London’s six Overground lines are to be given a new name and line colour in a bid to make it easier for passengers to get around.
Transport for London (TfL) said the “significant change,” which will include a major update to the capital’s tube map, would speed-up journeys while also celebrating the city’s “diverse culture and history.”
It added that it’s research had shown some customers find the London Overground especially confusing and the network’s accessibility would improvie if it wasn’t one single colour and name.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “This is a hugely exciting moment, transforming how we think about London’s transport network.”
“Giving each of the Overground lines distinct colours and identities will make it simpler and easier for passengers to get around. In re-imagining London’s tube map, we are also honouring and celebrating different parts of London’s unique local history and culture.”
As part of the changes, the Euston to Watford Junction running through Wembley, will be renamed the Lioness line.
Highbury and Islington to Clapham Junction, West Croydon, New Cross and Crystal Palace will be renamed the Windrush Line.
Other routes will be re-named the Weaver line, the Suffragette line and the Liberty line.
The new London Overground map
Khan added: “The new names and colours have been chosen through engagement with passengers, historians and local communities, reflecting the heritage and diversity of our amazing city.”
Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “These new names and line colours will simplify the maps and routes for our customers, and it is hoped it will encourage more people to make the most of our services. It is also a great way to tell the stories of some important parts of London’s cultural diversity.”
However responding to the announcement, Susan Hall, the conservative party candidate for London Mayor, said: “1,000 people have been killed under his Mayoralty, and yet Sadiq Khan is only interested in this virtue signalling nonsense.”
“The only surprise from today’s announcement is that he hasn’t named one of them the Sadiq line. The Central line is in a terrible state, TfL is wasting money left, right and centre, crime on the Tube is soaring, and Sadiq Khan is ignoring all of this to focus on his own PR. I will listen to Londoners, fix the problems with TfL and get a grip of crime.”
The new route names:
The Lioness line: Euston to Watford Junction. The Lioness line, which runs through Wembley, honours the historic achievements and lasting legacy created by the England women’s football team that continues to inspire and empower the next generation of women and girls in sport. It will be yellow parallel lines on the map.
The Mildmay line: Stratford to Richmond/Clapham Junction. The Mildmay line, which runs through Dalston, honours the small charitable hospital in Shoreditch that has cared for Londoners over many years, notably its pivotal role in the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s, which made it the valued and respected place it is for the LGBTQ+ community today. It will be blue parallel lines on the map.
The Windrush line: Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction/New Cross/Crystal Palace/West Croydon. The Windrush line runs through areas with strong ties to Caribbean communities today, such as Dalston Junction, Peckham Rye and West Croydon and honours the Windrush generation who continue to shape and enrich London’s cultural and social identity today. It will be red parallel lines on the map.
The Weaver line: Liverpool Street to Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford. The Weaver line runs through Liverpool Street, Spitalfields, Bethnal Green and Hackney – areas of London known for their textile trade, shaped over the centuries by diverse migrant communities and individuals. It will be maroon parallel lines on the map.
The Suffragette line: Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside. The Suffragette line celebrates how the working-class movement in the East End, fought for votes for woman and paved the way for women’s rights. The line runs to Barking, home of the longest surviving Suffragette Annie Huggett, who died at 103. It will be green parallel lines on the map.
The Liberty line: Romford to Upminster. The Liberty line celebrates the freedom that is a defining feature of London and references the historical independence of the people of Havering, through which it runs. It will be grey parallel lines on the map.