UK: Names have been announced for the six London Overground inner-suburban rail routes. They do not currently have individual identities, and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said giving them distinct colours and names would ‘make it easier for passengers to get around’ while celebrating ‘London’s unique local history and culture’.
The names announced by Transport for London on February 15 are:
| Name | Route | Background | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lioness Line | Euston to Watford Junction | The England women’s national football team is nicknamed the Lionesses. The line runs through Wembley, home of the eponymous football stadium, and the name ’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’. | Yellow |
| Mildmay Line | Stratford to Richmond/Clapham Junction. | Honours the charitable Mildmay Mission Hospital in Shoreditch that had a ’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’. | Blue |
| Windrush Line | Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction/New Cross/Crystal Palace/West Croydon | Empire Windrush was a ship which brought some of the first post-war migrants from the Caribbean to Britain, as well as Polish refugees and others. The line runs through areas with ties to Caribbean communities, and ‘honours the Windrush generation who continue to shape and enrich London’s cultural and social identity’ | Red |
| Weaver Line | Liverpool Street to Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford | The line runs through Liverpool Street, Spitalfields, Bethnal Green and Hackney which were ’known for their textile trade, shaped over the centuries by diverse migrant communities and individuals’. | Maroon |
| Suffragette Line | Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside | The name commemorates the militant wing of the suffragist movement which campaigned for votes for women. It ’celebrates how the working-class movement in the East End fought for votes for woman and paved the way for women’s rights’. Barking was the home of the longest surviving suffragette, Annie Huggett. | Green |
| Liberty Line | Romford to Upminster | The line ‘celebrates the freedom that is a defining feature of London’ and ‘the historic independence of the people of Havering and its status as a Royal Liberty, an area that traditionally had more self-governance and autonomy’. | Grey |
The full roll-out of the names is expected to be completed by the end of the year, including new maps, line diagrams, wayfinding assets, branding at the 113 stations and digital journey planning tools. The current orange roundel will continue to be used.
London’s Transport Commissioner Andy Lord said the services are ‘currently shown as a complicated network of orange on route maps’, and this ‘can be confusing for customers less familiar with the network and could be a barrier for some wanting to use the London Overground.’
These new names ’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’.
Khan said the names and colours were chosen through engagement with passengers, historians and local communities, ’reflecting the heritage and diversity of our amazing city’.
The independent research and naming process was undertaken by DNCO, a creative agency specialising in place branding and naming.
The process included engagement with TfL’s Independent Disability Advisory Group and Inclusive Transport Forum, and the choice of colours took into account people with visual impairments.
Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of watchdog London TravelWatch, said ‘distinguishing between the separate lines should help passengers plan journeys more easily and know which services are running at times of disruption simply by hearing the name of the line. We look forward to seeing this rolled out and will be keeping an eye on how it’s integrated into the current system, particularly with TfL’s journey planner and map.’
