New Overground line names progress?

[Tobberz]

Something to wonder about is what the West London Orbital will be named if/when it opens...

As it covers both Brentford and Brent Cross, I was thinking of a Bakerloo style solution. Perhaps the Brentbrent line.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

As it covers both Brentford and Brent Cross, I was thinking of a Bakerloo style solution. Perhaps the Brentbrent line.

Given that by the time that opens we’ll probably have a Tory mayor again it’ll probably be called something like the ‘Alfred the Great’ Line or something

 

[Silent]

What social movement or accomplishment has happened in the west London orbital area? I’m following the current overground names.

 

[jon0844]

What social movement or accomplishment has happened in the west London orbital area? I’m following the current overground names.

We demonstrated the move to using concrete for elevated roadways, so maybe call it the concrete line?

 

[Sad Sprinter]

We demonstrated the move to using concrete for elevated roadways, so maybe call it the concrete line?

The British Black Panthers were from Notting Hill, although that’s a bit far from the Dudden Hill Freight Line

 

[Wolfie]

Given that by the time that opens we’ll probably have a Tory mayor again it’ll probably be called something like the ‘Alfred the Great’ Line or something

Apart from the fact that hell will likely freeze over before that happens... My prediction would be the "Churchill" or just possibly, if his health struggles don't succeed, the "Charles", line...

 

[Silent]

I actually find it quite sad the Overground brand is fading away. Fond memories of me and my dad finding any excuse to ride on the newly opened East London Line section every weekend practically in 2010. Yes the lines should have always been named, but to see “Overground” disappearing for the names chosen in particular…

Just saw a new Bakerloo Line Diagram. I felt like the new overground line interchanges actually make the overground brand stand out more as it doesn't look like any other mode interchange currently.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Apart from the fact that hell will likely freeze over before that happens... My prediction would be the "Churchill" or just possibly, if his health struggles don't succeed, the "Charles", line...

London getting a Tory mayor isn’t that unlikely, but yes Churchill is what they’d probably go for. Sick of it.

 

[renegademaster]

I think the Overground renaming is rather orthogonal to TfL having an inconsistent design language for the Elizabeth line — I would argue that the Elizabeth line, DLR and Trams (all double lines) should look the same as an Overground interchange now does on CLDs to have a clear visual indication between Tube and non-Tube services.

I think as vuzzeho said above me it’s disingenuous at best to blame a cluttered Tube map/inconsistent CLD interchange symbols on the Overground renaming

It's not sole cause but it's certainly not helping, and definitely going to get much worse if TfL ever get their dream of painting South London Orange, which they could get with GBR devolution, good luck finding another 6 or 7 unique colours

 

[Sad Sprinter]

It's not sole cause but it's certainly not helping, and definitely going to get much worse if TfL ever get their dream of painting South London Orange, which they could get with GBR devolution, good luck finding another 6 or 7 unique colours

South London is going to be interesting. I think ironically these are where manufactured names are most needed because each line isn’t really named. You can’t really call them the Brighton Line or the Chatham Line, or the Catford Line or whatever, you’d have to make them up. Whereas the existing Overground routes already had names.

 

[Tobberz]

Perhaps they'll follow in the theme of "Suffragette", and name the line after another militant group which conducted bombing campaigns. I can think of a few...

 

[croydontangle]

It's not sole cause but it's certainly not helping, and definitely going to get much worse if TfL ever get their dream of painting South London Orange, which they could get with GBR devolution, good luck finding another 6 or 7 unique colours

Yeah if they convert all the South London commuter lines into Overground lines there will be a bigger problem. But as it stands that hasn’t happened so isn’t relevant to the current state of Tube maps/CLDs, which is what I was talking about.

 

[renegademaster]

hasn’t happened so isn’t relevant to the current state o

Its what they are planning to do and TfL should attempt to do some forward planning in its design language rather than assuming (against the organisations plans) that the tube map will stay the same forever. "Elizabeth line line" was the beginning of the decline but more has been done since

 

[boiledbeans2]

Just to say that I have started to notice other line diagrams being updated. The Victoria line unit I was on yesterday evening had brand new line diagrams and maps with all of the new names. Everything seemed to have been updated. There were other minor changes to the car line diagrams including noting that you could exit for the Elizabeth line at Oxford Circus with a short walk.

Particularly pleased to see this as some of the Victoria car line diagrams are very old, showing the northern end pre-London Overground (some stickers got acciedentally torn off following the closure of Seven Sisters-Walthamstow some years back and were never replaced).

Just saw a new Bakerloo Line Diagram. I felt like the new overground line interchanges actually make the overground brand stand out more as it doesn't look like any other mode interchange currently.

