The London Overground is to be renamed and rebranded in a bid to make it easier for passengers to work out where their train goes.
The six different branches of the 113-station network will each be given a different name and colour – ending the format of all Overground routes being shown as orange-bordered lines on the Tube map.
The Euston to Watford Junction part of the Overground, which calls at Wembley Central station, will be renamed the “Lioness line” in honour of the England women’s football team that won the Euros at Wembley stadium in 2022.
Other parts of the line will be renamed the Suffragette line, the Windrush line, the Weaver line, the Mildmay line and the Liberty line.
Mayor Sadiq Khan said the changes were being introduced to make it easier for passengers to navigate across the Overground and to “celebrate” London’s culture and recent history.
He said: “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.
“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.”
Since coming under Transport for London’s control in 2007, the Overground has become the second busiest railway in the country with about 180 million passengers a year. Only the Elizabeth line, another TfL line, with about 220 million a year, is busier.
All the Overground lines will be shown as a white line with coloured borders – following the style that only Tube lines are shown as solid lines on the Tube map.
The routes will be renamed and illustrated as follows:
- The Lioness line, between Euston to Watford Junction, will be illustrated with yellow parallel lines. The name – the nickname of the England women’s football team - honours the Euro winners and is meant to “inspire and empower the next generation of women and girls in sport”.
- The Mildmay line, between Stratford and Richmond/Clapham Junction, honours the Mildmay Mission, the charitable hospital in Shoreditch that has cared for Londoners for 160 years and treated diseases from cholera to HIV. It will be shown with blue parallel lines.
- The Windrush line will run between Highbury & Islington and Clapham Junction, New Cross, Crystal Palace and West Croydon. It runs through areas with strong ties to Caribbean communities, such as Dalston Junction, Peckham Rye and West Croydon, and will be shown in red parallel lines.
- The Weaver line will be the name of Overground services in and out of Liverpool Street – to and from Cheshunt, Enfield Town and Chingford. It runs through areas such as Spitalfields, Bethnal Green and Hackney that were known for their textile trade. It will have maroon borders.
- The Suffragette line will be the Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside branch line. It will have green borders. The name celebrates the East End working-class movement that paved the way for women’s rights. Barking was the home of the longest surviving Suffragette Annie Huggett, who died aged 103.
- The Liberty line will be the short route between Romford and Upminster and will be shown by grey parallel lines. The borough of Havering has traditionally had more self-governance and autonomy than other areas.
It is not thought that the interior of Overground trains will change to match their new line colour - unlike the Tube, where seats and grab poles often match the “map colour” of the line. The orange roundel will continue to be used across the Overground network.
Research by TfL established that some customers found the Overground network confusing. They said it would be easier to navigate if it wasn’t a single colour and name. The research, carried out by DNCO agency, cost £115,275.
TfL commissioner Andy Lord said: “The network which has grown quite considerably since 2007, is currently shown as a complicated network of orange on routes maps. 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 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.”
Michael Roberts, chief executive of the capital's transport 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."
Mark Bullingham, chief executive of The Football Association, said: “We’re so pleased to see the mayor of London and Transport for London recognise the historic achievements of our England women’s team with the newly named Lioness line.”
The rebranding, which will include new Tube maps and new way-finding signs at stations, is expected to be completed by the Autumn.
TfL said that when choosing the new line colours it considered passengers with visual impairments, including those with colour blindness.
