Key Points

• Transport for London (TfL) is consulting on the West London Orbital, a proposed new London Overground service linking Hendon and Hounslow.
• Richmond Council is calling on TfL to extend the route to include Twickenham station, describing its omission as a “missed opportunity”.
• TfL says extending to Twickenham is not currently feasible without service reductions, longer journey times on other services and major infrastructure works at Twickenham.
• The consultation runs until 18 November 2026, with services potentially starting in the mid-2030s if funding and approvals are secured.
• The proposed 18.5km route would include four new stations and upgrades at existing stations, connecting multiple Tube, Overground, rail and Elizabeth line services.

uk/local/richmond-upon-thames/richmond/">Richmond upon Thames (West London Times) October 8, 2026 – Transport for London is facing pressure to reconsider the scope of its proposed West London Orbital Overground service after Richmond Council argued that leaving out Twickenham station undermines the scheme’s potential to improve public transport access across south-west London. Residents are currently being consulted on plans for the orbital route, which would run trains on existing and underused freight and passenger lines to connect Hendon in north-west London with 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, but the transport authority has warned that doing so would require significant operational and infrastructure changes.

What is the West London Orbital and which stations are included?

The West London Orbital is a proposed 18.5km London Overground service intended to link Hendon in the north-west with Hounslow in the south-west, making use of existing rail corridors including the Dudding Hill line, which is currently used primarily for freight. As reported by journalists covering the launch of the consultation, the route would create new cross-London connections for outer boroughs and link with existing Tube, Overground, mainline rail and Elizabeth line services. 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 to accommodate the new service.

The consultation, which opened in late September 2026 and runs until 18 November 2026, invites residents, commuters and businesses to comment on the proposals before TfL and its partners develop a fuller business case. Services could start in the mid-2030s if the scheme secures government and other funding, receives necessary statutory powers and passes further planning and environmental assessments.

Why does Richmond Council want Twickenham added to the route?

Richmond Council has formally called on TfL to explore extending the West London Orbital beyond Hounslow to include Twickenham, a major rail interchange currently served by South Western Railway but not by London Overground. At a council meeting on Tuesday, 6 October, 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.” He added: “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.”

Roberts warned that if TfL does not take the opportunity to consider the extension during the current consultation window, “then it will never happen”. Earlier in the week, Lib Dem Councillor Andrew Duncan said TfL’s failure to include Twickenham in the plans “represents a missed opportunity” for the borough and south-west London, calling

“for this glaring oversight to be corrected”.

The council argues that adding Twickenham would strengthen interchange options and improve connectivity for residents who currently rely on South Western Railway services, with the nearest Overground trains available at Richmond or Kew Gardens.

What does TfL say about extending the route to Twickenham?

TfL has responded to the calls for an extension by stating that running additional London Overground trains between Hounslow and Twickenham is not currently feasible without causing disruptions elsewhere on the network. A TfL spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (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.”

The spokesperson added:

“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.”

In effect, TfL argues that the existing interchange options at Richmond and Hounslow provide comparable journey times for Twickenham-area passengers, while an extension would require costly works and could degrade performance on other services.

How will the consultation process work and what happens next?

TfL is consulting on the proposed West London Orbital service until 18 November 2026, inviting feedback via an online survey, email, telephone and post.

The authority says it wants to understand how the proposals may impact people positively or negatively, and to capture any objections or suggestions before finalising its plans. Responses to the survey may be made publicly available after the consultation closes, typically in the form of a report on the results, though personal information will be kept confidential in line with data protection rules.

Following the consultation, TfL and its partners will continue developing the scheme, including detailed design work, operational modelling, environmental assessments and demand forecasts. A decision is expected in 2027 on whether to seek statutory powers for the project, which would be a key step towards construction.

The project has already received £6.65 million in development funding, with TfL providing half of that across the 2025/26 to 2027/28 financial years, including £400,000 from the Mayor of London’s 2026/27 budget.

What benefits does TfL expect from the West London Orbital?

TfL says the West London Orbital would improve cross-London connectivity for outer suburbs, reduce reliance on central London interchanges and support new housing and jobs. The proposed route would connect 10 new and existing Tube, Overground and rail services, along with the Elizabeth line, creating new direct links between north-west and south-west London.

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 to handle increased capacity.

According to TfL, the service could run up to six trains per hour, offering faster journeys for many cross-London trips and improving access to major transport hubs such as Old Oak Common.

The authority has previously suggested that the scheme could help unlock up to 25,000 new homes along the corridor by improving transport access to regeneration areas. If built, the line would be the next new rail service to open in London, with a target opening date in 2035 subject to funding and approvals.

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Background to the West London Orbital development

The West London Orbital concept has been discussed for several years as a way to improve orbital rail connectivity across outer London without the cost of building entirely new tracks. The route largely reuses existing freight and passenger lines, including the Dudding Hill line, to create a new orbital service on the London Overground network. In March 2026, the project advanced after securing £6.65 million in development funding to support detailed design, operational modelling and public consultation work.

TfL launched its first formal public consultation on 23 September 2026, with an eight-week window for feedback. The authority has said it is working with partners to build a full business case, which will need further funding and statutory approvals before construction can begin.

The scheme is part of a wider set of proposed expansions to London’s rail network, including the Bakerloo line extension and Crossrail 2, though the West London Orbital is currently the next line expected to open if it proceeds.

Prediction: How could the Twickenham decision affect commuters and residents?

If TfL maintains its current position and does not extend the West London Orbital to Twickenham, commuters in Twickenham and nearby areas will continue to rely on South Western Railway services and interchange at Richmond or Hounslow for Overground connections. Supporters of the extension argue that this could limit the scheme’s usefulness for south-west London residents and reduce potential passenger numbers, particularly for those travelling between Twickenham and north-west London destinations.

Critics may also contend that omitting Twickenham weakens the “orbital” character of the route by stopping short of a major interchange.

Conversely, if TfL were to revise its plans and incorporate Twickenham, it could require delays to the project while additional infrastructure works are designed and funded, and could lead to service adjustments on existing lines.

For commuters, a successful extension might mean more direct cross-London journeys and improved interchange options, but only if the operational challenges identified by TfL can be resolved without degrading existing services. The outcome of the consultation and subsequent business case development will therefore be closely watched by residents, local councils and transport users across west and north-west London.