, Manchester and
Edinburgh airports (or other combinations thereof), it would also
virtually eliminate the need for connecting local flights for
international passengers.


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London