One of west London’s most important local roads is set to close for four years from early 2028 as HS2 carries out a major programme of works around the new Old Oak Common station.
HS2 has confirmed it is proposing to shut Old Oak Common Lane to traffic for four years so the road can be lowered and widened, utility cables beneath it can be relocated, and bridges can be extended and rebuilt to carry the new Great Western Main Line tracks serving the station.
The closure would affect the road linking Harlesden with Western Avenue (A40), which is used every day by hundreds of Brent residents and school pupils travelling to school, work and hospitals in Ealing.
Key facts: the proposed Old Oak Common Lane closure
- What: A proposed four-year closure of Old Oak Common Lane
- When: From early 2028
- Why: To lower and widen the road, relocate utility cabling and build new railway bridges for the Great Western Main Line
- Have your say: Drop-in sessions for residents on October 22, October 28 and December 1
What the works involve
The planned works go well beyond a simple road closure. Engineers need to lower the level of the carriageway and widen it so the route can eventually accommodate double-decker buses, a change that requires significant excavation and reconstruction of the roadbed.
At the same time, utility cabling running beneath the lane must be dug up and relocated, and a series of bridges carrying the new Great Western Main Line tracks must be extended and newly built over the road. The scale of the combined works is the reason HS2 says a full closure, rather than temporary traffic management, is needed.
Residents living near the route have already endured years of disruption. Rolling partial closures have affected Old Oak Common Lane since 2019 as HS2 piling and early construction work for the station got under way, meaning the proposed four-year shutdown would extend a period of upheaval that is already well into its second half-decade.
Drop-in sessions: how to have your say
HS2 is holding a series of drop-in sessions where residents and businesses can view the proposals, ask questions of the project team and give their views before any final decision is taken.
The first session takes place on October 22, between 12.30pm and 4pm, at the Old Oak Community Centre in Braybrook Street, Ealing. A second session follows on October 28 at the HS2 visitors centre on the site of the new station in Old Oak Common Lane, and a third is planned for December 1, from 10am to 2pm, at Bow Arts, 19 Green Street, NW10.
The Old Oak Neighbourhood Forum, which represents local residents, has said it is planning to turn up in force at the October 28 session to make sure community concerns are heard.
Concerns over congestion and access to schools
The proposed closure has raised serious concerns locally about congestion on alternative routes, with traffic expected to be displaced onto surrounding roads that are already busy at peak times.
There are also worries about the effect on access to schools and medical services. The lane is a key route for families travelling between Brent and Ealing, and for pupils and staff reaching schools on either side of the works.
Some residents are urging HS2 to think again about the length of the closure. Ideas put forward locally include reducing the planned timetable, keeping the road partially open with one lane running under traffic management, laying on a dedicated mini-bus service, or even creating an alternative access road to keep the area moving.
Londoners are no strangers to major transport disruption at the moment. Planned weekend engineering works have closed four Overground lines in recent weeks, while drivers have faced long delays after lanes were stopped on the M1 at Luton following a police incident.
What about the buses?
Transport for London is considering how to keep bus passengers moving during the closure. Options on the table include diverting the 228 bus away from the closed section of the lane, or potentially running a shuttle bus service connecting Old Oak Common with North Acton to help communities cut off by the works.
No final decision on the bus arrangements has been announced, and the outcome of the drop-in sessions is expected to feed into TfL’s planning.
The 4.3 billion pound station taking shape
The closure is the latest chapter in the construction of Old Oak Common, which is set to become one of the biggest and best-connected railway stations in the country. Work on the 12-platform station officially got under way in 2021 and it is targeted for completion between 2029 and 2033.
Once finished, the 4.3 billion pound station will link the Elizabeth line, Great Western Railway and Heathrow Express with high-speed HS2 trains to Birmingham, creating a major new interchange for west London.
What happens next
HS2 will use the feedback from the October and December drop-in sessions to shape its final proposals for the closure. Residents who cannot attend in person are being encouraged to contact the project team directly with their views.
If the plans go ahead as proposed, the four-year closure would begin in early 2028 – overlapping with the final years of construction on the station itself, which is due to open between 2029 and 2033.
