London’s Overlooked Transport Project: The West London Orbital

Melbourne has had a massive project to remove level crossings - over 80 since 2016, with rebuilding of more than 50 stations. Huge impacts on rail services, safety, and urban renewal so worth exploring the benefits in SW London too.

A very informative and comprehensive summary of the West London Orbital . I live a short walk to Brent Cross West in North Cricklewood . Getting to Ealing or Brentford is long journey by tube and really getting there by bus involves the North Circular ; which is nearly always congested as you mentioned . With all this new housing it can only get worse . I have a friend in Shepherds Bush and after discovering the Overground it's a much better option even getting a bus to Kilburn or West Hampstead . When I had to get to Southall for a job it was terrible . It's a shame how long these developments take to get into service .

Old oak common lane will be used by HS2 passengers too. However the problem is that Acton Wells junction needs to be quadrupled to prevent a problem with the well used freight route. Caroline.

My favored orbital extension is the one taking the Metropolitan line, via Croxley, into Watford Junction. Most of the route already exists and all it needs is a rail flyover at Two Bridges. Several million pounds has already been spent in getting this project together, before it was pulled by Transport for London.

Great video. If the Heathrow Southern Access is ever built, I can see the WLO being extended from Hounslow up the line to Staines and then into a tunnel to the Airport stations, giving all passengers along the line an easier connection to Heathrow :)

I never understood all the paranoid comments about the '15 minute town' we've had a similar concept for years before the WW2 era in most major cities, including the one I live in in the Midlands.

Sydney's Metro may become like an orbital railway if planned correctly.

So glad you have addressed this - I'd been hoping you would! I need to view it again to really appreciate the detail and amount of thought you've put in, but a couple of points: 1. Buses - thanks for all your usual thorough listing of existing bus links. I'm sure you are right that a few routes will lose long distance custom to the WLO, but they should make it up in local journeys connecting people to the rail line, and from the rail line to hospitals and other major destinations - as you suggest . But TfL Buses must up their game; sometimes I wonder if they are really aware they are part of the same organisation as the tube/OG lines! Better bus connection facilities are needed at a host of town centres which are at a distance from their stations - including Brentford and Hounslow. This must include publicity/wayfinding signage - just make it as easy and obvious as changing tube lines - not rocket science; bus stop siting; bus timings; ticketing (don't charge for the station-to-town-centre trip), and making sure that station staff know about bus connections. 2 Frequency - Sadiq Khan's ambition for 80% of trips to be by public transport is excellent, but needs much better frequencies in the main tube/OG/Rail/SL routes connecting centres, as well as the local buses connecting with them. How about an ambition for 8 per hour on all modes from 6am to midnight? Are there any figures for e.g passenger numbers on the OG 8tph+ sections (e.g. the NLL, the ELL) as opposed to the 4tph sections? My friends who live in 'outer' London almost all have cars as they say much if not most of their travel is to other suburban centres - which makes it ironical that most rail services are into central London: they will use rail/OG - but not if it's only a half-hourly service, as is common in south London. Thanks again for this excellent video

Great informative video as always! The level of congestion in North West London is certainly evident so hopefully this project can help with this.

This looks like an interesting project, especially if it'll improve connectivity in the areas it'll serve!

An excellent, comprehensive and well-presented video. My local corner of NW London featured often. This project has been talked about for decades - it is well past the time to create this important link. Developers will contribute generously to the costs involved, as they will benefit greatly over the years.

Well researched, constructed, Informative and entertaining video. Thanks for this. Let's hope it progresses rapidly. Thank you.

All quite fascinating. Reconnecting South Acton to Acton Town by shuttle would give additional passenger flow. For a really radical suggestion, link the Piccadilly line between Acton Town and Chiswick Park to the Overground, then link it to the Brentford loop line where they cross south of the Great West Road. Then you have a Piccadilly Line spur from Heathrow to Waterloo! My final suggestion is extending the line which terminates in the ‘freight’ area by the Great West Road at Brentford, as suggested, to join the Brentford Loop. Then you have a line from Oxford to Waterloo. But no, don’t even think about another Piccadilly Line spur from Waterloo to Oxford!

Shame the cost of tunnelling is prohibitive, and the existing tracks too busy, otherwise it's only a mile or so to connect this to the Gospel Oak to Barking line, and make an entire second orbital for north London. Also not enough room to get up to the Overground line without a DLR-style gradient after West Hampstead... The extra tracks continue until just by the tunnel entrance, and there are the remains of an old station there - would it make sense as part of this plan and the O2 regeneration to put a terminus there? As part of the construction work they could even provide a link straight into Finchley Road station, as they'll be digging up the entire area between the two anyway!

Brent Cross West opened with a set of platforms specifically for the WLO if it goes ahead, so they at least future proofed that

Good video. Long but worth the watch🙂.

Thanks for a clear & exhaustive appraisal. I see Hounslow Sta. as a weak point. Only the 281 as a bus link, and the stops are some distance away. The bridge across the station is worryingly narrow (for pedestrians!). The 3rd platform would take some serious rearranging. The only other connection is the existing H’w Loop trains. H’w town centre a tidy step away.

I think it needs the direct connections with other trains and it needs 8 trains per hour if you want people to get out of there cars

Great video as always. I wonder what the proposal is for electrification? These lines are mix of 3rd rail, overhead, or nothing.

Staggering amount of interesting information. Must have taken ages to research. Thank you