Back in July of last year, we caught wind that TfL was planning to overhaul the identity of the Overground. They had budgeted £4 million to bring a bit more sense to the six lines that have been lumped together under the moniker, and which stretch all across our city. And now they’ve finally revealed the new monikers – with some new colourways to boot!
We’ll get to the new names in a second, but before we do, it should be noted that this marks a huge change to the London Underground map, adding an entirely new splash of colour in the form of parallel lines to provide some differentiation. None of the new rebranded Overground lines are Orange, the traditional colour of the entire line, but the new shades are certainly an improvement on working one’s way through a sea of 112 lines sharing the same colour. However, the newly designed overground map keeps the orange as its ‘main’ colour, so you’ll still get to know it by that. Onto the new designs!
The new London Overground names
The Lionness line (Euston to Watford Junction) – hailing the achievements of the England Women’s football team, who won the Euros in 2022 and reached the World Cup Final a year later, and handily runs through the home of English football in Wembley. This one is marked by yellow parallel lines.
The Mildmay line (Stratford to Richmond) – marked with blue parallel lines, the Mildmay line heralds the charitable hospital in Shoreditch which played a vital role during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s.
The Windrush line (Highbury and Islington to Clapham Junction/New Cross/Crystal Palace/West Croydon) – passing through many areas with strong ties to Caribbean communities in London, the Windrush line is named after the generation who came to Britain in 1948. You’ll recognise it by the red parallel lines on the new map.
The Weaver line (Liverpool Street to Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford) – taking on the new marron parallel lines, this one weaves its way through areas with links to historic textile production, including Bethnal Green, Spitalfields and Hackney
The Suffragette line (Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside) – celebrating the working-class London community in the East of the city who tirelessly campaigned for women’s rights. Running through to Barking, it also commemorates the home of Annie Hugget, who died at the age of 103 and was the longest-living suffragette. Green parallel lines are what you’ll need to look for to spot this one.
The Liberty line (Romford to Westminster) – named after “the historical independence of the people of the borough of Havering” as well as “a defining feature of London”. Grey parallel lines are the selected colour for the Liberty line.
How were the new Overground line names chosen?
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the names were “honouring and celebrating different parts of London’s unique local history and culture”. TfL have said that “stakeholders, customers, historians, industry experts and communities were involved in choosing the names.
When will the new Overground line branding come into place?
Work is beginning immediately to complete the rebrand, and the unveiling is slated for Autumn 2024, with the full shebang hoped to be all done by the end of the year. Once a confirmed date is confirmed for the six new lines, you’ll find it here!
