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The London Overground could be about to get a new route, as a north London train route running from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage might soon be taken over by Transport for London (TfL).
According to the government’s New Towns Report published in autumn, TfL could take over part of the Great Northern route called the ‘Great Northern Inners’. The route runs from Moorgate to Alexandra Palace via Finsbury Park, before splitting towards Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage via Hertford North. If the proposal is accepted, the route may become part of the London Overground.
According to a Freedom of Information request submitted by IanVisits, TfL’s business case says it could double the frequency of Welwyn off-peak services from two to four trains per hour. TfL also wants to increase the Hertford North service to six per hour, meaning there could be one train every 10 minutes.
The business case also mentioned a previous proposal that wanted to implement 12 trains per hour to Moorgate during peak hours, and 14 per hour during the busiest times. However, this suggestion feels more pie-in-the-sky at this stage, as there would need to be a lot of intricate timetable planning and station upgrades before it could come to fruition.
The upgrades could see the stations along the route get a TfL makeover, with new branding, roundels, seating, ticket machines and departure display screens. Transport honcho estimate the takeover could cost around £47 million, which could rise to £70 million if Crews Hill were to get a major upgrade to support all the planned new housing for the area.
If it gets approved, Finsbury Park, Essex Road and Alexandra Palace stations could all become part of the London Overground. All being well, TfL wants to take over in the autumn of 2027.
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