SHADOW transport secretary Maria Eagle says the ambitious �500m western rail link to Heathrow is key to rejuvenating the British economy.

The senior Labour MP welcomed the plans when she visited Reading last Wednesday to host a party policy forum canvassing supporters' views on transport services ahead of creating a blueprint for the party's 2015 election manifesto.

Speaking before the meeting at the Cornwell Centre in Tilehurst, the MP for Liverpool's Garston and Halewood constituency said: "It's sensible increasing connectivity to Heathrow. Airports and other transport centres are an important way of increasing economic growth and we are supportive of it."

By 2021, the proposed Western Rail Access to Heathrow (WRAtH) will provide direct rail services from Reading to the airport, slashing journey times to 28 minutes.

Companies in this area spend up to �10m annually on taxi fares to Heathrow because train travellers face either face a lengthy detour through London or catching Rail Air link buses from Reading Station which take 40 minutes to complete the road journey.

The rail link, backed by the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), would serve Reading with four trains every hour, with two services calling at Maidenhead and Twyford and options include building a tunnel linking the Western Mainline east of Langley with platforms already built at Terminal 5.

Ms Eagle who also met Reading West electoral candidate Victoria Groulef, warned spiralling rail fares and Government plans for 'super peak' tickets - which could see passengers paying more to travel at the busiest times in an attempt to reduce overcrowding - are taking their toll on passengers and added: "There are hard pressed commuters in Reading trying to get to work and they can't take much more of a squeeze. They are seeing their cost of living going up and fares going up."