London Orbital Rail

London Orbital Rail: linking London's railways and airports

An elevated light railway along the M25, M23, M1 and M11, connecting London's railways and airports to each other. Conceived in the 1990s.

Get in touch Publications and talks

The idea

Change lines without coming into London

The project was conceived in the 1990s, when the route for HS1 was being debated. At first it was seen simply as a means of linking together all the railway lines coming into, and out of, London, so that passengers need not come into central London to change between one line and another. That would be convenient, and it would reduce congestion on existing trains and on the Underground.

Given the poor connectivity of airports, airline pilot Peter Buckley proposed that the project should also link not just Heathrow, already on the M25, but London's other airports, to the railways and to each other, using the M23, M1 and M11 as well as the M25 corridors, with an elevated light rail similar to Skytrain in Vancouver or the DLR in London. ITSL Consultancy Ltd was formed to take the project forward; it was first known as LARTS, the London Air Rail Transit System.

Why elevated, and why sustainable

Brown land along the motorway margins

The route uses 'brown land' along the spare margin of the M25, M23, M1 and M11: it avoids 'green' land, uses routes that are already polluted and noisy, and avoids any demolition of existing buildings.

Being elevated lets the system negotiate obstacles, and in particular cross a motorway like the M25 where widening has removed the 10m margin that was once on either side. It also lets the light rail connect with existing stations by sitting above them, or alongside them where there is space, so the system is totally separate from, and does not interfere with, the existing railway lines.

The railway would substantially reduce the number of vehicles, and the pollution, on the western sector of the M25.

Phases

Built in stages, from Staines outwards

Phase One has been supported by Spelthorne Borough Council as a means of helping regenerate Staines.

SLR, Phase One: Waterloo to Heathrow via Staines
Southern Light Rail links Waterloo to Heathrow with a spur off the main M25 route to Staines-upon-Thames. Journey time 7 minutes, on a train every 6 minutes during the day and less often after 11pm.
Heathrow to Gatwick express
The next phase creates a 31-minute express connection between Heathrow and Gatwick, four times an hour, with a stopping service for the stations in between.
The full orbit
Connecting London's railways, airports and major highways to each other, with park and ride and bus hubs where the motorways and main A roads join the M25.

Journey times from Heathrow Terminal 5

The stations that can be connected, and the total journey time to each from T5.

Express non-stop services
To	Time
Gatwick Airport	31 mins
Luton Airport	32 mins
Stansted	57 mins *
Southend Airport	59 mins

* Light rail from T5 to Waltham Cross, then change onto the Stansted Express.

Stopping services
To	Time
Staines	7 mins
Byfleet & New Haw	11 mins
Leatherhead	24 mins
Merstham	31 mins
Oxted	38 mins
Sevenoaks (Dunton Green)	47 mins
Swanley	60 mins
Dartford	66 mins
Bluewater	54 mins
Ebbsfleet	57 mins
Iver	6 mins
Kings Langley	19 mins
Potters Bar	32 mins
Waltham Cross	38 mins
Brentwood	52 mins
Upminster	56 mins
Lakeside	62 mins
West Thurrock	64 mins
Grays	67 mins
Tilbury	69 mins

Automated, 24 hours

Passengers by day, air freight by night

The elevated light rail will be fully automated and would run 24 hours a day: airport staff and passengers need to travel early and late.

As well as passenger carriages, the system has freight wagons designed to take containers into cargo areas and so into the holds of planes. The freight operation would run mainly at night and at other times when there are fewer passengers.

The route and the guideway

Images of the proposed guideway and routes. The guideway image was created by Olivier Demangel; the Staines to T5 image is by Paul Maynard, who also made the project's 4-minute video.

Render of the proposed elevated guideway along the margin of the M25 with two trains passing — The proposed guideway along the margin of the M25, two three-carriage trains about to pass. Image by Olivier Demangel.

Render of the elevated light rail running beside a motorway — The elevated light rail on the spare margin beside the motorway.

Render of the light rail from Staines running into Heathrow Terminal 5, with a park and ride and bus hub between — From Staines into T5, with a park and ride and bus hub between. Image by Paul Maynard.

Map of the London Orbital Rail route and its connections around the M25 — The proposed route and connections of London Orbital Rail round the M25.

Map of the proposed SLR route between the Heathrow terminals and Staines-upon-Thames — Phase One: the SLR route between the Heathrow terminals and Staines-upon-Thames.

Map of the proposed route between Heathrow and Gatwick through Surrey — The route between Heathrow and Gatwick: a non-stop express and a stopping service.

Where it has been presented

Talks, a leaflet and a video

The elevated light rail has been presented to local authorities, central government, MPs and engineers, transport planners, lawyers and property companies.

Having written the text, we commissioned a five-page fold-out leaflet on the proposal from the graphic designers Small Back Room. A 4-minute video by Paul Maynard shows the proposed guideway along the margin of the M25, with two three-carriage trains about to pass.

Publications and talks