3rd Runway at Heathrow

OMG! Maybe the government does read Gransnet. Apparently an expressway is planned between Cambridge and Oxford via Milton Keynes. There's actually some logic to it, because it would take pressure off the motorways in and out of London and the M25.

This is brilliant.

www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/nov/22/ba-boss-shocked-to-find-out-that-third-heathrow-runway-will-raze-his-hq

Perhaps he'll change his mind about the third runway.

That's the problem with the M25, tanith. I do exactly the same thing, because it's quicker to go towards London, do a couple of junctions on the M25 and come back out again than to go cross country. I think it might be better to have an outer London ring road. It would probably be possible to develop by upgrading existing roads. It would be good to have rail lines linking the various mainlines too, but I guess that's pie in the sky.

I suppose if you are going many junctions on the M25 the lack of services can be a pain but most people I know including myself use it for a few junctions to one or other of the other M roads either into or out of London. The longest journey I've ever done on it is from Junction 16 to Gatwick and I live very close to it and use it often for airport runs. When you use it often you get to know when to avoid certain stretches, of course if you don't have a choice then that's a different story.

Actually goldengirl you might find the congestion on the M3 and M25 will be relieved by the new Reading to Heathrow rail link. It is intended to make Heathrow more accessible to travellers from the South Coast, the Sourh West, Wales and the Midlands. A lot of the traffic would use the Reading train link as an alternatve to driving or going into Paddington and back out.

It's the additional 'stress' on the M25 that bothers me. In spite of 'improvements' it's still gummed up a lot of the time and with work on a runway and then more traffic encouraged to use Heathrow it will become even worse - and there's no services from the St Albans end until the M3 [52 miles!!!] which is also currently gummed up because of roadworks which have been going on for absolutely ages

The trouble is that somewhere along the line freight has to go on to lorries to get to individual destinations.

Loads of freight flies into Stansted, which is why there are overnight planes (just heard one). Freight is then loaded directly on to lorries. Some goes on to trains. The hum of road and rail transport is constant 24/7.

That was mentioned on the radio yesterday morning, and I thought what a good idea.
Somewhere like Peterborough? Good rail links, and I am sure there used to be an airfield near there.
If it needs to be near London, although I do not see why, it could be Stansted.

What about Heathrow for passengers only with a new airport served by good rail links (no huge lorries thundering along tho') for freight #latenightthought

It depends where in Essex you live. From 2019, Crossrail trains are supposed to be running directly from Chelmsford to Heathrow and beyond. Stansted Airport to Heathrow currently involves two changes and takes two and a quarter hours. In future, in will only involve one change (at Liverpool Street) and should be much faster. If you're anywhere near Stansted, there's a coach every hour, which takes 90 minutes to Heathrow.

Theresa May is MP for Maidenhead. That would put me off more.

My daughter lived in Datchet, near Windsor, Berkshire which was under the flight path and I found it annoying and when you were in the garden sometimes they seemed quite low and noisy. They've moved a bit further away and are no longer under the flight path, but I want to move nearer to them and she suggested Maidenhead, which I see will be affected by the expansion of Heathrow so it's put me off a bit, although I dearly want to be much nearer as I currently live in Essex and it's 3 hours and 3 trains to get there.

I will have to try to watch that on iPlayer
I have read an article by him, he is amazing.

Yes, it was David Nott, Jalima. Such an amazing man. So brave yet humble.

'Do as I say not do as I do' has probably become the most used saying ever.
One of my MIL's favourite sayings about certain politicians
She liked a good rant, did my MIL

We live in a Village in Kent and we used Manston airport lot's of times over the years. It was taken over by Ann Gloag 2 years ago and within weeks she had closed the airport. The locals were up-in-arms over the closure because it turns out that Gloag wants to build 2500 houses on the airfield. I think Manston airport should be reopened. It would cost a great deal less than Heathrow it has a good road network and fast train connections.

Jalima

Aaah, the problem with a 'hypocrite' is the fact he/she is only telling others what to do , certainly not themselves, dear me no.

'Do as I say not do as I do' has probably become the most used saying ever.

Spot on with your last two paras, jalima.

I was amazed last night when watching the One Show to see how a surgeon could use a smart phone on a selfie stick to tell other surgeons how to save a man's life in Syria.
Was that Dr David Nott? I missed it.
Wonderful man!

All those greenies flying to Save the World conferences so they can tell the rest of us how to behave are the ones that get my goat. Hypocrites.
Ever since Gore with his inconvenient lifestyle:
climatechangedispatch.com/al-gores-tangled-web-of-un-green-corporate-investments/

or our latest eco-warrier:
www.independent.co.uk/news/people/leonardo-dicaprio-flies-8000-miles-in-private-jet-to-accept-green-award-a7042326.html
The 'Do as I Say and Not as I Do' Brigade

How I agree with many contributors. This is political bluster at its best. Ain't never gonna happen ladies. Fear not........ As for HS2, well it just might - give or take 25 years.

Yabber, yabber indeed since Harold Wilson and the Roskill Commission which started in 1968.

I agree with your comment about green activists flying around the world bags - I also feel irritated by people who sponsor a child then spend a fortune flying out to visit them - what sense does that make?

tanith I was aware that it was busy but not that busy. I seem to see quite a few military planes but it does not bother me.

Otherwise it'd have been built long ago, or else some other option. So far it has only been yabber yabber.

"will be a government shambles...", ww? It already is.