North and West London Light Railway
Encyclopedia
The North and West London Light Railway (NWLLR), formerly proposed-named as Brent Cross Railway, is a potential light rail
service proposed by the London
group of the Campaign for Better Transport, intended to serve parts of north, northwest and west London, being similar to the Docklands Light Railway
(DLR). The proposal for a rapid transit
network using existing or abandoned railway corridors was published in 2008.
The proposal has been promoted in the context of the Brent Cross
Shopping Centre expansion project, a major urban planning scheme which involves the redevelopment of Brent Cross and northern Cricklewood
. The stated aim of the NWLLR proposal is to alleviate anticipated traffic problems when this development goes ahead.
The NWLLR remains at the proposal stage and has not been approved or funded.
system, similar to the Docklands Light Railway
. The core proposal envisages a line running east-west across north London suburbs from to . The group also advocates further extensions to and , and a new line running north-south from through Brent Cross to .
The routes would use a combination of existing railway lines, freight lines and disused lines, linked by stretches of new track. The proposal document suggests the network could include the Dudding Hill Line
, the branch of the Central Line
and freight tracks which currently run parallel to the Midland Main Line
.
to build a Surbiton
-to-Brent Cross
railway, called the West London Orbital underground railway route. A Fastbus
limited-stop bus service from North Acton
to Wembley Park
is also proposed from other companies.
that is necessary to undertake project costings or a feasibility study. The proposal is not supported by the site developers at Brent Cross and relies on changes being made to their plans.
In April 2009 Ealing London Borough Council
passed a resolution to support the proposal in principle and to discuss with neighbouring councils "its strategic potential for supporting new developments and orbital travel." Harrow London Borough Council
gave its support in principle, 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." 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." Later that year, Barnet London Borough Council
voted to request the developers to maintain contact with the light rail promoters.
In January 2011 Brent London Borough Council
passed a resolution to effectively support the proposal in principle.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
service proposed by the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
group of the Campaign for Better Transport, intended to serve parts of north, northwest and west London, being similar to the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
(DLR). The proposal for a rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
network using existing or abandoned railway corridors was published in 2008.
The proposal has been promoted in the context of the Brent Cross
Brent Cross
Brent Cross is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Barnet. It is located near the A41 Brent Cross Flyover over the A406 North Circular Road. Brent Cross is best known for its shopping centre and the proposed Brent Cross Cricklewood development....
Shopping Centre expansion project, a major urban planning scheme which involves the redevelopment of Brent Cross and northern Cricklewood
Cricklewood
Cricklewood is a district of North London, England whose northeastern part is in the London Borough of Barnet, western part is the London Borough of Brent and southeastern part is in London Borough of Camden.-History:...
. The stated aim of the NWLLR proposal is to alleviate anticipated traffic problems when this development goes ahead.
The NWLLR remains at the proposal stage and has not been approved or funded.
Overview
The Campaign for Better Transport is aiming to reduce CO2 emissions, pollution and cars on the roads. The campaign have also said that high-intensity bus services in Brent Cross create more pollution and traffic jams.Route
It is proposed that the NWLLR route will have 34 stations on 4 lines:- Ealing BroadwayEaling Broadway stationEaling Broadway is an east-west National Rail and London Underground station in Ealing in west London. The station is located in Haven Green , at the termination of The Broadway, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-Services:...
- Hanger Lane South - West ActonWest Acton tube stationWest Acton is a London Underground station between Ealing Broadway and North Acton on the Ealing Broadway branch of the Central Line, and is its only intermediate station. The station is a Grade II listed building. It is in Travelcard Zone 3. The station is close to North Ealing tube station on the...
- Alliance Road - North ActonNorth Acton tube stationNorth Acton tube station is in North Acton, west London in the London Borough of Ealing. The station is on the Central line of the London Underground, between East Acton and Hanger Lane...
- HarlesdenHarlesden stationHarlesden station is a Network Rail station on Acton Lane in north London, served by London Overground and by London Underground Bakerloo line trains. The railway line here is the border between the Harlesden and Stonebridge residential area in the east, and the Park Royal industrial estate to the...
