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Here at Secret London, we’ll never turn down the opportunity for a little bit of transport talk. From bikes and buses to trams and trains; we sure are fond of our pioneering public transport network. And so the prospect of a shiny new line arriving on the London Overground is a rather exciting one, as far as we’re concerned.
What would the route of the new line be?
The West London Orbital would be the name, and providing a speedy link between various spots across – you guessed it – West London would be the game. The new line on the block would connect Hounslow with Hendon and West Hampstead via the likes of Brentford, Acton, Harlesdon, Neasden, Cricklewood, and Brent Cross – meaning that Londoners wishing to make the journey would no longer have to do so via a slightly inconvenient detour through the centre of the city.
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The West London Orbital is one of the ‘big ticket schemes’ that TfL is hoping to secure financial backing for from the government’s Autumn budget. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said that alongside the proposed DLR and Bakerloo Line extensions, the construction of the West London Orbital ‘could transform the future of transport in the capital’.
If all goes to plan, the West London Orbital would become the seventh branch of the London Overground. It would use the existing Dudding Hill Line; a freight line that was built in 1858 and has barely been used over the last century.
Credit: David Hawgood via Wikimedia Commons How much would the West London Orbital cost?
So, how much will this new train line cost, I hear you ask? Well, as I’m sure you can imagine, an extension of this size and scale comes with a pretty hefty price tag. Back in 2021, it was estimated that the project would cost somewhere between £430 million and £610 million, but it’s not set to cost roughly £700 million in total. Blimey. It is expected to deliver a rather jaw-dropping £1 billion in economic value, however, with £300 million of it being generated in the first ten years. So, I guess time will tell, hey?
When is the West London Orbital set to be built?
Well, on the subject of timelines, Sadiq Khan said back in July: “subject to successful funding discussions, as well as further project development, planning and public consultation, I am confident that the DLR extension could be delivered by 2032, with the Bakerloo Line extension and West London Orbital following later in the 2030s“.
Find out more about Transport for London’s proposed West London Orbital plans here.