New rail station planned for Lionel Road, beside Brentford Gtech Stadium

West London Orbital route; graphics TfL

Lionel Road one of four new stations planned for the new passenger service as part of West London Orbital rail link

A new rail station at Lionel Road, beside Brentford FC’s Gtech stadium, is one of four new stations Transport for London is proposing to build as part of the West London Orbital link.

TfL has launched a public consultation on the plans for the new rail service which it intends will use existing, underused rail lines in west London on a route between Hendon in north London towards Hounslow in the southwest.

The West London Orbital service would create a new 18.5km overground passenger route connecting to 10 new and existing Tube, London Overground, rail and National Rail services as well as the Elizabeth line and future HS2.

The four new stations are proposed at Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common Lane and Lionel Road.

‘These locations were chosen because they support major growth areas, allow easy access to other rail and Tube services and would help support and connect new homes and jobs’, says TfL.

‘The Lionel Road station would serve the growing area around the Great West Road and the Gtech Community Stadium.

‘The entrance to the station would be from Lionel Road South and from a station square planned to be delivered as part of the adjacent Brentford Works development. There would be two platforms, between this development and the stadium’.

The station would be around 300 metres (a three to five minute walk) from Kew Bridge National Rail station, from which South Western Railway operates services to and from London Waterloo and Surrey.

Golden Mile vision for future neighbourhoods and gathering places; graphic – Golden Mile London

West London Orbital and Lionel Road station key to development of Great West Road area

The West London Orbital and Lionel Road station are central to the ambition to develop the Great West Road as the world’s largest creative tech innovation district, launched by a business consortium at Brentford FC in February.

“Golden Mile London is amongst the most exciting projects happening in the capital”, said Rob Tincknell, CEO and founder of the Areli Group of developers, at the launch.

“The 450-acre zone is already one the largest creative districts in the city with a turnover more than half all the other creative enterprise zones put together.

“The new vision has brought together local government, business and developers to build on the 100-year legacy of future facing enterprise to establish the Golden Mile as the World’s leading Creative Technology Innovation District and become a great place to live and work.”

READ ALSO: Vision for the development of the Golden Mile launched at Brentford FC

In effect, development of the corridor of land around the A4 between Chiswick Business Park and the Sky campus in Osterley will become a new town potentially creating 14,000 new homes and 25,000 new jobs.

Old Oak – HS2 station taking shape

The new station at Old Oak Common will similarly service a new west London town, with up to 25,000 new homes, shops, restaurants, and a new park beside the Grand Union Canal, being built in conjunction with HS2, the new high speed railway link connecting London and Birmingham.

READ ALSO: Old Oak – a whole new town planned for west London

Kew Bridge rail station

Will a new station relieve the pressure on Gunnersbury tube station and Kew Bridge rail station?

A new station at Lionel Road should relieve some of the pressure on the exiting Gunnersbury tube and Kew rail stations, which have become a lot busier since the Brentford FC stadium opened.

The football club now also wants to put on concerts in the summer period when there is no football, which would attract bigger audiences than the football matches. Their planning application acknowledges that around 4,000 concert goers would be expected to leave by Kew Bridge station, with a queue of up to 1,800 people that may take an hour to clear.

READ ALSO: Strand on the Green residents ask for ‘robust and enforceable’ rules for Brentford FC’s new live music events

Although a new station would give TfL the capacity to handle a greater volume of travellers, the planners also have to take into consideration the travel options of the thousands more people the developers plan to house in east Brentford over the next 15 years or so.

And they have to consider the impact of changes on the existing population.

Bollo Lane level crossing

Plans to close three level crossings

As part of the consultation process TfL has highlighted plans to close three level crossings – two in Acton and one in Isleworth, which would radically alter the residential areas around them.

READ ALSO: Plans for West London Orbital rail link would close level crossings in Acton

The first consultation on the proposals is now live and will run for eight weeks until 18 November 2026.

West London Orbital consultation survey

TfL says: ‘It is important to note that if the scheme progresses, further consultations and engagement will take place’.