en.Wedoany.com Reported - Transport for London (TfL), four West London boroughs, and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) have reached an agreement to jointly invest £6.65 million to advance the next stage of development for the West London Orbital rail project. The scheme plans to convert an underutilised freight corridor into a passenger service for the London Overground.

The proposed passenger service plans to connect Hendon and Hounslow, running up to six trains per hour and passing through key areas including Brent Cross, Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common, Acton, Brentford, and Hounslow. The proposed passenger route includes the construction of four new stations at Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common Lane, and Lionel Road, while other sections will utilise existing stations after modification.

Project backers estimate the passenger service could support over 25,000 new homes and approximately 11,500 jobs in West London, contributing around £300 million in economic value during its first decade of operation. Transport planners anticipate the new public transport connections could reduce car journeys by approximately 650,000 trips per year.

The £6.65 million funding is shared equally between TfL, the four boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Ealing, and Hounslow, and the OPDC, with TfL contributing 50%, including a £400,000 allocation from the Mayor's 2026/27 budget. The funds will be used to advance station and infrastructure design, operational modelling, and environmental impact assessments, in preparation for a public consultation in summer 2026.

A key decision point is expected by the end of 2027, when a determination will be made on whether to seek statutory powers through a Transport and Works Act Order to enter the construction phase. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan stated that the passenger service will "provide a missing link in public transport for the north and northwest of the capital."

Once completed, the passenger service will provide ten new interchange nodes, connecting to the London Underground, the Elizabeth line, National Rail, and the planned HS2 network.

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