Government backs £4.5bn Heathrow rail project

Transport minister Lord Adonis is backing a £4.5bn international rail exchange at Heathrow as the top contender for a series of projects that will follow Crossrail.

The Guardian reported that the Department for Transport confirmed that the scheme had a high priority among several projects, which also include a new high-speed rail link from London to Manchester and Leeds.

Another proposed scheme is the electrification of the Great Western railway to Plymouth and Swansea.

The new rail exchange could complement a third runway at Heathrow, if it is approved. The government is set to announce a decision on the runway later this month when Parliament returns from the Christmas break, according to the paper.