Passengers and businesses from the Thames Valley to the West Country and Wales are to receive a huge boost to their transport links, after Network Rail announced plans for a preferred route for a new rail line from the Great Western Main Line with the UK’s only hub airport, Heathrow. The Great Western Main Line currently runs from Swansea, through Cardiff, before going on to Reading and London Paddington.

Heathrow has confirmed plans for a six week consultation with local households, asking for their views on the short listed third runway plan. Speaking at the Runways UK conference, Heathrow chief executive Colin Matthews outlined the next stage of the Airports Commission process and announced Heathrow’s intention to work closely with local communities to improve the short listed North-West runway proposal.

New research shows claims London can split its hub airport over multiple sites are without foundation. There is no evidence that any cities across the world have successfully done this, or that low cost carriers, new aircraft or relocating alliances will change that, argues Heathrow Airport.

Approximately 6.6 million passengers passed through Heathrow Airport in September 2013, up 3.4% on the previous year, according to the latest traffic figures released. The average number of passengers on each flight rose to 164, up 1.5%.

Heathrow Airport has hit back at the Civil Aviation Authority’s proposal that Heathrow should cap its landing charges so that they rise in line with inflation, stating that the cap could have “serious and far-reaching consequences” for passengers.

Heathrow Airport in London saw just under seven million passengers in August, an increase of 7.7 per cent on August 2012, according to the latest figures. As with July the growth is largely attributable to comparatively lower traffic during the London Olympics last year.