http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7829676.stm

Well, there you go. I have to say I was unsure about whether the
government would opt for it bit it seems they have. To make good use
of the vernacular, there is going to be a total and utter **** storm
about this. It's going to prompt massive and wide scale protests from
a whole cross-section of people. I'm not quite sure how the Tories
pledge of no third runway fits in with this - if the Tories are
elected in 2010 will they scrap work on it? One can only presume that
nothing will have actually happened on the ground by then.

The BBC article has this to say on the time scale of proceedings:

---quote---
Asked about the decision on Wednesday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown
declined to guarantee MPs a vote on the issue.

Should the government give the go-ahead, he said there would be a
debate in Parliament and that the scheme would have to be granted
planning permission.

This is likely to be a lengthy process, with work on a new runway
unlike to be completed before 2019
---/quote---


Also, with regards to the whole issue of high-speed rail links and
Heathrow Hubs and the like, the BBC piece only says this:
---quote---
Alongside the commitment to a new runway, Transport Secretary Geoff
Hoon is expected to announce increased investment in public transport,
including a new high-speed rail link from the airport to central
London.
---/quote---

I suspect that's not what is really meant - or is it? Surely the Big
Idea is to link in Heathrow to a new north-south high-speed line - but
it's far from clear whether the current government might actually
subscribe to this Big Idea, even as part of a package along with
making Heathrow the transport hub of the known Universe.