 Proposals have been considered for several years for the construction of a spur connecting the HS2 route to Heathrow Airport.While in opposition, the Conservative Party outlined plans in their 2009 policy paper to construct a high-speed line connecting London to Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, with connections to cities on the Great Western main line (Bristol and Cardiff) and a long-term aim of linking to Scotland.It also expressed support for a plan put forward by the engineering firm Arup for a new "" which would include a link connecting Heathrow Airport to the new high-speed rail route and to the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, with the possibility of connections to European destinations.