M26 motorway the M26 at that time formed part of Ringway 4 and would have been designated as part of the M25. Construction of the first part of the M25 began in 1972 but before it opened, plans for the "London Orbital" motorway were modified to combine the southern and western part of Ringway 4 with the northern and eastern part of Ringway 3. To connect the two separate routes, which together were numbered as the M25, an additional section of road needed to be planned and the M25 route was diverted northwards from junction 5 to meet Ringway 3 at Swanley
West London Orbital – every day, and the London Overground supports this type of travel. London Overground train service improvements are therefore needed to support new jobs and housing throughout inner London and parts of outer London.” The West London Alliance group of local authorities have agreed that the West London Orbital Scheme is to be a shared strategic infrastructure priority across borough boundaries, and that it will be incorporated in to all Local Plans. Discussions are currently underway between West London councils and London government on the future of the scheme. A number of independent analysis of the scheme have been undertaken,