FAQs
- Make it easier to travel across west London without going through central London
- Connect town centres, employment hubs and growth areas
- Improve access to jobs, education and leisure destinations
- Provide connections with existing and future rail services including HS2
- Support the delivery of new homes and economic growth
- Track and signalling changes
- A new step-free footbridge, providing step-free access between the street and all platforms for the first time
- Potential improvements to station access
- Passenger demand was forecast to be significantly lower
- Service frequency would be limited to only two trains per hour
- There are operational challenges associated with freight movements
- The branch would support fewer homes and jobs
- Neasden station and the Jubilee line
- Harlesden station and the Bakerloo/Lioness lines
- Old Oak Common Lane and HS2, Elizabeth line and Central line services
- Churchfield Road (Acton Central)
- Bollo Lane
- Wood Lane
- Full electrification
- Partial electrification with trains running on battery power for part of the route
- Battery trains charged at terminus stations
- Is close to the route
- Is not currently being used so and has sufficient capacity
- Provides suitable rail connections
- Offers future operational flexibility
- Additional tracks at Acton Wells Junction near Old Oak Common
- A second track at Old Kew Junction near the new station at Lionel Road
- Central Government
- TfL
- The Greater London Authority
- Local partners
- Developer contributions
- Decision on progression by end of 2027
- TWAO application around 2029
- Construction beginning in the early 2030s
- Passenger services commencing around 2035
Why is the West London Orbital needed?
The route would fill a significant gap in London's transport network by improving orbital connections across west and north-west London.
The scheme would:
How do you know people will use the line?
The proposed route has been selected following detailed analysis of travel demand, passenger benefits and value for money.
The WLO would provide new direct connections between locations that are currently difficult to reach by public transport. It would also deliver significant journey time savings, improve access to key growth areas and create new interchange opportunities across the rail network.
Why is an orbital route needed when many people travel into central London?
Many journeys in west and north-west London currently require people to travel into central London and back out again.
The WLO would create direct cross-London connections between places such as Brent Cross, Neasden, Old Oak Common, Brentford and Hounslow, helping people access jobs, education, shopping and leisure destinations more quickly without travelling via central London.
Why were the new station locations selected?
The proposed new station locations were chosen to maximise transport benefits, improve connectivity and support planned growth and regeneration.
The stations provide access to areas that have existing rail connections to central London but are currently poorly connected together by rail and create new interchange opportunities with London Underground, Overground, National Rail, Elizabeth line and future HS2 services.
Where will terminating trains be accommodated at Hendon?
The proposals include two new platforms on the freight lines on the western side of Hendon station.
The scheme would also include:
These platforms would be used by WLO services terminating and starting at Hendon.
Where will terminating trains be accommodated at Hounslow?
The scheme includes new railway sidings west of Hounslow station. This would allow WLO services to reverse direction and re-enter service without affecting South Western Railway or freight services using the route.
How often will trains run?
Four trains per hour would operate on the whole route between Hendon and Hounslow, with an additional two trains per hour on the northern part of the route between Hendon and Old Oak Common Lane giving six trains per hour in total north of Old Oak Common Lane.
We expect to offer the same level of service throughout the day and at weekends, with first and last trains at similar times to the existing London Overground network.
How will freight services operate alongside the WLO?
The WLO has been designed to operate alongside freight services.
A number of infrastructure improvements would be required, including track, signalling and junction upgrades, to ensure freight and passenger services can continue to operate safely and reliably.
Why won't the WLO run to West Hampstead?
A branch to West Hampstead Thameslink station was considered as part of the scheme development.
However:
The route could still be considered in the future if circumstances change and we are ensuring that nothing would prevent future services to West Hampstead in the design of the WLO project.
Are the proposed interchanges too far apart?
Several of the new stations would involve short walking connections to nearby transport services. The short walking distances are similar to existing interchanges on the transport network in London and will be clearly signed with improvements to streets to make changing trains simple, quick and easy.
Examples include:
The detailed design of walking routes, accessibility measures and wayfinding remains under development.
Why are new platforms needed at Brent Cross West when it is a new station?
The WLO would operate using the freight lines on the western side of Brent Cross West station.
New dedicated platforms would therefore be required to allow WLO trains to call there.
Provision for future WLO services was included in the design of Brent Cross West station to make construction of platforms for WLO easier.
Why are there no Mildmay line platforms at Old Oak Common Lane?
The current proposals focus on delivering the West London Orbital service.
The station could potentially accommodate Mildmay line platforms in the future, but they are not required for operation of the WLO and are not part of the current project.
