Kingston Lib Dems claim under 40 minute train link to Heathrow Airport from Kingston

Kingston Town Centre is only 7.7 miles from Heathrow Airport by road and the journey can take as little as 25 minutes from Kingston in a taxi or private car

The 11 miles from Chessington to Heathrow Airport can take as little as 28 minutes by car via the A312, and the 25 miles from Chessington to Heathrow airport via the M25 can take as little as 30 minutes by car

But it is notoriously difficult to get to Heathrow Airport quickly and regularly by public transport, with a massive reliance on buses which suffer regular delays, cancellations and slow journey times arising from congestion

The "Express" X26 bus runs only twice an hour from Old Malden, through New Malden to Kingston Town Centre and on through Richmond (20 mph throughout), Feltham and on to Hatton Cross and Heathrow Bus Terminal

But the diagram above which appears at the beginning of the draft new Local Plan that is out for consultation shows that residents of Kingston can reach Heathrow Airport by train in less than 40 minutes

This simply is not true

And unsurprisingly Google Maps could not find any such train journey when I searched for routes from across The Royal Borough to Heathrow Airport

This is worrying as the massive growth plans laid out in the draft Local Plan rely in part on assertions of excellent public transport links from across The Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames to Heathrow Airport, which simply do not exist

Routes to Heathrow Airport from The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames with journey times

Kingston Town Centre

X26 Express Bus from Kingston Town Centre to Hatton Cross and Heathrow Bus Terminal

Runs twice an hour and takes about 1 hour

285 Bus from Kingston Town Centre to Hatton Cross and the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow Airport - 1 hour 17 minutes

Tudor Ward

65 Bus from Tudor Drive to Richmond; District Line to Hammersmith and Piccadilly Line to Heathrow Airport - 1 hour 15 minutes

65 Bus to Ealing Broadway; Elizabeth Line to Heathrow Airport - 1 hour 17 minutes

Park Road, Canbury Ward

K5/ 371 bus, X26 express bus every half an hour - 1 hour 10-30 minutes

Surbiton Station

Train from Surbiton Station to Clapham Junction, train to Feltham, 285 bus to Hatton Cross and Piccadilly Line to Heathrow Airport - 1 hour 5 minutes

Chessington

71 or K4 Bus from Chessington Station to Kingston and X26 bus to Hatton Cross and Piccadilly Line to Heathrow Airport - 1 hour 30 minutes

Tolworth

281/ 265 bus from Tolworth Broadway to Kingston Town Centre and X26 bus every half an hour - 1 hour 30 minutes

Old Malden Station

X26 bus twice an hour - 1 hour 10 minutes

213 bus then 285 bus - 1 hour 39 minutes

New Malden

X26 bus twice an hour - 1 hour

Berrylands

418 bus or K2 bus, followed by the X26 Express bus from Kingston Town Centre every half an hour - 1 hour 10 minutes

K2 bus followed by 285 bus - 1 hour 26 minutes