Should the London Overground have seperate lines?

[1972stockfan]

In my opinion the London Overground should have seperate lines like the Tube. The London Overground looks like spaghetti all over the map and it is hard at first glance to tell which services are which. I was thinking a striped line in different shades of orange on the Tube map and a seperate map for people using only the Overground network provided at all stations. What do you guys thing? Let me know

 

[zwk500]

This comes up every now and again and the following are worth pointing out: 1. Nobody ever agrees on the line names. 2. The orange corporate branding is now quite well-established and changing it would break some of that hard earned branding 3. It already effectively is operated in lines, and generally referred to as such (North London Line, East London Line, Goblin, etc).

Providing a separate map isn't a good idea - the whole point of Overground is to intercept journeys from radial lines to avoid changing via Zone 1. Also different shades of Orange isn't helpful as it slows down interpretation of the map. The Overground needs to be shown in the context of the London Rail connections map, and therefore needs a clear identity in that display.

I'd personally use a Letter for Each line and then numbers for the branches. So Stratford-Richmond would be route N1, Stratford-Clapham route N2, Euston-Watford W1, Highbury and Islington-New Cross E1, etc.

 

[thedbdiboy]

This comes up every now and again and the following are worth pointing out: 1. Nobody ever agrees on the line names. 2. The orange corporate branding is now quite well-established and changing it would break some of that hard earned branding 3. It already effectively is operated in lines, and generally referred to as such (North London Line, East London Line, Goblin, etc).

Providing a separate map isn't a good idea - the whole point of Overground is to intercept journeys from radial lines to avoid changing via Zone 1. Also different shades of Orange isn't helpful as it slows down interpretation of the map. The Overground needs to be shown in the context of the London Rail connections map, and therefore needs a clear identity in that display.

I'd personally use a Letter for Each line and then numbers for the branches. So Stratford-Richmond would be route N1, Stratford-Clapham route N2, Euston-Watford W1, Highbury and Islington-New Cross E1, etc.

Anyone using the Euston-Watford line between the 50s and the 80s would remember B1 as the code for that route...

 

[Elecman]

Anyone using the Euston-Watford line between the 50s and the 80s would remember B1 as the code for that route...

Wasn’t that the Broad Street service rather than Euston?

 

[thedbdiboy]

Wasn’t that the Broad Street service rather than Euston?

No, Watford - Broad St was B2 and Richmond - Broad St was B4.

 

[zwk500]

Anyone using the Euston-Watford line between the 50s and the 80s would remember B1 as the code for that route...

It's been 30-40 years since the 80s!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

No, Watford - Broad St was B2 and Richmond - Broad St was B4.

With variations of course , for Watford - Broad St either via the City Loop at Willesden LL , or (rare) via Primrose Hill. !

 

[thedbdiboy]

With variations of course , for Watford - Broad St either via the City Loop at Willesden LL , or (rare) via Primrose Hill. !

The weekday Watford - Broad St via Hampstead Heath used B4 too - it passed me each day on my way to school. B2 was used for the via Primrose Hill service. The Picture shows a B1 to Euston

 

[ChiefPlanner]

The weekday Watford - Broad St via Hampstead Heath used B4 too - it passed me each day on my way to school. B2 was used for the via Primrose Hill service. The Picture shows a B1 to Euston

Just as Watford Junction was being rebuilt. Thanks for the snap.

 

[James H]

Introducing line names on the Overground was a manifesto commitment of the Mayor.

This was the most recent update, dated 14 December:

As you know, in my manifesto for my re-election last year, I committed to launching a programme to give each individual London Overground route its own name and identity. Transport for London (TfL) has begun to explore this, working with City Hall. Work on this project is still in the early stages of development. TfL has been under unprecedented funding pressure since the start of the pandemic. Following the recent long-term funding agreement reached with the Government TfL, together with City Hall, is reviewing projects and expects to confirm more once the TfL Business Plan is published by the end of the year.

Source: https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-ar...yor/find-an-answer/london-overground-naming-0

 

[Basil Jet]

In my opinion the London Overground should have seperate lines like the Tube. The London Overground looks like spaghetti all over the map and it is hard at first glance to tell which services are which. I was thinking a striped line in different shades of orange on the Tube map and a seperate map for people using only the Overground network provided at all stations. What do you guys thing? Let me know
View attachment 128278

Your diagram has the Chingford line and the Enfield/ Cheshunt line the same colour, despite the different stopping patterns meaning that these should be the highest priority for separate branding.

I don't think the Orangeness is that important, after all every tube station has a red roundel but no-one expects all the tube line colours to be variations on the concept of red.

At the risk of repeating myself (I think I've said it here before) I think the Overground lines should be named after animals with distinctive patterns, and the trains should bear those patterns, and the lines on the map should too. The bridges (of which there are many) could be also painted with the pattern in question, thus turning the bridges into a very visible advert for the Overground, so that people seeing a zebra-striped bridge in Leytonstone High Road and another one in Gospel Oak would realise that there were direct trains from Leytonstone to Gospel Oak.

 

[stuu]

Yes, in some form at least. "Severe delays on the Overground" is a useless piece of information. There's no need to change the brand, but some level of signifier would be useful

 

[zwk500]

Yes, in some form at least. "Severe delays on the Overground" is a useless piece of information. There's no need to change the brand, but some level of signifier would be useful

'Severe delays on Overground between Willesden Jn and Gospel Oak' would work for that. Not sure 'Severe delays on the Overground Rhinoceros line' would be much clearer, although I do like the concept of using a common branding on bridges etc.