- Craven Park - Taylors Lane - NeasdenNeasden tube stationNeasden Underground station is a London Underground station in Neasden. It is on the Jubilee Line, between Wembley Park and Dollis Hill. Metropolitan Line trains pass through the station but do not stop, except on rare occasions...
- Dudden Hill - Gladstone Park - Edgware Road Brent - Brent Cross Thameslink - Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Brent Cross South - Brent CrossBrent Cross tube stationBrent Cross tube station is a London Underground station located on Highfield Avenue in the Golders Green area of north west London. The station is a Grade II listed building.... - Park RoyalPark RoyalPark Royal is an area in northwest London, UK. It is the largest industrial and business park in London, occupying about , and is promoted commercially by the Park Royal Partnership...
- Park Royal Central - North ActonNorth Acton tube stationNorth Acton tube station is in North Acton, west London in the London Borough of Ealing. The station is on the Central line of the London Underground, between East Acton and Hanger Lane...
- HarlesdenHarlesden stationHarlesden station is a Network Rail station on Acton Lane in north London, served by London Overground and by London Underground Bakerloo line trains. The railway line here is the border between the Harlesden and Stonebridge residential area in the east, and the Park Royal industrial estate to the...
- Craven Park - Taylors Lane - NeasdenNeasden tube stationNeasden Underground station is a London Underground station in Neasden. It is on the Jubilee Line, between Wembley Park and Dollis Hill. Metropolitan Line trains pass through the station but do not stop, except on rare occasions...
- Brent Park - Tokyngton - Wembley StadiumWembley Stadium railway stationWembley Stadium railway station is a Network Rail station in Wembley, Greater London on the Chiltern Main Line. At a quarter of a mile south west of the sports venue it is the nearest station to Wembley Stadium.- First Wembley Stadium station:... - Wembley StadiumWembley Stadium railway stationWembley Stadium railway station is a Network Rail station in Wembley, Greater London on the Chiltern Main Line. At a quarter of a mile south west of the sports venue it is the nearest station to Wembley Stadium.- First Wembley Stadium station:...
- Tokyngton - Brent Park - NeasdenNeasden tube stationNeasden Underground station is a London Underground station in Neasden. It is on the Jubilee Line, between Wembley Park and Dollis Hill. Metropolitan Line trains pass through the station but do not stop, except on rare occasions...
- Dudden Hill - Gladstone Park - Edgware Road Brent - Brent Cross Thameslink - Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Brent Cross South - Brent CrossBrent Cross tube stationBrent Cross tube station is a London Underground station located on Highfield Avenue in the Golders Green area of north west London. The station is a Grade II listed building.... - Finchley RoadFinchley Road tube stationFinchley Road tube station is a London Underground station at the corner of Finchley Road and Canfield Gardens in the London Borough of Camden, North London. It is on the Jubilee Line, between West Hampstead and Swiss Cottage and on the Metropolitan Line between Baker Street and Wembley Park. It is...
- West HampsteadWest Hampstead tube stationWest Hampstead tube station is a London Underground Jubilee line station in West Hampstead. It is on West End Lane between Broadhurst Gardens and Blackburn Road and is in Travelcard Zone 2. It lies between Kilburn and Finchley Road tube stations...
- Mill Lane - CricklewoodCricklewood railway stationCricklewood railway station is in the London Borough of Barnet in North London. The station lies on the north-south Midland Main Line where it crosses Cricklewood Lane. It is served by First Capital Connect services as part of the Thameslink service...
- Brent Cross Thameslink - Brent Cross Shopping Centre - Brent Cross West - HendonHendon railway stationHendon railway station is a National Rail station situated to the west of Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet in North London, at .The station lies on the north-south Midland Main Line and is served by First Capital Connect trains as part of the Thameslink Line service...
- Kingsbury Road - Colindeep Lane - ColindaleColindale tube stationColindale tube station is a London Underground station in Colindale, a suburb of north London. The station is on the north-south Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Burnt Oak and Hendon Central stations, and in Travelcard Zone 4.-History:...
- Grahame Park Way - Copthall - Mill Hill EastMill Hill East tube stationMill Hill East tube station is a London Underground station in Mill Hill in North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, and is the terminus, and only station, of a branch from Finchley Central station...
