North and West London Light Railway

North and West London Light RailwayLocation| London, UK

|

Proposer| Campaign for Better Transport
Project website| Brent Cross campaign page at the Wayback Machine (archived 30 September 2009)
Status| Proposal
Type| Light rail
Stakeholders| Campaign for Better Transport and Barnet, Brent, Harrow, Ealing councils

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North & West London
Light Railway

Legend

Proposed route

|  |  |

|  | Finchley Central

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|  | Mill Hill East
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|  | Copthall
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|  | Grahame Park Way
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|  | Colindale
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|  | Colindeep Lane
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|  | Kingsbury Road
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|  | Hendon
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|  | Brent Cross West
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|  | Brent Cross
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|  | Brent Cross South
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|  | Brent Cross Shopping Centre
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|  | Brent Cross West
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|  | Cricklewood
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|  | Mill Lane
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|  | West Hampstead
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|  | Finchley Road
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|  | Edgware Road Brent
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|  | Gladstone Park
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|  | Dudding Hill
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|  | Wembley Stadium
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|  | Tokyngton
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|  | Brent Park
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|  | Neasden
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|  | Taylors Lane
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|  | Craven Park
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|  | Harlesden
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|  | North Acton
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|  |
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|  | Park Royal Court
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|  | Park Royal
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|  | Alliance Road
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|  | West Acton
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|  | Hanger Lane South
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|  | Ealing Broadway

* * *

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Connecting line details

| Grahame Park Way  |  |

|  | Copthall

|
|
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| Northern line

to Edgware

|  | Mill Hill East
Colindale |  |

|  |

| Northern line

to High Barnet

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|  | Finchley Central
Colindeep Lane  |  |

|  |

| Northern line

High Barnet Branch

Kingsbury Road  |  |

|  |

Midland Main Line

|  |

|  |
Hendon |  |

|  | Hendon Central
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|  |
Brent Cross West  |  |

|  | Brent Cross
Brent Cross South  |  |

|  |

| Northern line

Edgware branch

|  |

|  |

Midland Main Line

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|  | Brent Cross Shopping Centre
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|  |

Chiltern Main Line

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|  | Brent Cross West
Wembley Stadium |  |

|  |
Tokyngton  |  |

|  | Edgware Road Brent
Brent Park  |  |

|  |

| London–Aylesbury line

Metropolitan & Jubilee lines

|  | Gladstone Park
|  |

|  | Dudden Hill
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|  | Neasden
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|  | Cricklewood

North London line

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|  | Mill Lane
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|  | West Hampstead

Chiltern Main Line

|  |

|  |

North London line

Finchley Road |  |

|  |

Midland Main Line

Taylors Lane  |  |

|  |

Metropolitan & Jubilee lines

Craven Park  |  |

|  |
Harlesden |  |

|  |

| Watford DC & Bakerloo lines

West Coast Main Line

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

North London line

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Acton–Northolt line

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| Central line

|  |

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North London line

|  |

|  | North Acton
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|  |
|  |

|  | Alliance Road

Piccadilly line

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|  | Park Royal Court
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|  |

| Acton–Northolt line

Central line

|  | West Acton
Park Royal |  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

Great Western Main Line

|  |

|  |

District & Piccadilly lines

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|  | Hanger Lane South
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|  | Ealing Broadway
|  |

|  |

Great Western Main Line

|  |  |  |  |  |

Proposed railway in London, England

The North and West London Light Railway (NWLLR), formerly known as the Brent Cross Railway, is a proposal for a light rail system in North and West London in the UK. It was put forward by the London group of the Campaign for Better Transport and by the Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood.[1]

The proposal, published in 2008, envisaged a rapid transit network using existing or abandoned railway corridors and would have been similar to the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).[2] It was promoted in the context of the Brent Cross Shopping Centre expansion project, a major urban planning scheme that involves the redevelopment of Brent Cross and northern Cricklewood.[3] The stated aim was to alleviate anticipated traffic problems when this development goes ahead.[4][5]

The NWLLR has not been approved or funded.

