Airtrack - Now that this scheme has been shelved, how do Staines residents feel public transport could be improved in the town? Was this decision an opportunity missed? Or would it have proved a real nightmare for anyone trying to get across the level crossings? My view is that it would have been too much for particularly Egham residents. However, I do feel that a line from Terminal 5 to Staines is still a viable and much needed prospect. Could the Heathrow Express from Paddington be extended to Staines still, even though Airtrack will not happen? Or even an extension of the tube to Staines? The bus connections are pretty poor at the moment. What do people think?

I second your opinion and some mode of transport (other than buses) to airport will definitely make Staines a good proposition for someone to look forward to live into. The bus connections as you said are pretty poor and specially T4, though it is so close to Staines, there is no connection to T4 what so ever. Extending tube to Staines would be the best proposition but i do not know how viable it is and in the context of which i would vote in the favour of extending Heathrow express.

Thank you both for your interesting replies :) It is amazing when you realise just how close Staines is to the airport and particularly T5 and T4. Like you say, a significant percentage of Spelthorne residents work there or in an airport related job. Which currently means lots of cars clogging Staines streets as the public transport system is not great.

Extending the tube to Staines would be fantastic for business and tourism, not to mention airport commuters. It does seem that having a tube station is somwehat of a positive status symbol. I'm sure many people are put off coming to Staines because it is not on the tube. If the Piccadilly line were to come to Staines, we'd be able to travel an alternative route into central London and beyond. The connections would be fantastic compared to Waterloo.

Extending the Heathrow Express to Staines (as proposed in the Airtrack scheme) would also be of huge benefit to the town. We would have a fast and direct link to the airport and Paddington, with all its connections.

I'd be in favour of either happening to be honest, though I have always wished to have a tube line come to Staines. The traffic is getting worse each year and air pollution in Spelthorne is regularly at some of the worst levels in the UK. Something needs to be done! Perhaps including Spelthorne in zone 6? Or expanding the London Travel Zones to zone 7 or 8? It does sometimes seem that because we are just outside London, we may as well be in the Outer Hebrides where public transport is concerned!!

Yes, places like Rickmansworth, Amersham and Uxbridge are all the same distance or further from central London yet have tube lines. The distance from T5 to Staines is a couple of miles as you say! Surely it wouldn't cost that much to extend a line that distance? Maybe we should try to find out if people want this and start a petition!