Funding Agreed to Move Forward with West London Orbital

Intention is to hold public consultation before final decision next year

The service would be a new branch of London Overground. Picture: TfL

March 5, 2026

Agreement has been reached to commit up to £6.65 million to the next stage of work on the West London Orbital, a move which has been hailed as the most significant progress on the scheme since it was first proposed. The funding from Transport for London, four west London boroughs and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) , which includes £400,000 from the Mayor of London’s 2026/27 budget, will allow detailed design work, operational modelling and public consultation to move ahead before a decision in 2027 on whether to seek statutory powers for construction.

The West London Orbital would create a new London Overground route linking Hendon and Hounslow by reopening under-used freight lines to passenger services. Trains would run up to six times an hour, connecting major centres including Old Oak Common, Acton, Brentford and Hounslow, and offering ten new interchange opportunities with the Underground, Overground, Elizabeth line, National Rail and HS2. Four new stations are planned at Old Oak Common Lane, Neasden, Harlesden and Lionel Road, with alterations proposed at several existing stations along the route.

Supporters of the scheme argue that it would unlock more than 25,000 new housing units and 11,500 jobs, strengthen access to the future Old Oak Common superhub and improve connections to regeneration areas such as the Great West Road and Brent Cross. TfL estimates that the new line could remove around 650,000 car trips a year by providing a practical orbital alternative to driving across west and northwest London. The economic benefits are forecast at around £300 million in the first decade of operation.

The £6.65 million package is being split equally between TfL and the participating boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Ealing and Hounslow, alongside OPDC. TfL’s contribution will be spread across the 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years. The funding will support the design of stations and junctions, signalling and power requirements, environmental assessments, demand forecasting and the preparation of a full public consultation expected in summer 2026. This work will feed into a decision in late 2027 on whether to apply for a Transport and Works Act Order, the legal mechanism required to build the line.

The likely total cost of the West London Orbital is currently estimated at around £700 million, based on recent transport briefings and budget documents. Funding for construction has not yet been secured, and the business case being developed over the next 18 months will be used to negotiate contributions from central government, mayoral borrowing supported by fare revenue, developer funding linked to regeneration zones and potential investment from major landowners or employers along the route.

Acton’s five existing stations already make it one of the best-connected areas in west London, but most routes run east–west. The West London Orbital would add a new north–south link, improving access to Brent Cross, Neasden and Hendon while strengthening connections to Old Oak Common. The proposed station at Old Oak Common Lane would give Acton residents a short, direct link into the HS2 and Elizabeth line interchange, reducing journey times to Heathrow, the West End and the Midlands. The line is also expected to support the major development zones around Bollo Lane and the wider Acton regeneration corridor.

In Brentford, the new line would reinforce the transformation already underway along the Golden Mile and around Brentford Football Club. A station at Lionel Road would sit close to the stadium and the surrounding developments, offering a new rail option for match-day travel and easing pressure on Gunnersbury and Kew Bridge. The improved orbital link would also make it easier for residents to reach employment centres in Park Royal, Old Oak Common and north-west London without relying on the A4 or the North Circular, both of which suffer from chronic congestion.

Chiswick would not gain a station on the new line, but the scheme is still expected to have a noticeable impact on local travel patterns. The new Lionel Road station nearby and South Acton, would give Chiswick residents additional options for reaching Brentford, Hounslow and Old Oak Common providing direct links with HS2 and the Elizabeth Line.

A map showin the route of the proposed West London Orbital. Picture: TfL

Public consultation is expected next year, with a clearer picture of station designs, service patterns and environmental impacts emerging as the technical work progresses. If statutory powers are granted, construction could begin in the early 2030s, with the line opening later in the decade depending on funding and regulatory timelines.