Gary Busuttil on Why Rail is a 'Road To Recovery'

Southfield ward councillor believes it can drive renewed prosperity

Cllr Gary Busuttil

After reading the article “West London Orbital Scheme Still on Track” in this week’s ActonW3.com, it has motivated me to write an article that is close to my passions.

The article referred to the London Overground linking Hounslow, Ealing and Brent, a line that serves me well and residents of Southfield Ward which I am a Liberal Democrat Councillor for. Furthermore, working in the rail industry myself, I’m aware of how railways make a huge contribution in linking communities, driving prosperity, and enabling a more environmentally friendly way of moving around.

When Transport for London (TfL) took over what is now known as the London Overground in 2007 it was in a sorry state. The route, which incorporated several rail lines, was overcrowded, with neglected stations and rickety trains. How the line was transformed illustrates some of the ways that infrastructure projects can alter areas of a city.

Since the revamp in 2010 the London Overground changed two things. Firstly, the way that commuters get around the city has shifted. In 2008, 33m passengers zipped up and down the service. Now (with extensions added) almost 190m passengers do. 

Secondly, areas that were once overlooked, rundown or underdeveloped have become more popular. Areas such as the former South Acton estate, once renowned for drug and knife crime, have been redeveloped into a very desirable area, in part thanks to better connections around the city, and extra capacity. According to PlumPlot.co.uk , a website that looks at area insights, the average value of property on either side of South Acton station for example, rose rapidly between 2011 and 2019.

Despite this success, there are areas of West London that are still poorly connected by rail and is sadly easier and quicker to get to by car. It was announced recently that several hundred million pounds have been made available in government funding for rail projects across the country, particularly £760m linking Cambridge to Oxford, the same funding pledge should be made for the West London Orbital. But despite TfL’s funding constraints, it is humbling to read that work is still carrying on, on the West London Orbital project.  

Ealing Council declared a climate emergency in April 2019 after a Liberal Democrat motion was approved, as has many other boroughs and the Mayor of London. Whilst the vaccine rollout gives us hope, and the full extent of a post-pandemic London is yet to be realised, I’m sure rail, as it has in the past, will play an important role in the prosperity of our communities, including Southfield, and achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

Southfield Liberal Democrat Councillor, Gary Busuttil

February 21, 2021