West London Orbital Rail Project

Wednesday 11th November 2026 Westminster Hall

16:25

[Derek Twigg (in the Chair)]

I will call Ruth Cadbury to move the motion and then the Minister to respond. I remind other Members that they may make a speech only with the prior permission of the Member in charge of the debate and the Minister. There will not be an opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up, as is the convention for 30-minute debates.

[Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered Government support for the West London orbital.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg, and to speak on an issue that is of particular relevance to Members from west London: the proposed development of the west London orbital rail line. This valuable strategic rail project will connect Hounslow in the west to Hendon in the north-west, avoiding the need to go into central London.

Back in the 1830s, during Britain’s first railway boom, parliamentary Committees signed off thousands of miles of new rail tracks in short order. I am not proposing that we do that today, but I hope to show why the proposal has broad and deep support from councils led by different political parties, a broad range of civic society organisations, the business community, MPs, the Greater London Assembly and the Mayor of London. The Government also supported it in the Budget two weeks ago.

[Dawn Butler (Brent East) (Lab)]

I thank my hon. Friend for securing this important debate. I am so excited, because Neasden in my patch in Brent will be connected to the WLO. Does she agree that it will make London more economically sustainable, and will bring housing and jobs? What is not to love?

[Ruth Cadbury]

Exactly—and what is more, it will make it so much easier to get to Wembley stadium in my hon. Friend’s patch.

I thank the West London Alliance of local authorities, which has done so much to work up and promote the scheme, and to bring business and local government leaders together—some are in the Public Gallery watching the debate. But let me first set out some background about the scheme. The West London orbital route would start—or finish, depending on where you are—in my constituency at Hounslow station, passing through Isleworth, Syon Lane and Brentford stations. There would be a new station at Lionel Road, by Brentford football club’s ground, and it would then go through Acton and Old Oak Common, allowing an easy connection to High Speed 2 and the Elizabeth line, before continuing via Harlesden, Neasden, Brent Cross and finishing in Hendon. The route would connect west London with north-west London, significantly cutting journey times.

[David Pinto-Duschinsky (Hendon) (Lab)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this incredibly important debate, and I share her excitement. Does she agree that the project would not only supercharge economic growth and connectivity in west London, but benefit north London? It ends in my constituency, as she says, and it would bring benefits to the whole of north London and the borough of Barnet.

[Ruth Cadbury]

I absolutely do, but from a West London Alliance perspective, Barnet is in west London, so when I say “west London” I of course include Barnet.

My constituents and I will get to Wembley stadium in less than an hour, with a much better journey. The line will link 450,000 additional people to Old Oak Common within an hour, massively boosting the benefit that HS2 will bring to outer London.

[Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab)]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, my constituency neighbour, for giving way. Old Oak is in my seat. This huge thing that we were promised has still not quite happened, and it seems to be going over budget. Does she agree that we need a comprehensive traffic survey? Obviously, the benefits are great—it will be very quick to go to Brent Cross, for example—but several level crossings in Chiswick, which we used to share, will be down permanently, so where will that traffic go? Will it evaporate? The Old Oak link sounds great.

[Ruth Cadbury]

There is clearly a lot of work to be done, particularly on alternatives to the level crossings. I have one in my constituency, and I know that my hon. Friend has more. However, I am absolutely sure that the local authorities, which definitely want this scheme, and Transport for London—ditto—will work together to find effective solutions that do not disbenefit local areas in ways that can be avoided.

What is important for many of us and our constituents is the direct link to the Elizabeth line. That would allow my constituents to access another route both into central London and out to Heathrow without needing to get a bus up to the Elizabeth line stations.

The real magic of the scheme is that it makes use of existing rail lines. They have capacity, with some parts currently used only by freight, such as the Dudding Hill line and the stretch between South Acton and Kew Bridge. Only four new stations would be needed, and no elaborate new tunnelling is required, so it is more or less a shovel-ready scheme.

London’s existing tube and rail network was mainly developed by private companies in the 19th and 20th centuries as London was growing, but without much strategic thinking. Outer London boroughs do not have great connectivity in many parts, and what there is generally follows the radial rail routes going in and out of central London. There are exceptions that actually demonstrate success, such as the Mildmay line—until a year ago, we knew it as the North London line. That is an orbital route.

[Luke Taylor (Sutton and Cheam) (LD)]

I congratulate the hon. Member on securing this incredibly important debate. Although we welcome the additional connectivity that the West London orbital will bring, TfL has refused to extend the line to provide connections for other underserved areas, such as Whitton and Twickenham. The hon. Member mentioned Wembley stadium; there are opportunities to provide better rail access to Twickenham stadium, but also for the Ivybridge estate, which sits in her constituency. Does she agree that TfL should reconsider its refusal to extend the service to those underserved areas of London?

[Ruth Cadbury]

The hon. Member makes an important point. I have been asked by my constituents living in Whitton whether the line, at its western end, could continue beyond Hounslow, around the Hounslow loop line, to Whitton, Twickenham, and so on.

