Hertfordshire County Council has published a strategy for a new rapid transit network linking Hemel Hempstead and Croxley Green with Harlow in Essex.
The proposed Hertfordshire Essex Rapid Transit (HERT) system would include plans to reopen the Watford to Croxley rail route and connect five national rail stations that are currently difficult to reach by public transport from east to west.
Phased delivery
A report prepared for the next meeting of the council’s Environment, Transport and Growth Cabinet Panel says the service would operate between 6am and 11pm. Electric trams with capacity for 140 passengers would run every 10 minutes, with projected demand of 27,000 passengers a day.
Most of the route would use existing roads, supported by bus priority measures. It would also run along the abandoned Watford to Croxley branch line, the Abbey Line and new corridors planned through the Harlow Gilston and Hemel Hempstead Garden Communities.
The Abbey Line would initially be incorporated into HERT in its current form. The strategy says that, as the system develops, the council may need to consider how that section can better support the desired frequency, end-to-end journey times and passenger experience.
Delivery is planned in phases. Infrastructure, technology and bus priority measures would be introduced along the route up to 2035, while trackless trams are expected to become commercially viable and be rolled out between 2035 and 2040.
Consultation planned
Hertfordshire County Council is expected to launch a six-week public consultation in late October or November 2026. A final decision is scheduled for February 2027.