| Work Detail |
The 17.7km West London Orbital (WLO) proposed to extend the London Overground has just completed its feasibility study. The study was by the Transport for London(TfL), Mott MacDonald and West London Alliance.
The extension of the overground station system will better transit across North-West London. New transit links with other rail systems like the Old Oak Common Lane station, Jubilee line and Bakerloo line will also be created. This will only suffice if the extension project gets a go-ahead to the design and construction phases that follows the feasibility phase.
Feasibility Phase of the West London Orbital
The study completed by Transport for London in conjunction with Mott MacDonald and West London Alliance checked for an array of aspects. These included the feasibility design options, transport modelling cost estimates. Alongside this was the economic assessment and the technical work with the Network rail to assess the impacts the project will have on surrounding infrastructure.
Design Phase
The design stage of the West London Orbital is expected to start in the spring of 2025 through to 2026. This next phase will only be feasible if the TfL and other involved local authorities will have come up with a funding scheme by then. The review and assessment of the design phase is expected by the end of 2024. Preparation for public consultation and the seeking of planning consent, expected to come prior to the construction phase, are also dependent on the status of the project’s funding.
Construction Phase of the WLO
The construction phase of the WLO is expected to start in late 2020s. This has been put into realistic projection by TfL Major Projects and Urban Design Manager Matthew Rheinberg. He stated that if all goes as planned, construction is expected to start around 2030, with services starting three years later. For the construction phase to go through, the WLO project will have to get approval after a Transport & Works Act Order application.
Challenges to the (prospective) construction phase have also been identified. There has been mention of “existing housing, industrial buildings and road bridges” challenges. These have however been stated as “less constrains”. Mott MacDonald associate Structural Engineer Chris Williams and Project and Design Manager on the feasibility stage of WLO mentioned the stated.
Funding of the project
According to the office of the Mayor of London in mid-October, there are currently no funding allocated to the project. Only estimates suffice on; ranging from £300m to £900m.
Official comments from the Mayor of London on the progress of talks with investors have not yet been made.
It has also been reported that a Public-Private Partnership for the scheme will not likely be the case as the infrastructure is wholly under the Network Rail. The project’s funding could entirely be from the public sector. Funding from the private sector will contribute, “very little in the grand scheme of things”.
Forecast benefits of the West London Orbital
Once completed the West London Orbital is expected to cut down transit time between key developing areas like the Brent Cross, Old Oak Common, and the Great West Corridor.
The West London Orbital is also expected to bring about an estimate 15,800 new homes across the route. Around 11,500 additional jobs will also be created across London. The economic boost from the WLO scheme in the four boroughs it will serve, will amount to around 12% of job growth forecast by the Greater London Authority. The forecast indicates years between 2031 and 2041.
Travel via the radial corridors via central London will also be less crowded as per prospective estimates.
As part of WLO’s scheme, a new platform and four other TfL stations will also be established. These new stations will serve as a link to the other aforementioned rail lines. The WLO will also lie close to Brentford FC Stadium. A link with the High Speed 2 (HS2) that is under construction will also be formed.
The new platform will be established in the Brent Cross West station. This strategic location in the Midland Main Line will allow for interchange services with the Network Rail’s network.
Concerns surrounding recent govt announcements
There has also been talk that the prioritization of the extension of the High Speed2 (HS2) to Euston. It has been speculated that it might have timeline effects on the delivery of the West London Orbital. No official comments have been made about this yet. |
