New railway to close the gap from North and West London
Plans for a new railway are on track which would allow passengers to travel from north to west London, and vice versa, without going through the centre of town.
At the London Assembly meeting last Thursday (March 8), plans were proposed to introduce The West London Orbital Railway as well as electric trains to the capital. The railway is part of the Mayor’s latest transport strategy and would allow for passengers to freely travel between north and west London without having to journey through central London.
[endif]--Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has said he’s delighted that Londoners have involved themselves and given their feedback on the future of transport in the capital.
Commuters will be able to avoid central London
The West London Orbital Railway is expected to provide a boost to local businesses, in addition to creating new jobs in the surrounding areas.
Councillor Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said: “We think that it’s a feasible project as the train lines are already in place and we are exploring battery powered trains among the options that are available.”
"Such a train line would also help relieve congestion on roads and pressures on other existing lines, cutting journey times in and around London, while providing a cleaner, greener and more sustainable mode of transport for west London, with new step-free stations along the line that are accessible for everyone."
Battery powered trains may even be running by the end of this year as The West London Economic Prosperity Board (WLEPB) has stated that “there may be an opportunity to test a battery powered train in west London in 2018.”
The plan is part of the Mayor’s twenty-five-year-old strategy to improve London’s public transport, with the new railway benefiting residents in Brent, Barnet, Ealing, Hounslow, Harrow and Hammersmith & Fulham.
The railway would be delivered through Transport for London (TFL), Network Rail and the West London Alliance and could potentially support the delivery of an additional 20,00 homes.
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