Acton To Benefit From New Rail Line

West London Orbital has been adopted in Mayor's transport strategy

The West London Orbital Rail Line has been given the green light and it's being claimed could bring huge benefits to Acton and the surrounding areas.

A feasibility report into the scheme suggests that the service could be operational within the next eight years.

Mayor Sadiq Khan today adopted the proposed scheme as part of his transport strategy for the next 25 years.

The line would connect Hounslow with Cricklewood and Hendon following the route of the North Circular Road and the M4 via Old Oak, Neasden and Brent Cross.

It would link existing lines on the Hounslow Loop and the North London Line. The proposed service would be part of the London Overground network and would provide a direct link with Brent Cross from stations such as Kew Bridge and South Acton. The total cost of the scheme is estimated to be around £600 million.

A preferred rail service option has been identified in a feasibility report with the first phase seeing a 4 train per hour service from West Hampstead to Hounslow, calling at West Hampstead, Cricklewood, Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common (OOC) Victoria Road, Acton Central, South Acton, Brentford, Syon Lane, Isleworth, Hounslow. A second phase would see an additional 4 trains per hour from Hendon to Kew Bridge, calling at Hendon, Brent Cross, Neasden, Harlesden, OOC Victoria Road, Acton Central, South Acton to Kew Bridge. Phase 1 services are assumed to commence operation in 2026, with phase 2 services running from 2029.

It's believed that the scheme could potentially support the delivery of an additional 20,000 homes, as well as significant employment growth in west London, and enable travellers to easily and quickly access both the new Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) and High Speed 2.

It will allow people to get from Barnet to Park Royal in only 12 minutes, and to Hounslow in less than 40 minutes.

The mayor’s office said the strategy, will 'ensure affordable public transport for all, support London’s economic growth, and create a fairer, greener and healthier city'. It is due to be presented to the London Assembly next week.

Implementation of the scheme is not without its challenges. The line is currently used by freight operators and they will need to be accommodated as well as South Western Railway who have the franchise to run trains on part of the proposed route. The level crossing and Bollo Lane is also anticipated to cause significant issues and a budget of £30 million has been suggested to avoid problems at this point.

Councillor Julian Bell, Chair of the West London Economic Prosperity Board said, ''This is a major victory for the boroughs across West London, and for London as a whole. It is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together around a shared vision for growth. The West London Orbital Rail Line will unlock huge opportunities for residents and businesses. It will also allow people from all our communities to get around without being reliant on the heavily congested road network and help to reduce levels of air pollution.''

Paul Najsarek, sponsoring chief executive for the West London Growth Programme said: ''This announcement from City Hall follows an extensive period of joint working by West London boroughs around a shared vision for improving economic outcomes and encouraging good growth for businesses and residents.”

“This shows that local government really can make a difference for the better and at scale when it works together, even during times of highly constrained budgets. We are looking forward to working with colleagues in our boroughs, at the GLA, TfL and Network Rail to make this exciting scheme a reality."

28th February 2018