What is happening with the planned £700,000,000 new London Overground line?

The buzz around a proposed new Overground line is gearing up, but when can Londoners expect to travel on it?

Much of the conversation about London’s future travel upgrades has focused on the potential Bakerloo line and DLR extensions.

But work is also going on on the other side of the capital for the new £700 million Overground route known as the West London Orbital.

In the making for almost a decade, it would connect west and northwest London neighbourhoods with a direct line without people having to change in busier central London hubs.

When could West London Orbital line open?

Transport for London (TfL) has been hopeful that the line could carry passengers by the early 2030s, but major obstacles remain – the government has not committed money for the mega-project.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, set aside £400,000 to fund a report into the business case in his latest 2026/2027 budget and as ‘significant’ progress.

The representatives for the boroughs where the new line would run welcomed this development as a ‘huge step forward,’ while critics said there has been no real progress on it.

Thomas Turell, the Conservative transport spokesman in the City Hall, told Metro: ‘The West London Orbital line needs either government funding, or permission from the government to add it to TfL’s credit card.

‘But in nearly 10 years as Mayor, Sadiq Khan has failed to secure this. Despite this project one of his three transport priorities.’

He described the rollout of new Piccadilly line and DLR trains as a ‘shambles.’ The launch of the new Piccadilly line carriages was delayed, while the three new DLR trains were temporarily taken out of service after one of them failed to stop at the correct spot.

Mr Turell accused the mayor of ‘celebrating a business case as if it means the line has the go ahead.’

‘It is a shameful attempt to gaslight Londoners, pretending there is progress whereas in reality the Mayor has once again failed to live up to his promises,’ he added.

The mayor’s spokesperson told Metro that he is ‘delighted to be moving forward’ with the plan.

The latest announcement will ‘significantly progress the design of new stations, track upgrades and other infrastructure, as well as building evidence around the strong business case for the scheme.’

Discussions with the government on potential funding approaches are expected to move forward this year and ‘supported by submission of the business case,’ City Hall said.

Londoners will get a chance to have their say during a public consultation, set to open in the summer.

Meanwhile, the Labour London Assembly members celebrated the latest announcement.

Bassam Mahfouz, the representative for Ealing and Hillingdon, told Metro the connection to HS2 and the Elizabeth line in the west will help bring the area closer together and make travel ‘faster, easier and more sustainable.’

Where would the new Overground line run?

While the route is new for passengers, it would use existing freight tracks on the majority of the route, reducing the need for laying costly tracks.

The route would connect Brent, Barnet, Ealing and Hounslow with the Old Oak Common interchange with links to HS2 and the Elizabeth line.

Boroughs are standing behind the plan, which is estimated to support 11,500 new jobs and 6,700 new homes across the four areas on the orbital belt.

When Metro spoke with commuters at Brent Cross, where a new Overground station is planned, people appeared largely supportive of the proposal, saying it would help with travel around central London.

The leader of Brent Council, Muhammed Butt, compared the West London Orbital to the Elizabeth line.

He said: ‘The West London Orbital is a mission critical piece of economic infrastructure for our borough and for the whole of west London.

‘By connecting Brent directly to Old Oak Common and HS2, this scheme will turbocharge business growth, open-up access to high-value jobs and support Brent residents into new opportunities.

‘We have already seen with the Elizabeth line that when you invest in world-class transport, people will use it – demand grows, regeneration follows and prosperity spreads. If you build it, people will come, and the West London Orbital will be no different.’

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