## Overview

[edit]

The Campaign for Better Transport aimed to reduce CO2 emissions, pollution and cars on the roads. It has said that high-intensity bus services in Brent Cross create more pollution and traffic jams.[6]

### Route

[edit]

The route would have had 34 stations on four lines:[7]

* Ealing Broadway \- Hanger Lane South - West Acton \- Alliance Road - North Acton \- Harlesden \- Craven Park - Taylors Lane - Neasden \- Dudden Hill - Gladstone Park - Edgware Road Brent - Brent Cross West - Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Brent Cross South - Brent Cross
* Park Royal \- Park Royal Central - North Acton \- Harlesden \- Craven Park - Taylors Lane - Neasden \- Brent Park - Tokyngton - Wembley Stadium
* Wembley Stadium \- Tokyngton - Brent Park - Neasden \- Dudding Hill - Gladstone Park - Edgware Road Brent - Brent Cross West - Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Brent Cross South - Brent Cross
* Finchley Road \- West Hampstead \- Mill Lane - Cricklewood \- Brent Cross West - Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Brent Cross West - Hendon \- Kingsbury Road - Colindeep Lane - Colindale \- Grahame Park Way - Copthall - Mill Hill East \- Finchley Central

## Core proposal

[edit]

The freight-only Dudding Hill line, which features in the proposal

The proposal suggested that the service could be light rail, similar to the Docklands Light Railway. The core proposal envisaged a line running east–west across north London from Brent Cross to Park Royal,[5] with extensions to Ealing Broadway and Wembley Stadium, and a new line running north–south from Finchley Central through Brent Cross to Finchley Road.

The routes would have used a combination of existing passenger railway lines, freight lines and disused lines, linked by stretches of new track. The network was to include the Dudding Hill Line, the Ealing Broadway branch of the Central line and freight tracks parallel to the Midland Main Line.[4]

## Political views

[edit]

The current and NWLLR-proposed rail track at North Acton

The proposal had limited support from some local councils, but lacked the funding or support from the Greater London Authority that is necessary to undertake project costings or a feasibility study. The proposal was not supported by the site developers at Brent Cross and relied on changes being made to their plans.[4]

In April 2009, Ealing Council voted to call on Transport for London to look into the proposal and discuss its strategic potential with neighbouring councils.[8] Harrow Council gave its support in principle, but stating that unless Transport for London provided "funding for a feasibility study to examine this proposal ... no more public money should be directed towards this proposal."[9] In 2009 Brian Coleman, the mayor of Barnet and London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden, said "It's not feasible, it won't happen. Ideas like this are thought up by men who probably still have a train set in the attic."[10] Later that year, Barnet Council voted to request the developers to maintain contact with the light rail promoters.[11] In January 2011, Brent Council voted to call on Transport for London to look into the proposal and discuss its strategic potential with neighbouring councils.[12][13] In January 2014, Barnet Council voted that "much-needed orbital rail links should be investigated, routes safeguarded and included in financial planning", but it removed a reference in the original motion to "light-rail".[14]

In April 2019, £320M of funding was approved for a new Brent Cross West station, that would also serve the potential new service.[15]

## Other proposals

[edit]

A similar proposal was put forward by West London Business in 2008 to build a Surbiton-to-Brent Cross underground railway, called the West London Orbital.[16] In 2009, the London Assembly proposed using the Dudding Hill Line section of the route for a new London Overground service.[17] From 2016 a different scheme of the same name was developed by the West London Alliance boroughs, TfL and the GLA. This scheme features in the 2018 Mayor's Transport Strategy.[18]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood Transport briefing material, 2009 onwards
2. ^ Flintoff, John-Paul (17 September 2009). "Orbital rail the solution to city congestion?". The Times. Archived from the original on 25 September 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
3. ^ "Brent Cross Cricklewood - a new Town Centre". Brent Cross Cricklewood Partners. 2009. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
4. ^ a b c "Reducing Car Use: Proposals for a Brent Cross Railway" (PDF). London Campaign for Better Transport. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
5. ^ a b "New rail line needed to tackle traffic at Brent Cross". Campaign for Better Transport. 23 January 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
6. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2011.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
7. ^ "Brent Cross Railway - possible eventual network" (PDF). Campaign for Better Transport. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2011.
8. ^ "Notes Of Council Meeting - 21st April 2009". Ealing Council. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
9. ^ "Minutes of the Meeting of the Council" (PDF). Harrow London Borough Council. 2 April 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
10. ^ Wilkey, Susanna (26 February 2009). "New tramline gathers speed". Hampstead and Highgate Express. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
11. ^ "Decisions of the Planning and Environment Committee". Barnet London Borough Council. 18–19 November 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
12. ^ "Railway for north west London proposed". Willesden and Brent Times. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
13. ^ "Meeting of Council, Monday 24 January 2011 7.00 pm (Item 11.)". Brent Council. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
14. ^ "London Borough of Barnet motion on orbital rail links" (PDF).
15. ^ "Funding for homes and a new railway station in North London". 15 March 2019.
16. ^ "West London Orbital 2008 Update – a summary" (PDF). West London Business. April 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
17. ^ Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood Briefing material on new London Overground service
18. ^ "West London Orbital". Transport for London. Retrieved 3 December 2019.

