London railway line unused for 100+ years could be brought back to life | UK News

Londoners could see a new extension of the overground on a stretch of railway track unused for more than 100 years.

The Dudding Hill loop runs from Acton to Cricklewood, and is currently only used by freight trains, but TfL has proposed using the tracks to ease ‘congestion’ in west London.

If the plans are approved, it could be used by more than 11 million people per year, according to TfL estimates.

But the Dudding Hill loop hasn’t been used since 1902, when it was closed due to low demand.

Brent Council member Shama Tatler told BBC the extension was a ‘no brainer’.

She said: ‘The investment isn’t as big as other projects as the line is already there, so it wouldn’t mean huge upheaval for residents and businesses and it means that we can actually invest with the private sector, public money as well.

‘The land isn’t public, so we need private investors to come and support our ambitions here.’

TfL estimates if funding is approved, services using the new loop could begin in the early 2030s.

Dudding Hill station initially opened on August 3, 1875, but closed its doors in 1902 after making just under £2,000 in its final year of operations.

If reinstated, the pre-existing tracks would cut funding needed to open the loop in half, meaning the new route could be operational sooner than we think.

In 2022, however, Mayor Sadiq Khan said that works on the new line would need to be funded by the boroughs the line runs through.

It comes as days ago, a uniquely reimagined Tube map left many Londoners baffled.

The map is a circular shape with the colourful Tube lines in concurrent circles.

It’s all come about because Samsung has partnered with Transport for London (TfL) to promote the new Circle to Search feature on the Galaxy S24 phone.

And the result is a newly imagined design of the map for the first time in 90 years.

It also has many features of the map we see across the Tube network, including signs showing stations that are accessible, National Rail stations symbolised by the train track icon, a section of the River Thames, and the boat logo indicating London River Services.

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