A Year in Review: Heathrow Area Transport Forum’s 2024 Highlights
As I reflect on my first full year as Chair of the Heathrow Area Transport Forum, I’m struck by the complexity and importance of Heathrow’s transport network. This hub is not only a critical gateway for travellers but also a cornerstone for surrounding communities and stakeholders. Here's how we’ve tackled some of the biggest transport challenges of 2024—and how we’re preparing for the future.
Prioritizing Public Transport: A Milestone Year
We’re thrilled by the growing number of passengers choosing sustainable travel options to Heathrow. In September, 46.5% of passengers opted for public transport—a figure that surpasses our 2026 target of 45%. The success of the Elizabeth Line has been a game-changer, but let’s not overlook the contributions of the Piccadilly line, local buses, and coaches.
Looking ahead, we won't be reviewing the strategy but will be encouraging Heathrow to do so.
Tackling Anti-Social Parking
Heathrow’s unique location—an aviation hub nestled in residential neighbourhoods—brings complex challenges, including anti-social parking. From rogue meet-and-greet operators to private hire vehicles idling in residential areas, local communities often feel the impact.
To address this, we launched a Parking Special Interest Group with Heathrow Airport, local authorities, the police, and other stakeholders. Over the past year, we’ve seen progress:
Resident-only parking zones in Slough.
Public Space Protection Orders in Spelthorne to reduce mini-cab complaints.
A charter mark for meet-and-greet operators to differentiate legitimate providers.
This collaborative approach has laid the foundation for continued improvements in 2025.
Advancing Rail Access
Improving rail access to Heathrow from the south remains a critical goal. This year, we worked closely with the Heathrow Strategic Planning Group to assess the Heathrow Southern Rail Limited (HSRL) proposal and address local council concerns.
Our stance is clear: a heavy rail solution offers the best opportunity to enhance access and unlock regeneration across the region. We’ve communicated our support for this vision to the Secretary of State for Transport and will maintain momentum in 2025.
Meanwhile, we continue to monitor progress on developing new delivery models for the Western Rail Link which reduce the need for public subsidy.
Crafting a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP)
To position Heathrow at the centre of bus network planning, we collaborated with Arup to create a Heathrow-focused Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). Highlights of the plan include:
Expanding early and late-night services.
Improved bus branding and priority infrastructure.
Feasibility studies for cross-operator fares and ticketing.
These measures will support both passengers and employees while enhancing Heathrow’s role as a transport hub. A Bus Summit is planned for 2025 to drive these initiatives forward.
Other Key Initiatives
Beyond our core projects, we’ve explored additional opportunities to enhance Heathrow’s transport landscape:
Out-of-London Travel Study: Understanding travel patterns from outside London to boost sustainable transport options.
Feltham Station Case Study: Improving wayfinding and bus links at a key gateway to the airport.
Cargo Facility Overhaul: Supporting plans to modernize Heathrow’s freight operations while minimizing environmental and community impacts.
Employee Travel Survey: Gathering insights to reduce single-occupancy car use among airport staff.
Preparing for the Future
While our focus to date has very much been on addressing the needs of current travellers, we’re also taking steps to ensure the forum is ready to respond to any potential new proposals for growth from the airport in 2025 any beyond, recognising that a robust and ambitious surface access strategy will be a key factor in determining the acceptability of those proposals.
Looking Ahead
2024 has been a year of collaboration, innovation, and tangible progress. As Heathrow continues to thrive, 2025 promises new challenges and opportunities to drive sustainable transport solutions. I’m excited to see what we can achieve together.
Anthony Smith
Independent Chair, Heathrow Area Transport Forum