New signage, Tube maps and customer information unveiled to make the network easier for customers to navigate.Entrepreneur Levi Roots and singer Mica Paris joined representatives of the line names at official launch.The new names were chosen to reflect London’s diverse communities and their contributions to life in the capital.The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, visited Dalston Junction station today to launch the six new line names and colours being used across the London Overground network. This significant change, which is a major update to London’s world-famous Tube map, will make it easier for customers to navigate London’s transport network, while also celebrating the city’s diverse culture and history.Today’s event celebrated the near-completion of one of the largest customer-focused projects Transport for London (TfL) has ever undertaken, helping to make the network easier to navigate for millions of customers every year.
Dalston Junction station is served by the newly renamed Windrush line, providing an opportunity to commemorate the contribution of the Windrush generation. The Windrush Foundation is also hosting an exhibition within the station to highlight the journey and stories of the Windrush generation.
The Mayor was joined by special guests with personal connections to the Windrush generation including Levi Roots, who was born in Jamaica and whose parents came to the UK from the Caribbean to build a new life for themselves and help build Britain. Also taking part in today’s celebrations were singer Mica Paris, whose grandparents were proud Jamaicans and came to the UK on the HMT Windrush, and Windrush Foundation CEO Arthur Torrington CBE.
Geoff Coleman from the Mildmay Hospital represented the Mildmay line which honours the small, charitable hospital in Shoreditch that has cared for Londoners over many years. It notably played 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.
Rebecca Ridley of the Worshipful Company of Weavers represented the Weaver line which runs through Liverpool Street, Spitalfields, Bethnal Green and Hackney. These areas of London known for their role in the textile trade that was shaped over the centuries by diverse migrant communities and individuals.
Alesha De-Freitas, Head of Policy, Research & Advocacy at the Fawcett Society, represented the Suffragette line honouring the working-class movement in the East End that fought for votes for women and paved the way for women’s rights.
Julie Frost from Havering BID was present for the Liberty line, which celebrates freedom and the historical independence of the people of Havering, the borough through which it runs.
The Lioness line celebrates 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.
An unprecedented mobilisation over the past nine days has seen TfL and its suppliers unveil 6,000 new station wayfinding signs, Tube maps, station digital screens and onboard train information, as well as audio and visual announcements on both London Overground trains and stations. Final touches to the TfL website, TfL Go app and audiovisual passenger information on newer London Overground trains will be completed over the next couple of months.
Throughout the summer TfL ran extensive customer engagement to familiarise customers with the new London Overground names and colours. This included the popular ‘Mind the Gap’ podcast series, six walking tours developed with Go Jauntly, a free community weaving event that created a Weaver line roundel and a football festival in Regents Park, as part of the Lioness line celebrations.
The new names and colours are:
Lioness (running from Watford Junction to Euston) – yellow
Mildmay (running from Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford) - blue
Windrush (running from Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace and West Croydon) – red
Weaver (running from Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford) – maroon
Suffragette (running from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside) – green
Liberty (running from Romford to Upminster) - grey
Stakeholders, customers, staff, historians, industry experts and local communities played a key role in helping inform the names through engagement, which took place ahead of the decision on the final six names. London’s diverse history and culture have always played a significant role in shaping the city, and it was important for the line names, which will be used for years to come, to reflect this.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: "I’m delighted to officially launch the six new line names and colours of the London Overground, in an historic change to the capital’s transport network.
“These distinct colours and identities will not only make our fantastic London Overground network easier for customers to navigate, they also celebrate the best of London, from the contribution of the Windrush generation to our inspiring England women’s football team, as well as other untold elements of London’s cultural history.
“The London Overground is now a reminder that we wouldn’t be the city we are today without the energy and diverse experiences of everyone who lives here.”
Alex Williams, TfL’s Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, said: “There has been a colossal amount of preparation work and engagement ahead of this official launch of the new line names and colours that are now in use. With these changes we’re making the London Overground network easier to navigate and celebrating the diverse history and culture of the communities the London Overground lines serve. The support already show for the new lines names has already been fantastic and we look forward to continuing to deliver the brilliant service the London Overground is known for.”