What happened to previous proposals for a station on the Mildmay line at Old Oak Common?
The current proposals include a new Old Oak Common Lane station for the WLO. Future Mildmay line platforms could potentially be delivered separately. The design of the WLO station is ensuring that Mildmay Line platforms could be added to the station in the future if funding to deliver these can be identified.
Will any homes, businesses or other buildings need to be demolished?
The WLO would largely use existing railway corridors, helping minimise the need for land acquisition.
In a small number of locations, some additional land is required and some existing buildings may be affected by station construction and associated works. This is expected to only affect commercial properties rather than homes. While some new infrastructure including new station platforms would be built close to existing homes, no land from residential properties is expected to be required.
Will level crossings close?
The increased number of trains associated with the WLO could require the closure of level crossings to road traffic at:
Current assessments indicate that barriers could otherwise be closed for significant periods, creating safety and congestion concerns.
Alternative arrangements for pedestrians, cyclists and traffic are being examined alongside possible signalling improvements.
What will happen to the listed Bollo Lane signal box?
The disused signal box at Bollo Lane may be affected if a pedestrian bridge over the railway is confirmed as being needed at this location. The signal box is a listed building and the intention is to relocate it to an alternative location. We will discuss options for this with heritage organisations and Ealing Council to identify the right approach to protect this piece of railway history.
Will TfL take over all existing stations on the route?
The existing stations at Hendon and Brent Cross West will continue to be managed as part of Thameslink. The four existing stations at Hounslow, Isleworth, Syon Lane and Brentford are expected to remain managed by South Western Railway. Some improvements will be provided at these stations to make them suitable for being served by London Overground, including all day staffing between the first and last train. All other WLO stations will be managed by London Overground.
What trains would operate on the route?
The current proposals assume approximately 11 London Overground trains would be required. These are expected to be four or five carriages long with similar features to the existing trains used on London Overground services. More details about features of the trains will become available as the project moves forward.
How will the line be powered?
Three options are currently being assessed:
A final decision has not yet been made. The trains are expected to have similar facilities for passengers regardless of how they are powered.
Where will trains be stored and maintained?
The preferred location for trains to be stored and prepared for service is Willesden South West Sidings in the Old Oak Common area.
The existing railway site would be upgraded to provide train storage, cleaning and preparation facilities for the WLO fleet.
The location for more significant maintenance such as repairs and servicing will depend on the final decision on the type of train used to operate the services.
Why was Willesden South West Sidings selected?
A number of locations were assessed.
Willesden South West Sidings was identified as the preferred option because it:
Why are junction upgrades needed?
Additional infrastructure would be required to accommodate passenger services while maintaining existing rail operations.
Key upgrades include:
These upgrades will ensure there are the tracks in place to allow the new WLO services to operate on the same route as existing passenger and freight services. Other smaller scale improvements to tracks are planned elsewhere on the route to increase reliability and operational flexibility.
How much would the West London Orbital cost?
The current estimated cost is between £800 million and £900 million (2023 prices).
Because the scheme would make use of existing railway infrastructure, it is expected to cost significantly less than many other major rail projects of similar scale.
How would the scheme be funded?
Funding is expected to come from a combination of sources, including:
What is the current funding agreement?
Funding agreements between TfL, the west London boroughs and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation are currently in place, covering work up to a value of £6.65 million. This is allowing design and development work for the project to progress through the current phase of work. Funding is split equally between TfL contributing 50% and the other partners contributing the other 50%.
Why invest in west London rather than other parts of London?
The WLO would support areas with significant growth potential and improve connectivity in locations that currently have poor orbital transport links.
Several communities served by the route also experience high levels of deprivation despite being located in west London.
The scheme is intended to complement, rather than compete with, investment elsewhere in London.
How many homes would the scheme support?
Approximately 25,000 homes are expected to benefit from the WLO.
This figure includes both homes enabled by the scheme and planned developments that would benefit from improved transport connections.
Will compulsory purchase powers be used?
Most of the route is on existing railway land. However, some additional land may be needed.
Any compulsory purchase powers would be considered through the Transport and Works Act Order process and affected landowners would have statutory rights and compensation protections. We would usually seek to reach agreement with landowners on any property needed rather than making use of compulsory purchase powers.
When could construction start?
The current programme assumes:
What will the line be called?
As part of the London Overground network, the route would receive its own line name.
The name would be developed in line with the principles used for the London Overground line naming programme and would take account of local history, heritage, communities and wayfinding considerations.
