Plans to reopen the Watford to Croxley rail route and transform transport across Hertfordshire have been revealed. A report for the next Hertfordshire County Council Environment, Transport and Growth Cabinet Panel meeting sets out the proposed Hertfordshire Essex Rapid Transit (HERT) strategy ahead of a November consultation, says the Watford Observer.

The strategy would let passengers travel by trackless tram from Hemel Hempstead and Croxley Green to Harlow in Essex between 6am and 11pm. It will connect five national rail stations which are currently difficult to travel between east to west, while offering similar journey times to those by car.

The service is expected to carry 27,000 passengers a day, with electric trams with a 140-passenger capacity running every 10 minutes.

Most of the route will run along existing roads, but it will also use the abandoned Watford to Croxley branch line, the Abbey Line and purpose-built corridors through the Harlow Gilston and Hemel Hempstead Garden Communities developments.

The Abbey Line will initially be integrated into HERT as is. However, the strategy states that “as the system matures there may need to be consideration about how this section can best deliver the vision of the HERT for frequency and end-to-end journey  convenience and quality”.

HERT will be rolled out in phases, with only bus priority measures, infrastructure and technology added along the route up until 2035. Trackless trams are then expected to become commercially viable and be introduced between 2035 and 2040.

A six-week public consultation is planned to start late this month or November, followed by a final decision in February 2027.

(Picture: Hertfordshire County Council)