Transport for London (TfL) has opened an eight-week consultation on a proposed London Overground service linking Hendon and Hounslow, using freight railway infrastructure in west London.
The West London Orbital could begin operating in the mid-2030s, but only if funding is secured from the government and other sources and the project receives the necessary approvals. The consultation closes on 18 November.
Four new stations proposed
The 18.5km route would largely use existing railway lines, including the Dudding Hill line through Brent and Barnet. The freight-only route has not carried a regular passenger service for more than a century.
TfL is proposing new stations at Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common Lane and Lionel Road, alongside additional platforms at Hendon and Brent Cross West.
Its preferred operating plan would provide four trains an hour between Hounslow and Hendon, increasing to six trains an hour between Old Oak Common Lane and Hendon. The full journey would take about 37 minutes.
Earlier proposals included a branch to West Hampstead Thameslink. TfL said it had instead developed a more frequent Hounslow-to-Hendon service, while keeping open the possibility of future trains to West Hampstead.
Funding still to be secured
TfL estimates the line could support 11,500 jobs and more than 25,000 homes, while removing about 650,000 car journeys from the roads each year. It said some public transport journeys could be more than 30 minutes faster.
In March, TfL and its partners committed £6.65m to design, modelling and consultation work. TfL is paying half, with the remainder being shared by the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation and Barnet, Brent, Ealing and Hounslow councils.
That funding covers development of the scheme rather than construction. A summary business case estimates the build cost at £810m to £920m at late-2023 prices, rising to between £1bn and £1.2bn after inflation. TfL, central government and local partners would all need to contribute.
The business case says construction could start in the early 2030s if funding is secured in time.
Transport and development benefits
David Rowe, TfL’s director of investment planning, said: “This consultation is an important opportunity for people to shape the future of this new London Overground route.”
He added: “By making better use of existing rail infrastructure, we can improve connections between communities and support growth across west and north-west London.”
Seb Dance, deputy mayor for transport, said the scheme would use “a line currently only used for freight to transform travel in north and north-west London”.
Erin Walsh, director of the West London Alliance, said: “This could unlock west London’s economic potential, connecting people and places across the sub-region.”
Matthew Carpen, chief executive of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, described the proposal as “an exciting step towards a new rail link that could transform journeys across west London”.
TfL said further consultations would be held if the scheme progresses.