Wednesday, 30 September 2026

List of Current London Transport Projects (September 2026) — And Why They Take So Long

Following a post on X (formerly Twitter) that went viral with hundreds of likes, I have put together a dedicated summary of the latest updates.


A recent Freedom of Information request responded to by Transport for London (TfL) has revealed current progress across major London infrastructure projects, highlighting how some long-anticipated schemes, such as Crossrail 2, are now not expected to reach completion until the early 2050s.

Below is the completed status table derived from TfL’s official response:
Request ID: FOI-2124-2627
Date published: 29 September 2026

1. Firstly, would you mind completing this table kindly as far as you know about (included potential non-TfL stations like Beam Park which TfL is partly funding too).

Project Name Current Status (Sep 2026) Next Steps Next Consultation Estimated Opening (as of 2026)
Beam Park GLA-led (non-TfL) — — —
Surrey Canal Road /
New Bermondsey		 Concept design complete (July); entered detailed design phase. Complete detailed design; secure remaining delivery funding. None required Unfunded; no estimated delivery date.
Castle Green /
Renwick Road		 Feasibility design complete. On hold pending funding. Further design, public consultation, and planning (once resumed). N/A (subject to funding) N/A (subject to funding, planning & consultation)
Thames Wharf Feasibility complete (July); in concept design led by developer with TfL. Complete concept design; secure delivery funding. None required Unfunded; no estimated delivery date.
Old Oak Common Stations Mildmay Line: Single option selection complete; paused (safeguarded via WLO).

Elizabeth Line: HS2-led. Constructing station, bus interchange, 6 HS2 platforms, and 8 surface platforms for GW/Elizabeth line trains. 		Mildmay Line: Needs priority status and funding to progress.

Elizabeth Line: N/A 		Mildmay Line: N/A

Elizabeth Line: N/A 		Mildmay Line: N/A

Elizabeth Line: 2029–2033 (per May 2023 Ministerial Statement on HS2 Reset).
Bakerloo Line Extension Finalising feasibility design and confirming Single Preferred Option. Confirm Single Preferred Option, run public consultation, begin concept design, and prepare TWAO submission. 2027 2040 (subject to funding, planning & consultation)
West London Orbital Feasibility design complete; currently in single option selection. Complete option selection; decide on TWAO application by end of 2027. Sep–Nov 2026 2030s
Elizabeth Line /
Crossrail 2		 — Elizabeth Line: Awaiting response on 2021 Strategic Outline Business Case.

Crossrail 2: Analysing growth issues along corridor (concluding autumn 2026). 		N/A Early 2030s
DLR Extension Concept design (pre-planning). Submit TWAO application in early 2027. 2027/28 TWAO process (3rd consultation held summer 2026) 2030s (subject to TWAO approval & delivery model)
Northern City Line Takeover Discussing potential service devolution with DfT. Continue DfT discussions, including cost-benefit analysis. None TBC

2. With the rollout of the new Piccadilly Line trains due to start in the next 9 months, I wanted to ask what is the status of bringing new trains to the other 3 Lines that are also a part of TfL's New Tube for London (NTfL) programme along with the Piccadilly equally: Bakerloo, Central & Waterloo & City lines...and when does TfL currently estimate that these 3 lines will also have 100% of their rolling stock replaced by new trains as part of NTfL besides the Piccadilly?

We have options in our contract with Siemens for the Bakerloo, Central and Waterloo & City lines. In line with our Business Plan, we are making progress towards the upgrade of the Bakerloo line which would see the introduction of new trains in the early 2030’s, subject to final funding confirmation given the programme spans a number of years and beyond the current TfL Business Plan period. For the Central and Waterloo & City lines, no decision has been made on whether to replace those fleets. We are currently investing over £450m to life extend the current 92 Train Stock as part of our Central Line Improvement Programme.

3. What is TfL's estimate for having Automatic Train Operation on the Bakerloo, Piccadilly, Waterloo & City lines, as well as the 4 Lines Modernisation Project being completed?

New signalling for the Bakerloo, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines is unfunded, and of those lines, the Piccadilly line is the highest priority.

Our forecast completion date for the final area of signalling to go live on the 4LM Programme is currently 2028. Programme close out would follow in 2029 (once required software optimisations have been completed).