* v
* t
* e

Rail infrastructure projects in the United Kingdom

Current projects

| Projects|

* Camden Highline
* Camp Hill line
* East West Rail (Oxford to Bedford section)
* High Speed 2
* Northern Hub
* Northern Powerhouse Rail (Hull–Liverpool)
* Northumberland Line
* South Wales Metro
* West Midlands Metro extension to Brierley Hill

|

Electrification|

* Bolton–Wigan
* East Kilbride line
* Kettering–Sheffield
* Welsh Valleys

Stations|

* Beam Park
* Beaulieu Park
* Blyth Bebside
* Bedlington
* Birmingham Curzon Street
* Birmingham Interchange
* Butetown
* Cambridge South
* Darlaston James Bridge
* Kings Heath
* Moseley Village
* Northumberland Park
* Old Oak Common
* Pineapple Road
* White Rose
* Willenhall
* Winslow
* Wixams

Proposed projects

| Projects|

* Aberdare–Hirwaun Line reopening
* Aberdeen Crossrail
* Bakerloo line extension
* Barrow Hill line reopening
* Bristol Airport Rail Link
* Brentford branch line reopening
* Bolton–Bury line reopening
* Bordon Light Railway reopening
* Carmarthen–Aberystwyth line reopening
* Cirencester branch line reopening
* Consett–Newcastle line reopening
* Coventry Very Light Rail
* Cranleigh line reopening
* Crossrail 2 (London)
* Crossrail Glasgow
* Darlaston Loop reopening
* Parts of Electric Spine (including
* Coventry–Leamington Spa
* Coventry–Nuneaton
* Leamington Spa–Aynho Junction)
* Bedford–Cambridge reopening
* Fawley branch line reopening
* Fleetwood branch line reopening
* Formartine and Buchan Railway reopening
* Maid Marian line reopening
* MetroWest (Bristol)
* Hall Farm Curve reopening
* Heathfield Branch Line reopening
* Heathrow Airport transport proposals
* including Heathrow Airtrack
* Heathrow Southern Railway
* Heathwick
* Western Rail Approach to Heathrow
* Leicester–Burton upon Trent line reopening
* Lisburn–Antrim line reopening
* Cowley branch line reopening
* North and West London Light Railway
* Northern Powerhouse Rail
* North Wales Metro
* Oxford, Witney and Fairford Railway reopening
* Ringwood branch line reopening
* R25 Orbital
* Skelmersdale branch reopening
* Skipton–Colne Rail Link
* Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway reopening
* South Staffordshire line reopening
* Southern Crossrail
* St Andrews Rail Link
* Sutton Link
* Sutton Park line reopening
* Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro
* Walsall–Wolverhampton line reopening
* Wealden Line (Uckfield–Lewes reopening)
* West London Orbital
* Wisbech line reopening
* Windsor Link Railway
* York–Beverley line reopening

|

Stations|

* Armagh
* Allandale
* Aldergrove
* Aldridge
* Arthington
* Ashley Hill
* Ashton Gate
* Balgray railway station
* Balsall Heath
* Barcombe Mills
* Beechwood
* Beeston Castle and Tarporley
* Bonnybridge
* Bordon
* Bradford St James
* Bramley
* Broughton (Flintshire)
* Brownhills
* Brentford Golden Mile
* Brinsford Parkway
* Burgess Park
* Caerleon
* Camberwell
* Cambourne (Cambridgeshire)
* Canterbury Parkway
* Cardiff Parkway
* Carno
* Carr Mill
* Carterton
* Castlethorpe
* Castle Bromwich
* Castle Green
* Charfield
* Cheadle
* Chipping Sodbury
* Claydon
* Cottam Parkway
* Corsham
* Cranleigh
* Cross Hills
* Crwys Road
* Cullompton
* Cwm
* Dalston
* Deeside Parkway
* Devizes Parkway
* Ditton
* Drake Street
* East Midlands Hub
* Eastriggs
* Edwinstowe
* Elland
* Eynsham
* Errol
* Ferryhill
* Finningley
* Fleetwood
* Fort Parkway
* Fraserburgh
* Gabalfa
* Glasgow Airport
* Glasgow Cross
* Glencarse
* Gloucestershire Parkway
* Gorbals
* Greenfield (Flintshire)
* Hatch End
* Haxby
* Heathrow Hub
* Heathfield
* Henbury
* Hirwaun
* Horfield
* Horsforth Woodside
* Hythe
* Hythe Road
* Isfield
* King's Road Chelsea
* Ladbroke Grove
* Langport and Somerton
* Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway
* Leeds New Lane
* Liverpool Baltic
* Lisburn West
* Llanwern
* Long Ashton
* Maiden Lane
* Manchester Airport High Speed
* March Elm Road
* Meir
* Monkerton
* Moorside
* Mouldon Hill
* Newbiggin-by-the-Sea
* Newport West
* Newport West Central
* Newton Longville
* North Filton
* Okehampton Interchange
* Old Kent Road
* Old Oak Common Lane
* Oxford Science Park
* Oxford Business Park
* Ollerton
* Park Farm
* Pelsall
* Peterhead
* Pill
* Portishead
* Portobello
* Poyle
* Richhill
* Roseberry Parkway
* Rugby Parkway
* Rushden Parkway
* Saltford
* Sharnal Street / Hoo
* Silvertown
* Skelmersdale
* Slattocks
* St Anne's Park
* St Clears
* Stanley Park
* Stockingford
* Stonehouse (Bristol Road)
* Surrey Canal
* Thamesmead
* Templepatrick
* Tempsford
* Thornhill (Dumfries)
* Thornton
* Thorpe Park
* Torquay Gateway
* Town Meadow
* Vauxhall (Merseyside)
* Wantage Road
* Warsop
* Waverley
* Weedon
* Wellington
* Windsor Royal
* Witney
* Wixams
* Woodchurch
* Woodhorn
* Wootton Bassett
* Wormit
* Wrexham North
* Wrexham South

