Freight line seen as a priority for shuttle service

THE LAST TIME A PASSENGER TRAIN USED THE LINE WAS 80 YEARS AGO

A FOUR-MILE single-track railway line in west London used only by freight trains and devoid of almost any signalling has been named as ‘number one’ priority to re-open to passenger trains by a leading public transport campaign group.

The Brentford to Southall branch line is the only line to be categorised as a ‘number one’ priority by the Campaign for Better Transport, which argues a shuttle train service from a new station near the Great West Road would help support both the growth of the local area and improve connectivity thanks to the Elizabeth line at Southall.

The last time a passenger train used the line was 80 years ago, in 1942.

The re-opening is also supported by Hounslow Council, which has been eyeing up a potential site for a new station on Transport Avenue, which would be within sight of the Sky Studios campus, a source of thousands of jobs for the local area.

Were passenger services to be introduced, the Great West Road area could be just 20 minutes from Heathrow or 30 minutes from Bond Street by train, with just one change to the Elizabeth line at Southall.

Norman Baker, from Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Re-opening a disused rail line can transform an area, boosting the local economy, creating better places to live and reducing carbon emissions.

“Where there is an existing freight line, like in the case of the Brentford to Southall line, re-opening it to passenger services can provide immediate social, economic and environmental benefits to the local area.”

The route, which passes behind Ealing Hospital, although no plans for an additional station are planned there, would help relieve bus route 195 which is the current public transport link across the area.

The area is largely split up thanks to the M4 motorway, Grand Union Canal and Boston Manor Park, which all form barriers for people attempting to make orbital journeys between the boroughs of Hillingdon, Ealing and Hounslow.

Electrifying the line would be complicated due to the Three Bridges scheduled monument it passes under, although battery trains could be used as is intended for its sister branch line at West Ealing.

Hounslow Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for climate, environment and transport strategy, Cllr Kathrine Dunne, said: “The council is delighted that the Campaign for Better Transport report has recognised that the re-opening of railway lines for passenger use can have many benefits, and that a new approach is needed to ensure these schemes can be delivered.

“Re-opening the Brentford to Southall rail line to passengers is one of the key components in our transport strategy and would provide a direct and convenient connection from Brentford to the Elizabeth Line.

“This would support the provision of new jobs and housing in the Great West Corridor Opportunity Area, which is identified as a major growth area in the London Plan.

“The council is actively working with partners to develop the scheme, taking into account in the current economic climate to ensure a viable scheme can be delivered to complement the proposed new development.”

The Brentford to Southall Line