4. What is TfL's current estimate at present of meeting the Mayor's Target of 50% Step-free Tube stations?

We are working at pace towards the Mayor’s ambition of 50 per cent of Tube stations being step-free. Last year we completed work at Colindale station and, more recently, Northolt station. Work is now well underway to deliver step-free access at Leyton station, and delivery has also commenced at Burnt Oak station. We will also forge ahead with plans to transform other stations across London.
Our current business plan currently sees us delivering 14 further step-free Tube stations by 2030 (including Leyton and Burnt Oak), and we will need additional third party funding to deliver more stations. We continue to work with government, developers and other third-party stakeholders to identify additional funding which could make more stations step-free more quickly, with 41 additional Tube stations needing to become step-free (from our current level of 95 stations) to reach 50 per cent.
Earlier this year we confirmed that feasibility studies will be conducted at Barkingside, Brent Cross, Preston Road, Queensbury, and Totteridge & Whetstone Underground stations. This is in addition to the 39 Tube stations where step-free access feasibility or design work is already underway, or has been completed.
Including these additional stations, there is now design or construction work taking place at enough Tube stations to reach the Mayor’s 50 per cent target. Some schemes are subject to governance and funding approvals. Planned schemes include:
• Leyton station and Burnt Oak station, where delivery is underway
• A further twelve stations funded for delivery by 2030/31, to be selected from stations where design or feasibility work is being undertaken
• The planned transformation of South Kensington station, including step-free access
• Seven additional stations to be delivered as part of wider enhancement schemes (Gunnersbury, High Street Kensington, Ladbroke Grove, Liverpool Street, Walthamstow, West Brompton and West Kensington)
A further 19 stations still to be selected from the 39 stations (44 once these latest feasibility studies start) where step-free access feasibility or design work is already underway, or has been completed. This could also include other stations where third-party funding becomes available, or as part of other developments.

Some of my followers on social media may have noticed that I have posted about old transport-related projects that never left the drawing board.


Central #London Rail Study A joint study by the Department of #Transport, LRT, and British Rail Maps of the: • Proposed Jubilee Line Extensions • Chelsea-Hackney Line (Crossrail 2) • Bakerloo Line Extension • Crossrail Schemes And more: www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docsummary.p...

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— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) December 29, 2024 at 12:20 PM


Highlights from the #London #Infrastructure Plan 2050 - #Transport Supporting Paper Published during 2014/15. The proposed expansion of #HS2 to more destinations by linking with HS1 and towards #France and beyond via the Channel Tunnel. london.gov.uk/programmes-s... #EU #Europe #urbanism #travel

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— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) October 3, 2023 at 1:36 PM

Unlocking Britain’s Potential: How Legislative Reform Can Fix Delayed Transport Projects


The persistent delays surrounding major transport infrastructure projects in the UK are heavily rooted in a legal framework that creates significant planning bottlenecks.

Central to this issue are key statutory acts, most notably the Planning Act 2008 governing Development Consent Orders (DCOs) for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, the Transport and Works Act 1992 for regional rail and light transit schemes, alongside the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and specific hybrid bills.

These statutes enforce mandatory pre-application consultation duties, which are bound by the common law Gunning Principles. These principles dictate that public bodies must consult while proposals are still at a formative stage, provide enough detailed reasoning for intelligent consideration, allow adequate response time, and conscientiously take the feedback into account before making a final decision.

Whilst intended to ensure public participation and fairness, this setup frequently leads to defensive planning. Developers and transport authorities spend years producing mountains of documentation to insulate themselves against potential judicial reviews under these acts, creating vast administrative delays before ground is even broken.

Compounding these transport planning hurdles is the hyper-centralised financial control exerted by HM Treasury. Under the rigid framework of the Green Book appraisal model, local transport authorities must continuously bid for short-term capital allocations controlled centrally by the Treasury.

This lack of long-term financial autonomy forces critical regional transport schemes to go through endless funding gates and business case reviews. As a result, major projects are left in a state of fiscal uncertainty that stifles momentum and drives up delivery costs.

These prolonged delays carry severe real-world consequences, choking economic growth and directly impacting businesses, job creation, and housing delivery. When critical transport corridors stall, businesses face inflated logistics costs, restricted access to talent pools, and reduced productivity. The resulting uncertainty deters private investment, directly compounding unemployment as supply chains shrink, major construction contracts are frozen, and long-term regional employment opportunities vanish.