Particularly as we face the prospect of more events at the Twickenham rugby football union stadium, I am aware that there may be capacity challenges on the routes through Twickenham, but I hope that South Western Railway and TfL can look at what extra services would help connectivity for not only my constituents in Whitton but those on the south side of my constituency in Isleworth.

I will now move on to the wider benefits to the city region. West London is a powerhouse for economic growth in the UK, second only to central London in productivity and GDP per head. We have strong growth sectors: tech, arts, logistics, food manufacturing, the creatives and tourism, with many world-leading brands and businesses. However, the sub-region is held back by poor intra-regional transport links. That is why the west London orbital is so important.

It is projected that, for west and north-west London, the scheme will help to deliver 25,000 new homes and 11,500 new jobs, and will bring more than 3 million jobs within a 45-minute commute. That is so important for our economy here in London. Some 200 businesses have recently confirmed that they back the project, because they know that new public transport services are good for growth; they open up formerly inaccessible industrial areas and cut congestion on our roads.

Providing more public transport services also supports London’s net zero and climate change ambitions, improves our air quality and improves access to jobs, training, healthcare, leisure and cultural opportunities—especially for Wembley, as I have mentioned. Recently, there have been attempts to talk down London, but a strong capital city makes for a strong country, and strong growth in London means strong growth across the UK.

Where is the proof of the value of new services such as this? That proof is in the Elizabeth line. I remember when it was Crossrail, that much-maligned project, but since it opened to passengers in May 2022, the Elizabeth line has been a huge success. Some 90% of users say that it has improved their area, and within a couple of months it will transport its billionth passenger, way ahead of projections. More than that, though, the Elizabeth line has been responsible for thousands of jobs and homes along the line. Abbey Wood in the east has become one of the biggest regeneration areas in London. Build it and they shall come.

The Elizabeth line teaches us not only to go ahead with new transport lines, but to look at innovative ways of funding them. We were so pleased that at the Budget the Chancellor gave the Mayor of London greater power and control over spending income tax in London, along with powers to enable the WLO to be funded through the business rates regime. That, in turn, will benefit from the uplift in land value in and around the new line. That was the model we used to fund the Elizabeth line. We know it works. I want to thank the Chancellor and the Government for engaging with London MPs, the mayor and local authorities on this issue.

I move on to some questions for the Minister. When will the Government publish further details about proposals for fiscal devolution mechanisms, and when could the new funding powers become available? Will the Department for Transport co-ordinate work with TFL, the mayor, Network Rail and local councils on how the fiscal devolution mechanism can work to fund this project? What work is being undertaken with partners to establish a viable funding package following the announcement in the Budget?

The next stage of design on the WLO has been commissioned and will be worked on throughout 2027. Will the WLO, as a test case, enable local partners and the Government to work through what a funding package would look like during 2027? What needs to happen to keep the scheme on track for possible operation by 2035 and are there any Government-controlled obstacles? The WLO uses existing network freight lines, so its progress depends on work with Network Rail, including on level crossings. Will the Minister ask Network Rail to actively work with TfL on the next stage of design? Will he agree to meet TFL, the West London Alliance, local MPs and other partners to discuss how the Government can help bring the scheme forward? Finally, what lessons has the DFT learned from previous infrastructure projects, such as Crossrail, HS2 and the expansion of the London Overground network?

I look forward to hearing the Minister’s response and I hope we can build on the really positive announcements from the Budget. This project is a huge opportunity to increase connectivity, decrease journey times and bring extra investment into west London. I hope the Government can work with TfL, local councils, the West London Alliance and so many other organisations that are working together, committed to making this proposal a reality for my constituents and everybody else in west and north-west London.

16:38

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Justin Madders)]

It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair this afternoon, Mr Twigg. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ruth Cadbury) on securing this debate and for setting out so clearly and comprehensively the importance that she attaches to improving transport connectivity across west London. I also recognise that she has considerable support among colleagues, including my hon. Friends the Members for Brent East (Dawn Butler), for Ealing Central and Acton (Dr Huq) and for Hendon (David Pinto-Duschinsky) and the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Luke Taylor). There is clearly a united front on this issue.

As my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth would expect, the Government recognise the importance of a reliable, accessible and well-connected transport network. That is particularly important in a global city such as London, where a transport network supports not only the capital’s economy, but the wider UK economy.

As we have heard today, the west London orbital is a proposal for a new London Overground passenger service between Hounslow and Hendon, making use of existing rail infrastructure, including lines currently used for freight, as my hon. Friend mentioned. Transport for London estimates that the scheme could support more than 25,000 new homes and about 11,500 jobs. As my hon. Friend said, that will improve connectivity and links between important areas of economic development, including Old Oak and Park Royal, Brent Cross and the great west corridor. She also discussed connectivity with Brentford Football Club and said on a number of occasions that she hoped there would soon be a direct link from the club to Wembley—

[Ruth Cadbury]

Wembley stadium.

