North and West London Light Railway

North & West London Light Railway
Proposed route
Finchley Central Mill Hill East Copthall Grahame Park Way Colindale Colindeep Lane Kingsbury Road Hendon Brent Cross West Brent Cross Brent Cross South Brent Cross Shopping Centre Brent Cross Thameslink Cricklewood Mill Lane West Hampstead Finchley Road Edgware Road Brent Gladstone Park Dudden Hill Wembley Stadium Tokyngton Brent Park Neasden Taylors Lane Craven Park Harlesden North Acton Park Royal Court Park Royal Alliance Road West Acton Hanger Lane South Ealing Broadway
Connecting line details Grahame Park Way Copthall Northern line to Edgware Mill Hill East Colindale Northern line to High Barnet Finchley Central Colindeep Lane Northern line High Barnet Branch Kingsbury Road Midland Main Line Hendon Hendon Central Brent Cross West Brent Cross Brent Cross South Northern line Edgware branch Midland Main Line Brent Cross Shopping Centre Chiltern Main Line Brent Cross Thameslink Wembley Stadium Tokyngton Edgware Road Brent Brent Park London–Aylesbury line Metropolitan & Jubilee lines Gladstone Park Dudden Hill Neasden Cricklewood North London line Mill Lane 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   Acton–Northolt line Central line   North London line North Acton Alliance Road Piccadilly line Park Royal Court Acton–Northolt line Central line West Acton Park Royal Great Western main line District & Piccadilly lines Hanger Lane South Ealing Broadway Great Western main line

The North and West London Light Railway (NWLLR), formerly known as the Brent Cross Railway, is a light rail service proposed by the London group of the Campaign for Better Transport and by the Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood,^[1] to serve parts of north, northwest and west London, being similar to the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).^[2] 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 that involves the redevelopment of Brent Cross and northern Cricklewood.^[3] The stated aim is to alleviate anticipated traffic problems when this development goes ahead.^[4][5]

The NWLLR has not been approved or funded.

Overview

The CBT is aiming 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]

Core proposal

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

The proposal suggests that the service could be light rail, similar to the Docklands Light Railway. The core proposal envisages 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 use a combination of existing passenger railway lines, freight lines and disused lines, linked by stretches of new track. The network could include the Dudding Hill Line, the Ealing Broadway branch of the Central line and freight tracks parallel to the Midland Main Line.^[4]

Other proposals

There is a similar proposal from the West London Business to build a Surbiton-to-Brent Cross railway, called the West London Orbital underground railway route.^[8] A Fastbus limited-stop bus service from North Acton to Wembley Park is proposed by other companies.

There have been proposals to use the Dudding Hill Line section of the route for a new London Overground service.^[9]

Political views

The current and NWLLR-proposed rail track at North Acton

The proposal has limited support from some local councils, but lacks the funding or support from the Greater London Authority 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.^[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.^[10] 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."^[11] 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."^[12] Later that year, Barnet Council voted to request the developers to maintain contact with the light rail promoters.^[13] 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.^[14][15] 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".^[16]

References

External links

• Brent Cross campaign page - Campaign for Better Transport