TfL rewards unsung heroes to mark the new London Overground Liberty line

Locals are invited to nominate people who have made special contributions to their community in Havering for a chance to win London Overground Liberty line prizes. Three unsung heroes will receive a VIP London Overground experience, including a trip in a driver’s cab, a tour of a railway control centre in Romford and Liberty line goodies. As part of the renaming of the London Overground, the line that runs between Romford, Emerson Park and Upminster stations in Havering, will become the Liberty line to make it easier for customers to navigate the network, while celebrating the local area’s diverse culture and history. In a new episode of TfL’s Mind the Gap podcast released today, presenter Tim Dunn speaks to former Director of Havering Museum, Ellen Owen, and local historian Brian Evans about the unique history of Havering and how it lives on today

Transport for London (TfL) is celebrating the launch of the new London Overground Liberty line this autumn. People are encouraged to nominate unsung heroes who have made a special contribution to the local community in Havering to win London Overground Liberty line prizes.

The London Overground line connecting Romford and Upminster will become the London Overground Liberty line this autumn. The new name celebrates the unique history of the area, which was a Royal Liberty between 1465 and 1892 where local residents were granted special freedoms compared to the rest of London. TfL is encouraging people to nominate those who have gone above and beyond to support the local community in Havering to win special London Overground prizes to tie into the royal history of the area.

Three unsung heroes will be selected by staff at the three stations along the new Liberty line this autumn. The competition is open until 15 September and the winners will be awarded special transport-related prizes by TfL, akin to the way residents of the Royal Liberty were given special privileges back in the day. These will include an exclusive London Overground cab ride, a behind-the scenes tour of a railway control centre in Romford, an invitation to see the first new London Overground Liberty line signs in place and other Liberty line goodies.

TfL has also dedicated the most recent episode of its Mind the Gap podcast series to explore the unique history of Havering, where residents were even exempt from paying certain tolls and referred to the local courts to resolve local disputes or handle small debt cases.

 
Host Tim Dunn spoke to Ellen Owen who is a former director of Havering Museum. Ellen now volunteers her time to raise funds and facilitate events for Havering Museum, and talks about how Havering became an area that was far ahead of its time and marked by a strong sense of independence thanks to its status as a Royal Liberty. Later in the episode, Tim joined historian Brian Evans on a walking tour through Romford to uncover the hidden remnants of the former Royal Liberty and learn how it is still remembered today.

 
The Mind the Gap podcast is exploring each of the six London Overground lines which will be represented by new names and colours this autumn, to make it easier for customers to navigate the network, while also celebrating the city's diverse culture and history. The first two episodes of the podcast about the London Overground Mildmay and Lioness lines are available to listen to and download. The 'Mind the Gap' podcast series was produced by 18Sixty and is available on all major podcast platforms.

Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: "The London Overground line connecting Romford and Upminster will become the Liberty line in autumn, in celebration of Havering’s rich local history. It’s a great opportunity for locals to get involved, as we make the London Overground easier to navigate, while celebrating the diversity of London’s heritage and communities."

Emma Strain, Customer Director at TfL, said: "Our new Mind the Gap podcast episode celebrates some of Havering’s fascinating history. Alongside this, as part of the naming of the London Overground Liberty line, we’re looking for people who support the local community in Havering, we encourage everyone to nominate those who have gone above and beyond for the community to win special London Overground Liberty line prizes. Tune in to our podcast to learn more about this lesser-known part of British history.”

Tim Dunn, Railway Historian and Broadcaster, said: "Our public transport network represents the freedom to get around the city for so many Londoners, whether that’s to work, to school, to visit loved ones - That’s part of the liberty embodied by the naming of this line. The new name for the London Overground line also reflects the area’s history of course, and I can’t wait for people to hear some of the intriguing stories of Havering’s past in the new podcast episode."

Ellen Owen, former Director of Havering Museum, said: “Havering is brilliant, it’s moving forward, but not everyone knows about the liberty. What the London Overground line naming inspires is liberty, freedom, and autonomy. There’s so much history behind the name.”

Brian Evans, Author and Historian, said: "The first day the London Overground line is officially known as the Liberty line, I will feel exultant! Liberty is already on people’s mind because it’s featured on the badge of Havering borough. But they don’t all associate it, like me, with being a bit cheeky! People in this borough are independent still."

Nomination boxes have been installed at Romford and Upminster stations, allowing people to nominate a person they would like to see rewarded, be it for their volunteering work, dedication to community causes or other noteworthy contributions to the wellbeing of those around them. Submissions can also be made by speaking to a member of staff at Emerson Park station or via email to [email protected].

TfL is also running a competition to encourage people to create a poster or a poem for each line that will feature on the London Overground network later in the year. People have until the 30 August to submit their poster and poem entries and more information can be found on the Made by TfL Blog.