Heritage railways|

* Don Valley Railway
* Norfolk Orbital Railway
* Wisbech and March Bramley Line
* Honeybourne Line

Cancelled projects

| Projects|

* Advanced Passenger Train
* Bordesley to Birmingham Curzon Street
* Cardiff to Swansea electrification
* Central Line extension to Richmond
* Central Line Extension to Denham
* Chessington branch line (never completed)
* Cranbrook and Tenterden Light Railway
* Cromarty and Dingwall Light Railway
* Croxley Rail Link
* Docklands Light Railway extension to Dagenham Dock
* Dawlish Avoiding Line
* Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway (never completed)
* East Sussex Light Railway
* Edinburgh Airport Rail Link
* Electric Spine
* Oxford-Bletchley/Bedford Electrification
* Glasgow Airport Rail Link
* Hawkhurst branch line (never completed)
* Hebridean Light Railway Company
* Heathrow Airport transport proposals
* Heathrow Airtrack
* HS4Air
* Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway
* Highclere, Kingsclere and Basingstoke Light Railway
* InterCity 250
* Kingsbridge to Salcombe
* Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway (never completed)
* Leeds and York Railway
* Mid-Suffolk Light Railway (never completed)
* Nightstar (train)
* North Holderness Light Railway
* Ouse Valley Railway
* Picc-Vic tunnel
* Regional Eurostar
* Robertsbridge & Pevensey Light Railway
* St Germans & Looe Railway (never completed)
* Superlink (railway network)
* Tees Valley Metro
* UK Ultraspeed
* York and North Midland Railway (Leeds Extension)
* York, Hull and East and West Yorkshire Junction Railway

|

Stations|

* Barrhead (New)
* Brierdene
* Cassiobridge
* Collywell Bay
* Crowlands
* Doncaster Sheffield Airport
* Doncaster (York Road)
* Dykebar
* Ferguslie
* Glenfield
* Lullingstone
* Paisley East
* Queens Road (GER)
* Richboro Port
* Stanely
* Swithland
* Sykehouse
* Thorpe-in-Balne
* Watford Vicarage Road
* West Hampstead interchange
* Woodhorn

* Proposed projects category
* Cancelled projects category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

UK light rail systems

Tramways|

| Current|

* Blackpool Tramway
* Edinburgh Trams
* London Trams
* Manchester Metrolink
* Nottingham Express Transit
* South Yorkshire Supertram
* West Midlands Metro

|

Proposed|

* Coventry Very Light Rail
* South Wales Metro
* Sutton Link
* West Yorkshire
* Wirral Street Car

Cancelled|

* Abbey Line
* Bristol Supertram
* CITI Belfast
* Cross River Tram
* Leeds Supertram
* Merseytram
* Penistone Line Tram-Train
* West London Tram

Metro|

| Current|

* Docklands Light Railway
* Glasgow Subway
* Tyne and Wear Metro

|

Proposed|

* North and West London Light Railway
* West London Orbital

People mover|

* Birmingham Air-Rail Link
* Gatwick Airport Shuttle Transit
* Heathrow Terminal 5 Transit
* Stansted Airport Transit System
* Luton DART

Preserved|

* Beamish Museum
* Black Country Living Museum
* East Anglia Transport Museum
* Great Orme Tramway
* Heaton Park Tramway
* National Tramway Museum
* Seaton Tramway
* Summerlee Museum
* Telford steam tram
* Wirral Transport Museum
* Wirral Tramway

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