Arthur Torrington CBE, Co-founder and Director of the Windrush Foundation, said: “Big congratulations to Transport for London for this historic moment as the Windrush line become a reality. Its service to Londoners will generate more public interest in the history of African and Caribbean people. The line will celebrate London’s diversity and the continuous contribution this makes to the best city in the world.”
Mica Paris MBE, UK Queen of Soul, said: “I feel incredibly moved that the Windrush generation’s legacy is being recognised, especially as my grandparents were proud Jamaicans who came over on HMT Empire Windrush. It’s very special that Brockley, my local station while I was growing up, is now part of the Windrush line.”
A competition ran throughout the summer asking Londoners to get creative and through creating a poster or a poem to show how the new line names inspire them. The new names provided a unique opportunity to honour and celebrate London’s many historic locations and stories so we wanted to encourage Londoners of all ages to take part, with different age groups assigned to different lines to tell us what the line naming means to them.
Entrepreneur and chef Levi Roots said: "The renaming of the Windrush line is special to me being a child of the Windrush generation, and I'm inspired by this most amazing honour to be part of the unveiling."
Kay Cossington, The FA’s Women’s Technical Director, said: “It’s fantastic for the team’s achievements on 31st July 2022 to be acknowledged by TfL in this way. The naming of the Lioness line is just another example of how the historic EURO success continues to live on across so many aspects of our society. Hopefully any girl travelling on the Lioness line feels inspired to strengthen their relationship with the sport and the legacy lives on for years and years to come.”
Geoff Coleman, CEO of Mildmay Hospital, said: “We are deeply honoured that the London Overground Mildmay Line has been named in recognition of our hospital’s long-standing commitment to caring for London’s most vulnerable communities. This tribute reflects the heart of what Mildmay stands for -compassionate, inclusive care for all, especially during the HIV/AIDS crisis, and it carries our legacy of healing and hope into the future. We are proud to be part of this historic change to the capital’s transport network and look forward to continuing our work alongside the diverse communities of this great city.”
Professor Andrew Teverson, Head of London College of Fashion and Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of the Arts London, said: “London College of Fashion’s new home as part of East Bank on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park means that many of our students will be travelling into College on the Weaver line, and we are delighted to see the name honouring the long history of the rag trade and of making and manufacturing fashion in this part of east London.”
Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, said: "This is a significant moment in recognising the women who campaigned so hard for the rights women have today. It’s incredibly important that the activism of suffragettes and suffragists is remembered and recognised. The Fawcett Society, founded by Millicent Fawcett in 1866, campaigns hard alongside our members for a more equal society and I could not be more proud of the work we do to continue the legacy of brave women who have gone before us. The work of feminists and our allies is not yet done. I hope everyone who uses the Suffragette line will take a moment to pause and think of the fights fought and the battles not yet won and join us in campaigning for a more equal society.”
Julie Frost, Director of Romford BID, said: "This week marks a momentous step forward for our Borough with the official launch of the Liberty line, a tribute to the spirit of freedom and the proud history of Havering. It’s particularly exciting to see the Borough's legacy of independence and resilience reflected in the new signage.
This new line will continue to connect our community, but also celebrate the pride of Havering’s people."
The winners of the competition were:
Lioness line (age group 0-6): Angus Parnell, age 6 (poster) and Franklin Tolley-Hart, age 6 (poster)
Suffragette line (age group 6-9): Paulina Hason, age 8 (poem) and Dhiren Thilakendran, age 9 (poster)
Windrush line (age group 10-13): Jensen George, age 12 (poem) and Isidore Millstone, age 11 (poem)
Liberty line (age group 14-17): Stanley Viner, age 16 (poem)
Weaver line (age group 18-21): Daniel Dwyer, age 21 (poster) and Hayley Wong, age 21 (poster)
Mildmay line (age group 21+): Tom Leighton, age 51 (poster) and Verity Bell, age 30 (poem)
These lucky winners will have their posters or poems proudly displayed at London Overground stations in the hope to keep inspiring Londoners with the new names.