A persistent plea for a rail link between Slough and Heathrow Airport has been put back on the table.

The town's MP Tan Dhesi bemoaned the lack of progress on the £900m project which he described as a key infrastructure priority for the region.

If completed as planned, it would connect the UK’s busiest airport to Slough by leaving the Great Western Mainline between Langley and Iver.

However, the project was brought to a “controlled pause” in 2021 because of the Covid pandemic’s impact on aviation.

Mr Dhesi told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The number one infrastructure priority – not just for Slough, but for the whole of the Thames Valley Region – is the Western Rail Link to Heathrow.

“I want to make sure we get some movement on and that the government fulfill its promise.”

Mr Dhesi previously raised the issue in parliament last month, when he challenged rail minister Huw Merriman for updates on the project.

The minister said in response: “This particular project was due to be funded 50:50, but things have changed post pandemic for Heathrow, so it is right that it goes back to the drawing board.

“We will always support rail investments that can be paid for by private enterprise. That is what our Network North project is all about.”

The Western Rail Link was announced by the government in 2012, and would enable passengers travelling from the South Coast, South West, South Wales and the West Midlands to reach Heathrow without having to go to London Paddington.

Trains would pass through a tunnel after leaving the Main Line to connect with Heathrow Terminal 5’s stations.

Mr Dhesi added: “I’ve been raising the issue of the Western Rail Link to Heathrow. It’s been promised for over a decade, we need to get that built.

“I’ve been putting pressure on government ministers and having meetings with the rail minister about it.”

Mr Dhesi is also chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Western Rail Link to Heathrow.