[Justin Madders]

As a Brentford supporter, she might be a little over-optimistic in that regard, although I recognise the irony of my making such a comment. Nevertheless, I am sure that we would all benefit from regular trips to Wembley.

[Dawn Butler]

Lots of things happen at Wembley stadium, and we welcome people coming to it.

I thank the Minister for his comments. The reality is that after years of under-investment by the previous Government, we now have a Government who have recognised that situation and are investing in London. Will he join me in welcoming the devolution of powers to London? Those powers will enable the unlocking of schemes such as the WLO, which will bring about £300 million of investment into our economy.

[Justin Madders]

It is clear that the direction of travel under this Government is to empower local areas to control their own destinies; we think that is really important. We hope to see the mayoral model being replicated around the country, but there is already proof of concept in London. I will say a little more about the fiscal devolution proposals in a minute.

As Members will know, transport is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London: it is for them to determine and prioritise which projects they want to support. Nevertheless, we work closely with Transport for London to understand the long-term needs of London’s transport infrastructure and where there are opportunities to enhance the network, including through major projects such as the one we are discussing today.

The Government have already provided significant support to Transport for London, including more than £6.5 billion in revenue funding and capital funding between 2020 and 2024. At the 2025 spending review, the Government also confirmed nearly £2.2 billion in capital funding for Transport for London over the four years from 2026-27 to 2029-30, to support major rolling stock, signalling and road renewal projects.

[Dr Huq]

I wonder whether my hon. Friend the Minister can allay some fears that I heard about on the doorstep last weekend about South Acton station in W4. People were saying that unless we sort out the level-crossing issue and find a better way of doing them, communities will be cut in half and there will be permanent gridlock. They were also saying that this project will never happen, because the money is not there. Can he elucidate?

[Justin Madders]

We can say with confidence that we will give the Mayor of London the powers and tools to make the project happen; it will then be a question for him to decide whether it actually happens. However, I am sure that, given the support in this Chamber, he will make the project a major priority.

I understand my hon. Friend’s point about level crossings. There is a consultation at the moment, which I hope will be able to identify and deal with some of the particular issues that she mentioned.

I want to say a few words about future fiscal devolution. The Chancellor set out in the Budget his plans to put power into the communities of our country, to get good growth in every postcode. We are moving away from the fragmented and restrictive central Government grant regime to give local leaders greater funding and certainty, with a stronger reward for local growth. That is why alongside the Budget we published a fiscal devolution road map, which sets out a reformed funding model for English regional and local government. Under fiscal devolution, all mayors will receive a share of business rates from 2027 and a share of local income tax from 2028, in place of central Government grants. For local authorities, a key part of our reforms is the commitment to make business rates a fully locally retained tax by the end of the decade.

For London in particular, the Chancellor committed in the Budget to legislating to enable the Mayor of London to establish a successor to the Elizabeth line business rate supplement. Such mechanisms will help the Greater London Authority to finance future transport infrastructure projects such as west London orbital—or indeed other schemes, potentially. Full details on fiscal devolution will be set out at the spending review in 2027.

The Prime Minister has made it clear that it will not be for central Government to decide where London invests; that will be, of course, for Londoners themselves. That means that the Mayor of London will have the tools to deliver the transport links that the capital needs. Along with No.10 North, we will work with the mayor, the GLA, Network Rail and local councils on how fiscal devolution can fund this project.

The west London orbital is at a development stage. As I have already said, Transport for London’s first public consultation is currently under way and will remain open until 18 November. The consultation seeks views on the proposed route, new stations, and the potential impacts and benefits of the new scheme, which will hopefully deal with the concerns that my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing Central and Acton has just referred to.

Once the consultation has concluded, Transport for London will need to consider the feedback alongside the wider evidence as it continues to develop its proposals. Although the scheme is not yet at a funding package stage, we will continue to engage constructively with the mayor and Transport for London as the proposals develop and we continue to unlock funding that will enable the mayor to deliver the scheme should he choose to.

The Rail Minister, my noble Friend Lord Hendy, regularly meets Transport for London and the Greater London Authority to discuss their transport priorities. I am sure he will be happy to meet them again to discuss this further. Of course, it is for Transport for London to determine the timetable for the scheme and keep it on track for possible operation by the mid-2030s. Should Transport for London choose to progress it, we will of course work with them to ensure that there are no Government-controlled obstacles in their way. As with any scheme, we will work with both Network Rail and Transport for London on resolving issues, including on capacity, given that passengers and freight services would share the line.

In closing, I reassure hon. Members that the Government understand the importance of improving connectivity and supporting sustainable economic growth in London. Once again, I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth for securing this debate and for the passion and clear-sightedness with which she has advocated for this particular line.

Question put and agreed to.

16:45

Sitting suspended.