A funding package of up to 6.65 million GBP has been agreed to progress the next stage of the proposed West London Orbital rail line on the London Underground.
Transport for London (TfL), four borough councils and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) will jointly finance the development work for the project, which aims to introduce a new passenger service using existing freight lines. This will improve orbital connections across west and north-west London.
Proposals link Hendon and Hounslow with a fully accessible London Overground line
© Transport for London
The funding includes 400,000 GBP allocated in the 2026/27 budget by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London. TfL’s share represents half of the total and will be spread across the 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years.
The partner boroughs contributing are: London Borough of Barnet, London Borough of Brent, London Borough of Ealing and London Borough of Hounslow.
Proposed Orbital Rail Link
The proposed line would connect Hendon and Hounslow, with services running up to six trains per hour. It is designed to improve access between town centres and growth areas, including Brent Cross, Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common, Acton, Brentford and Hounslow.
The scheme would operate as part of the London Overground network, creating ten interchanges with other transport services, including links to the London Underground, the Elizabeth line, National Rail and the planned HS2 network.
Four new stations are proposed at Old Oak Common Lane, Neasden, Harlesden and Lionel Road. Other sections of the route would use existing stations with modifications to accommodate passenger services.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
I’m pleased and proud to bring partners together so we can deliver the missing link in public transport for the north and northwest part of the capital. Adding a new line to our fantastic London Overground network will help drive regeneration and economic growth not only along the new route but across our great city. I look forward to seeing the homes, jobs and opportunities unlocked by this innovative rail project as we continue building a better, greener, more prosperous London for everyone.
Development
The funding will support technical design work, environmental assessments and passenger demand modelling ahead of a planned public consultation in summer 2026. Authorities will then decide in late 2027 whether to apply for statutory powers through a Transport and Works Act Order.
TfL and its partners will use the funding to refine plans for stations, junctions, signalling and power systems. Work will also examine how the new service could operate alongside existing freight and passenger rail services.
According to project partners, the route could support the development of more than 25,000 homes and around 11,500 jobs along the corridor. The scheme is also expected to improve access to the future transport interchange at Old Oak Common, where HS2 and the Elizabeth line will meet.
Officials estimate the improved rail link could reduce car journeys by about 650,000 trips a year by encouraging greater use of public transport.
The line would receive a name as part of the London Overground network at a later stage, following the approach used when several Overground lines were renamed in 2024.