Whereas—

(1) By the [1965 c. 16.] Airports Authority Act 1965 Heathrow Airport (hereinafter referred to as “Heathrow”) was, on 1st April 1966, vested in the British Airports Authority (hereinafter referred to as “the Authority”) and by the [S.I. 1986/1229.] Airports Act 1986 (Nominated Company) Order 1986, made under the [1986 c. 31.] Airports Act 1986, BAA plc was nominated as the successor company to the Authority:

(2) By virtue of section 1 of the said Act of 1986 and the British Airports Authority Transfer Scheme 1986 that part of the Authority’s undertaking comprising Heathrow was transferred to Heathrow Airport Limited (hereinafter referred to as “the Company”), being a wholly owned subsidiary of BAA plc, and it is the Company who now own and operate Heathrow:

(3) By the [1962 c. 46.] Transport Act 1962 the British Railways Board (hereinafter referred to as “the Board”) were established and it is the duty of the Board under the said Act of 1962 (inter alia) to provide railway services in Great Britain and, in connection with the provision of railway services, to provide such other services and facilities as appear to the Board to be expedient, and to have due regard, as respects all those railway and other services and facilities, to efficiency, economy and safety of operation:

(4) In order to provide improved services and facilities for passengers travelling to or from Heathrow, it is expedient that an express railway service should be provided by the Company and the Board between Heathrow and Paddington Station in London:

(5) It is accordingly expedient that the Company and the Board should be empowered to construct the works authorised by this Act and to purchase or use the land referred to in this Act so that the said express railway service may be established:

(6) It is expedient that the other powers in this Act contained should be conferred on the Company or the Board, as the case may be, as therein provided, and that the other provisions in this Act contained should be enacted:

(7) Plans and sections showing the lines or situations and levels of the works to be constructed under this Act, and plans of the land authorised to be purchased or used by this Act, and a book of reference to those plans containing the names of the owners and lessees or reputed owners and lessees and of the occupiers of the said land were duly deposited in the office of the Clerk of the Parliaments and in the Private Bill Office of the House of Commons and with the proper officers of the councils of the several London boroughs and of the county of Surrey within which the said works may be constructed or the said land is situated, which plans, sections and book of reference are respectively referred to in this Act as the deposited plans, the deposited sections and the deposited book of reference:

(8) The purposes of this Act cannot be effected without the authority of Parliament:

May it therefore please Your Majesty that it may be enacted, and be it enacted, by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—