It’s been the talk of the town since plans were first floated around back in 2008. But now (almost two decades later) a rather monumental step chug has been taken in the direction of a shiny new London Overground line.
The West London Orbital
The new line in question would come in the form of the West London Orbital, and would serve as a rapid route, whizzing Londoners between various stations across the north and west of the city. The line would link Hounslow with Hendon and West Hampstead via a fair few handy stops (more on those later) using an abandoned west London railway line that hasn’t carried passengers since 1902.
The new overground line is one of three major transport projects that are currently in the pipeline. Referred to as ‘big ticket schemes’, the three projects (which include the West London Orbital along with the (long-awaited) Bakerloo Line extension, and the DLR extension to Thamesmead) could truly transform the capital’s transport network. If all goes to plan, the West London Orbital would become the seventh branch of the London Overground. And it looks as though the wheels are officially ready to be set in motion.
The West London Orbital update
City Hall has recently revealed that a (rather generous) lump sum of cash will officially be put aside to get the project kick started. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, confirmed that his 2026/2027 budget will include a £400,000 investment in the West London Orbital. And this funding could mean that construction of the line could begin as early as next year.
It’s expected that the project will cost between £430 million and £610 million, so although the £400,000 will certainly help, the project will also require significant funding from local sources, national government, TfL and the GLA. In return for these investments, the West London Orbital is set to create thousands of new homes and jobs – and inject around £300 million into the local economy in the first ten years.
The West London Orbital route
The main body of the route would run between Hounslow and Neasden, where the will fork and head in the directions of Hendon and West Hampstead. Additional mini branches include Kew Bridge, North Acton and Old Oak Common. And stops along the way include Brentford, Acton, Harlsedon, Cricklewood and Brent Cross. These areas of London have previously only been accessible to each other via a rather inconvenient detour through the centre of the city.
The route would create ten new unique interchanges, providing convenient crossovers with the likes of the Thameslink, the Jubilee Line, the Bakerloo Line, and various other London Overground stations. Next steps involve securing the extra funding and running public consultations before any major decisions can be made.