Philip Hammond at the Aviation Club

UK Minister for Transport Philip Hammond was Guest of Honour at the Aviation Club last Thursday and put on a typically quality Westminster presentation fully aware that with some guests he was not the most popular Cabinet member. 

In a speech which there were plenty of mentions of enquiries but nothing of substance.  The Times noted that the Government's political decision to stop Heathrow’s third runway was “witless”.  Mr Hammond more or less said that he did not want the job and would have preferred being Chief Secretary to the Treasury, a dig at the Liberal Democrats.

Asked by AERBT that the quietly cancelled Airtrack Waterloo/Staines to Heathrow project be resurrected he pointed out that it was the BAA and not the Department for Transport that had binned it.  AERBT noted that the level crossing problems en route should be dealt with as a matter of safety and not just Heathrow and that the rail link would also reduce road traffic.  Minister Hammond referred to his Department's examination of train links into the airport.  The impression was that Airtrack could be back for examination.  But how quickly? http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/speeches/hammond-20110609

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