- Finchley CentralFinchley Central tube stationFinchley Central tube station is a London Underground station in the Church End area of Finchley, North London.The station is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern line, between West Finchley and East Finchley stations and is the junction for the short branch to Mill Hill East station...
Core proposal
The Campaign for Better Transport proposal suggests that the service could be a light railLight rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system, similar to the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
. The core proposal envisages a line running east-west across north London suburbs from to . The group also advocates further extensions to and , and a new line running north-south from through Brent Cross to .
The routes would use a combination of existing railway lines, freight lines and disused lines, linked by stretches of new track. The proposal document suggests the network could include the Dudding Hill Line
Dudding Hill Line
The Dudding Hill Line is a railway line in north-west London running from Acton to Cricklewood. The line has no scheduled passenger service, no stations, no electrification, and a 30 mph speed limit with semaphore signalling, and is lightly used by freight and very occasional passenger charter...
, the branch of the Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
and freight tracks which currently run parallel to the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
.
Other proposals
There is a similar proposal from the West London BusinessWest London Business
West London Business is a Chamber of Commerce organisation representing and promoting business in west London. It represents business and enterprise with any commercial focus across the six 'West London Alliance' boroughs:* Brent* Ealing...
to build a Surbiton
Surbiton
Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
-to-Brent Cross
Brent Cross
Brent Cross is an area of north London, in the London Borough of Barnet. It is located near the A41 Brent Cross Flyover over the A406 North Circular Road. Brent Cross is best known for its shopping centre and the proposed Brent Cross Cricklewood development....
railway, called the West London Orbital underground railway route. A Fastbus
FASTBUS
FASTBUS is a computer bus standard, originally intended to replace CAMAC in high-speed, large-scale data acquisition.- Description :...
limited-stop bus service from North Acton
North Acton
North Acton is a place in West London, UK. It is part of Acton and on the edge of the industrial district of Park Royal. It is located in the London Borough of Ealing.-Commercial activity:...
to Wembley Park
Wembley Park
Wembley Park is an area of northwest London, UK. It is part of Wembley, and located in the London Borough of Brent. It includes Wembley Stadium, England's primary football stadium and a major sports and entertainment venue, and Wembley Arena, a concert venue...
is also proposed from other companies.
Political views
The proposal has limited support from some local councils, but lacks the funding or support from the Greater London AuthorityGreater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
that is necessary to undertake project costings or a feasibility study. The proposal is not supported by the site developers at Brent Cross and relies on changes being made to their plans.
In April 2009 Ealing London Borough Council
London Borough of Ealing
The London Borough of Ealing is a borough in west London.-Location:The London Borough of Ealing borders the London Borough of Hillingdon to the west, the London Borough of Harrow and the London Borough of Brent to the north, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham to the east and the London...
passed a resolution to support the proposal in principle and to discuss with neighbouring councils "its strategic potential for supporting new developments and orbital travel." Harrow London Borough Council
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of north-west London. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and other London boroughs: Hillingdon to the west, Ealing to the south, Brent to the south-east and Barnet to the east.-History:...
gave its support in principle, stating that unless Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
provided "funding for a feasibility study to examine this proposal ... no more public money should be directed towards this proposal." In 2009 Brian Coleman
Brian Coleman
Brian Coleman FRSA is a Conservative Party politician and member of the London Assembly for Barnet and Camden, England. He is a Councillor in the London Borough of Barnet, and was Mayor for 2009-2010....
, the mayor of Barnet and London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden
Barnet and Camden (London Assembly constituency)
Barnet and Camden is a constituency represented in the London Assembly. It has been represented since its creation in 2000 by Brian Coleman, a Conservative from Barnet....
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." Later that year, Barnet London Borough Council
Barnet London Borough Council
Barnet London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Barnet in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Barnet is divided into 21 wards, each electing three councillors...
voted to request the developers to maintain contact with the light rail promoters.
In January 2011 Brent London Borough Council
London Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
passed a resolution to effectively support the proposal in principle.
External links
- Brent Cross campaign page - Campaign for Better Transport