The Windsor Link Railway is planning to build a new station and tunnel linking the two Windsor branch lines. This would allow trains from Reading and Slough through to the Waterloo lines, and facilitate a connection to Heathrow from both the west and the south, as an alternative to separate western and southern connections to Heathrow currently being considered. Plans for the scheme were approved by Network Rail in 2013; the next step is to obtain transport and work approval (including planning permission), which could cost between £3m and £10m depending on whether the application is contested.

George Bathurst, managing director of the Windsor Link Railway, has the backing of major businesses and MPs in the area. Whilst the concept of a tunnel under Windsor may seem radical, it does not affect local heritage sites and much of the land is suitable for redevelopment. In addition to facilitating access to Heathrow, this link between the M3 and M4 corridors represents a step change to travel in the Thames Valley, a key area of economic development in the UK.

Railfuture consider that the separate studies by Network Rail into western and southern access to Heathrow should be coordinated. The Windsor Link Railway is a contender.

Windsor Link Railway