Proposals to extend planned new London Overground line

Transport for London is facing calls to extend a proposed new Overground service to Twickenham.

Residents are being consulted on plans for the Proposals to extend planned new London Overground line, which would run trains on existing and underused lines to connect Hendon in North West London and Hounslow in West London. Richmond Council is urging TfL to investigate extending the proposed service to Twickenham to boost public transport access in the area.

However, TfL told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it would not be possible to run extra Overground trains between Hounslow and Twickenham without reductions and longer journeys on other services, along with major works at Twickenham. The station currently offers South Western Railway services, with the nearest Overground trains available at Richmond or Kew Gardens.

It comes after Lib Dem Councillor Andrew Duncan said earlier this week that TfL’s failure to include Twickenham in the plans “represents a missed opportunity” for the borough and South West London, as he called “for this glaring oversight to be corrected”.

The proposed new West London Orbital route

TfL

At a council meeting on Tuesday (October 6) Lib Dem Council Leader Gareth Roberts said: “The council welcomes the principle of the West London Orbital and the opportunity to comment on it, but the problem that we have is that it quite literally doesn’t go far enough. All it needs to do is to extend down two stations through Whitton and Twickenham and we would have on our hands a really important public transport interchange.”

He added: “However, that isn’t there at the moment and that’s what we want them to take a look at because if they don’t take the opportunity to look at this particular proposal now, then it will never happen.”

Cllr Roberts said the introduction of the Overground to Richmond in 2007 was “the most recent innovation” the borough had seen, when asked by Councillor Duncan whether it had received any major new infrastructure in recent years.

Cllr Roberts added: “20 years with no new infrastructure is a disgrace, to be frank.”

A TfL spokesperson told the LDRS: “It’s not possible to timetable additional London Overground trains between Hounslow and Twickenham without service reductions and extended journey times for other train services, and major infrastructure works would be required at Twickenham to allow trains to turn back without disrupting through services.

“Therefore, extending the proposed new line to Twickenham wouldn’t offer significant journey time savings, as passengers travelling to and from the Twickenham area can already interchange at Richmond for London Overground Mildmay line services with a similar journey time, or change at Hounslow without changing platforms to connect with the proposed new London Overground line.”

TfL is consulting on the proposed West London Orbital service until November 18.

It would create a new 18.5km route connecting 10 new and existing Tube, Overground and rail services, along with the Elizabeth line. Four new stations are proposed at Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common Lane and Lionel Road, while extra platforms are planned for Hendon and Brent Cross West.

TfL is working with partners to put together a case for the scheme, which would need funding and further approvals to go ahead. Services could start in the mid-2030s if it is built.