As London navigates a rapidly changing economic and environmental landscape, infrastructure remains at the heart of its resilience and growth. In 2025, billions are being invested across the capital in transformative projects, from subterranean tunnels and overground rail to green energy systems. These developments aren't just reshaping the skyline - they’re redefining how London moves, lives, and builds.

Here’s a closer look at the top infrastructure projects shaping London’s future right now.

 

1.  Heathrow Expansion

2. Thames Tideway Tunnel

3. Old Oak Common 

4. Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station

5. Crossrail 2 (Planning Stage) 

6. ULEZ Expansion Infrastructure

 

1. Heathrow Expansion - Aviation in Limbo

• Lead: Heathrow Airport Ltd, with Arup, Mott MacDonald, Ferrovial (historically involved)

• Location: West London

• Status (2025): Officially paused; revised expansion strategy under consultation

• Scope:

  • Originally planned: third runway, new terminals

  • Scaled-back options being considered in 2025, focusing on phased upgrades

• Why it matters:

  • Heathrow is the UK’s largest port by value and a major economic driver

  • Expansion could enable an increase from 75 million passengers per annum (mppa) to around 140 mppa

• Challenges:

  • Legal delays, environmental opposition, and changing travel patterns post-COVID

  • Government’s net zero and air quality targets under scrutiny

• Construction Implications:

  • Potential opportunities in terminal upgrades, carbon-neutral building, and smart logistics

  • Key role for London-based consultants and infrastructure planners

Sources: Commons Library, Heathrow.com

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2. Thames Tideway Tunnel - The ‘Super Sewer’

• Lead: Tideway (Bazalgette Tunnel Ltd), funded via private investment

• Route: 25 km from Acton (west London) to Abbey Mills Pumping Station (east London)

• Status (2025): Construction complete; in final testing and commissioning phase

• Purpose:

  • Reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in a typical year by 95%. 

  • Provide a clean, rich, and diverse ecology for London.

  • Protect our river's health and improve the appearance of the river.

• Why it matters:

  • Key to London's long-term water quality, public health, and urban resilience

  • Major milestone in the UK’s environmental infrastructure strategy

• Engineering Highlights:

  • Deep tunnel boring at 30–60m below ground level

  • Construction included 21 work sites, many in central London (e.g., Blackfriars, King Edward Memorial Park)

  • Integration with existing Thames Water assets

• Legacy Value:

  • Seen as a model for future public-private partnerships (PPP)

  • Skills and supply chain lessons being applied to other UK megaprojects

Sources: Thameswater, Balfour Beatty

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3. Old Oak Common - A New Superhub for Rail

• Lead: HS2 Ltd / Network Rail / TfL

• Location: West London (Acton/Willesden)

• Status (2025): Station infrastructure and tunnelling works ongoing

• Budget: £1.3 billion (station); part of wider HS2 Phase 1

• Scope:

  • Will be the UK’s largest new rail interchange

  • Connections to HS2, Elizabeth Line, Great Western Main Line, Heathrow Express, and future Overground links

• Why it matters:

  • Central to regeneration of Old Oak and Park Royal Opportunity Area (25,000 new homes, 56,000 jobs)

  • Speeds up travel from London to Birmingham, the North, and beyond

  • Eases pressure on Euston and other Zone 1 terminals

• Construction Features:

  •  20-metre-deep underground station box with six HS2 platforms and eight conventional platforms

  • Over 1,600 concrete piles installed; two TBMs launched for approach tunnels

• Challenges:

  • Integrating multiple rail operators

  • Site previously industrial brownfield with complex ground remediation

  • Ongoing political debate over HS2’s future and funding

Sources: HS2, Network Rail

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4. Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station - The UKs Nuclear Comeback

• Lead: EDF Energy, with Bylor JV (Bouygues & Laing O’Rourke)

• Location: Somerset (national impact, with strong London supply chain links)

• Status (2025): Unit 1 nearing fit-out; Unit 2 civil works advancing

• Scope:

  • Two new-generation nuclear reactors (EPRs)

  • Will power 6 million homes and supply 7% of UK electricity

• Why it matters:

  • First new UK nuclear plant in a generation

  • Key to net zero targets and long-term energy security

• Construction Notes:

  • Over 10,000 workers on site at peak

  • Major marine tunnelling, deep concrete works, and precision engineering

  • Supply chain spans London-based consultants and manufacturers

Sources: EDF Energy, Gov.UK, Somerset Council

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5. Crossrail 2 (Planning Stage) - Still on the Table?

• Lead: TfL and DfT (paused as of 2020; being reassessed in 2025)

• Proposed Route: From Surrey (Epsom) to Hertfordshire (Broxbourne), via central London (Clapham, Victoria, Tottenham Court Rd)

• Status: Development halted due to funding constraints and focus on post-pandemic recovery; strategic review reignited in early 2025

• Why it matters:

  • Would relieve pressure on the Victoria, Northern, and Piccadilly lines

  • Enables 200,000+ new homes 

  • Aligns with major growth corridors like the Upper Lea Valley

• Latest Developments:

  • GLA and developers lobbying for phased delivery

  • New business case being built around growth zones and modular station delivery

• Challenges:

  • High capital cost (£41.3bn+ estimates)

  • Political hesitation post-HS2 budget overruns

• What to Watch:

  • Whether central government greenlights a new funding model (e.g. land value capture, development levies)

Sources: Crossrail 2, New Civil Engineer

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6. ULEZ Expansion Infrastructure

• Lead: TfL

• Scope: Entire Greater London area now covered by the Ultra Low Emission Zone (as of August 2023)

• Status (2025):

  • Infrastructure (ANPR cameras, signage, monitoring stations) fully deployed

  • Second-generation enforcement and emissions data systems being trialled

• Why it matters:

  • Core part of London’s strategy to reach net zero by 2030

  • Data collected will shape next-gen congestion policies, clean air zones, and potentially dynamic road pricing

• Tech Details:

  • 2,750+ new ANPR cameras installed

  • Linked to AI-based violation prediction and emissions pattern analysis

• Sector Impacts:

  • Contractors working within the zone must ensure vehicle compliance

  • Push toward electric fleet conversion, low-emission plant (LEZ-compliant), and more offsite/modular delivery to reduce logistics movements

Source: London.Gov

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