For housebuilders and developers, the consequences are equally damaging. Planning permission for thousands of crucial new homes is regularly held hostage to non-existent or delayed transport capacity. Developers are frequently left unable to build because local road networks or public transport systems cannot absorb additional demand, leaving shovel-ready land idle while the nationwide housing and economic crises deepen.

Ultimately, the primary solution to these systemic delays rests within the UK Parliament. Parliament holds the legislative authority to streamline planning processes, reform judicial review parameters, and grant regional bodies long-term devolved funding commitments.

By modernising statutory planning acts and simplifying environmental assessment requirements, lawmakers can create a legal framework that prioritises swift, decisive delivery over endless consultation loops.

To address these deeply embedded barriers, the Department for Transport launched an independent Mass Transit Taskforce in May 2026, working alongside the Urban Transport Group. Chaired by economist Bridget Rosewell, the taskforce has been established specifically to identify the structural and regulatory hurdles stalling major transport schemes, such as new tram, light rail, and bus networks across UK towns and cities. By gathering evidence across the industry, the taskforce aims to provide central and local government with targeted recommendations on reforming project planning, consent processes, and funding frameworks. Its primary goal is to establish faster, more cost-effective delivery models that ensure future transport infrastructure can be unlocked swiftly to drive regional growth.

Looking internationally, other countries demonstrate how streamlined statutory processes can dramatically accelerate transport infrastructure.

Spain, for example, rapidly constructed the second-largest high-speed rail network in the world by using dedicated fast-track planning legislation and empowering regional authorities to handle procurement without constant central interference.

Similarly, Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train expansions rely on pre-approved, long-term parliamentary land-use designations, which virtually eliminate pre-construction litigation and lengthy local planning disputes.

France provides another compelling template through its Declaration of Public Utility framework, which grants major transport schemes statutory priority once designated as being in the national interest. This legal mechanism sets strict timeframes for public consultations and legal challenges, preventing opponents from endlessly stalling projects in the courts. Coupled with the Grand Paris Express mega-project, where a dedicated public delivery body was granted tailored borrowing powers and ring-fenced local taxation, France has successfully streamlined planning while securing stable, long-term capital to build hundreds of kilometres of new transport infrastructure.

Long-Awaited Metro System for Ireland


It has taken since the early 2000s for Dublin, Ireland to construct a new underground Metro system named MetroLink, and it has finally reached the process to tender for the construction of the new system. Following the Railway Order approval and Cabinet sign-off, the project has officially moved into the detailed procurement phase to invite market tender bids for its construction, systems, and operation, with enabling works preparing to start on the ground.

The 2001 transport strategy for Dublin, Ireland set out major rail expansion, combining Luas light rail, a fully segregated Metro, and bus priority measures. It proposed new routes, a central spine and loop, underground sections, and a rail inter-connector to improve capacity and connectivity.

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— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) December 28, 2025 at 11:32 AM


A Modern New Works Programme for Transport for London


To break through this pattern of piecemeal funding and administrative delay, TfL would benefit from a unified, long-term statutory investment framework.

During the 1930s, the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) faced similar challenges with expanding suburban growth and fragmented networks. The response was the New Works Programme (1935 to 1940), a coordinated multi-year capital scheme backed by government-guaranteed loans. This initiative simultaneously delivered major line extensions, line electrifications, new rolling stock, and station modernisations across the capital.

Today, a similar overarching initiative could bundle major transport schemes, such as the Bakerloo Line Extension, Crossrail 2, the West London Orbital, and ongoing rolling stock modernisations, under a single, pre-approved mandate.

By establishing a dedicated multi-year capital framework akin to the original New Works Programme, TfL could move away from negotiating short-term funding packages for individual schemes. A long-term commitment of this scale would offer greater certainty for supply chains, lower delivery costs, and accelerate the rollout of critical London transport projects.

West London Orbital Public Consultation


Among the upcoming schemes making headway across the capital, the proposed West London Orbital stands out as a major new London Overground service designed to transform outer orbital connectivity. By using existing, underused freight lines through the Dudding Hill route, the service would directly connect Hendon and Hunslow through key interchanges like Old Oak Common, Brent Cross West, and Neasden without forcing passengers to travel through Central London. Transport for London is currently seeking feedback on the proposed route and station options, with the public consultation remaining open until 18 November 2026.

I would like to extend an invite for you to follow me on X (formerly Twitter) for transport-related updates. You can find me by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my X page here. I am also present on BlueSky and Mastodon. I look forward to connecting with you on these platforms. Thank you for your support.
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