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The London Overground has revealed six new names and colours for its branches as part of a rebrand, with names inspired by London’s history and culture.
The overhaul will require one of the biggest changes in the history of the capital’s Tube map and is designed to make the network easier to navigate.
Its current lines on the Tube map have been described as a “mass of orange spaghetti”, making it difficult for some passengers to work out what train they need.
(TfL)
London mayor Sadiq Khan announced on Thursday the six branches would now be called Lioness, Mildmay, Windrush, Weaver, Suffragette and Liberty.
London Overground lines have all been coloured orange on the map since the network was created in 2007, but the overhaul will see each route represented on Tube maps as parallel lines in different colours.
Mr Khan said: “There are so many fascinating, and often forgotten, stories from our city that should be told and remembered. Naming the lines will not only help educate visitors about our amazing city and its incredible history but will also make it easier for people who live, work or visit London to navigate the city.”
Here we take a look at the new names and colours for the Overground’s six branches:
The Mildmay line
The North London line also known as the Overground Richmond/Clapham Junction-Stratford’ will now be known as the Mildmay line and will be coloured blue.
The Mildmay line runs through Dalston and commemorates the Milmay Mission Hospital in Shoreditch which worked to care for patients with HIV/AIDs in the 1980s.
The Lioness line
The Overground Watford Junction to Euston which runs through Wembley will now be yellow and named the Lioness line after the footballing legacy created by England’s women’s football team.
The Windrush line
The line running from Highbury & Islington to West Croydon through Clapham Junction, New Cross, Crystal Palace to West Croydon will be named the Windrush line to honour the Windrush generation and Carribean communities and coloured red.
The Weaver line
Liverpool Street to Enfield Town/Cheshunt/Chingford will be made maroon and named the Weaver line to honour the area’s textile heritage.
The Liberty line
The Romford to Upminister route will be named the Liberty line to reflect the importance of freedom in the capital city and to reference the motto of the London Borough of Havering.
The Suffragette line
Passengers travelling from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside will now board the green Suffragette line to honour the women who fought for female liberation in the early 20th century.
