Mayor Sets Aside Funds for West London Orbital
£400,000 in budget to develop business case for rail line
The service would be a new branch of London Overground. Picture: TfL
January 16, 2026
The proposed West London Orbital appears to have moved a step closer to reality after the Mayor’s draft budget ringfenced £400,000 to progress the business case for the rail line.
Construction could start on the transit link, which will connect Hounslow and Hendon, as early as next year subject to ministerial approval.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves greenlit the DLR extension to Thamesmead in November’s Budget, but conspicuously left the West London Orbital and Bakerloo Line extension off the list, despite both projects being backed by the Mayor of London.
However, the Mayor’s draft budget, released on Thursday night (15 January), confirmed that the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC), a Mayoral Development Corporation, will chip in £400,000 “for further development” of the West London Orbital.
Officials say the investment will “significantly progress the design of new stations, track upgrades and other infrastructure, and build evidence around the strong case for the scheme to inform discussions with the Government and other partners on funding”.
The scheme would convert the existing 18.5km Dudding Hill line, which is currently used for freight, back to passenger use as a London Overground line. It would run from Hounslow through to a new stop at Lionel Road in Brentford, Acton, Old Oak Common and Neasden, with branches stretching both to West Hampstead and to Hendon as well as one connecting to Kew Bridge station.
The complete route would take just 37 minutes according to official estimates – drastically cutting journey times for passengers going from Hounslow up to Hendon, as it removes the need to travel into central London and back out, which takes around 90 minutes. The service was first proposed by the Mayor in his 2018 Transport Strategy.
If approved by ministers, it could help create thousands of jobs and homes, and is expected to deliver approximately £300 million in economic growth in the first 10 years of operation, according to estimates from City Hall.
The Mayor of London said, “I am delighted that we are moving forward with our plans for the West London Orbital that will improve public transport and deliver economic growth.”
Bassam Mahfouz, a Labour Assembly Member representing Ealing and Hillingdon, suggested construction could start as early as next year, with trains starting to run between Hounslow, Harlesden and Hendon by the early 2030s.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), “The West London Orbital will be a real gamechanger. For the first time, it will properly connect communities right across West London with a key north-south route.
“By linking into the future HS2 and the Elizabeth Line station at Old Oak Common, it will knit West London together, unlock new opportunities for jobs and housing, and make more journeys quicker and greener.”
Krupesh Hirani, Labour’s spokesperson for the Budget on the London Assembly, added, “This is an exciting step forward towards delivering the West London Orbital. It has the potential to better connect residents and businesses in places like Hendon, Neasden, Harlesden and Hounslow together.
“This funding will unlock the next step of securing investment from the Government for the line, which my colleagues and I will be continuing to lobby for.”
The Department for Transport and the Treasury have been approached for comment.
Kumail Jaffer - Local Democracy Reporter
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