I've seen both the Vic and Bakerloo line new diagrams. As mentioned in the quote above, the new Vic line diagram shows an interchange for the Elizabeth line at Oxford Circus. However, the new Bakerloo line diagram doesn't. Seems rather typical of TfL nowadays to be inconsistent.

 

[Crithylum]

I've seen both the Vic and Bakerloo line new diagrams. As mentioned in the quote above, the new Vic line diagram shows an interchange for the Elizabeth line at Oxford Circus. However, the new Bakerloo line diagram doesn't. Seems rather typical of TfL nowadays to be inconsistent.

I suspect that the expected interchange to the Bakerloo is at Paddington. Anyone traveling from south (Bakerloo) to east (Elizabeth) should really be taking the Northern line (possibly with a change at Waterloo).

 

[sad1e]

There's still line diagrams in Jubilee Line Extension stations that mention the East London Line - so I guess they might skip over "Overground" straight to the individual line names

Not just in the extension Stations. There are a few north of Finchley road I can think of that still have signage referring to the ELL , one of the enamel line diagrams at West Hampstead particularly springs to mind.

 

[Silent]

I've seen both the Vic and Bakerloo line new diagrams. As mentioned in the quote above, the new Vic line diagram shows an interchange for the Elizabeth line at Oxford Circus. However, the new Bakerloo line diagram doesn't. Seems rather typical of TfL nowadays to be inconsistent.

Seems to maybe be because on Bakerloo Line you have Paddington as an interchange. I don't know if it's just inconsistent or trying to somehow manipulate passenger flow, especially as they can track it.

 

[Wolfie]

Not just in the extension Stations. There are a few north of Finchley road I can think of that still have signage referring to the ELL , one of the enamel line diagrams at West Hampstead particularly springs to mind.

Canada Water is interesting for that. Most of the station signage shows the Overground. The lift button permanent signage shows the East London line. The added new signage in the lifts shows Mildmay line.

Some of the old East London line stations, Whitechapel in particular, had parts of their platform metal facings replaced. Some perhaps to include new signage. Interesting the top orange band on the new panels is clearly a different shade of orange to that on the old ones.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Meanwhile, I noticed this morning on 701025 (which has only been in service for about 6 weeks) that the status update screens were not only showing an undifferentiated "Overground" (part suspended - not very useful) but also refrred to something called "TfL Rail" which could mystify more than a few people - although given that the line is question has little or no relevance to SW London* it is probably not seen as a high priority to change.

* I am struggling to think of any conceivable logical journey involving both SWR and the Lizzie, unless you are travelling east of Stratford

 

[Ashley Hill]

Are the new names catching on with Londoners or are they considered meaningless?

 

[Wolfie]

Are the new names catching on with Londoners or are they considered meaningless?

Absolutely the former

 

[Ashley Hill]

Absolutely the former

I’m surprised but good to hear.

 

[Edsmith]

Absolutely the former

Definitely, I don't hear anyone referring to the Lioness Line or whatever, totally pointless exercise.

 

[Ashley Hill]

I travelled around London last week but nobody seem to take notice of the new names.

 

[Silent]

Are the new names catching on with Londoners or are they considered meaningless?

I'm getting used to them

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Aug 2025 ==

Not just in the extension Stations. There are a few north of Finchley road I can think of that still have signage referring to the ELL , one of the enamel line diagrams at West Hampstead particularly springs to mind.

I wonder if tfl has gotten more careless with map diagrams since most people use their smartphone to navigate. For the past 10 years or so map diagrams were given overlays until the new overground names where map diagrams have quickly been replaced. With the Lizz Line it only seemed like some map diagrams were updated but not all of them. I don't think this was the case in the early to mid 00's but maybe because it may have became a regulation to start showing step free access stations on map diagrams and also a different time period where the tfl map wasn't changing as much but the way the map was presented was. I'm thinking the grey zone colour is to match london overground map diagrams in style a bit maybe? Also the talk of paper not being eco friendly if used a lot may have been used as an excuse to not completely update map diagrams. I know certain stations have really old map diagrams though and I like them for nostalgia.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Aug 2025 ==

I travelled around London last week but nobody seem to take notice of the new names.

How do you know that?

 

[Mikey C]

Are the new names catching on with Londoners or are they considered meaningless?

No idea. You'd need to do some proper indenpedent market research to get an answer to that. And one without leading questions also!

I'm sure TfL will claim that the names have caught on with the public, but they're hardly neutral observers.

 

[duffield]

Everyone who travels regularly and uses the service status summary dashboard will soon become familiar with the names of the lines they travel on; it's not only on the TfL website but appears on (e.g.) the BBC London local news. Surely loads of people check this before setting out in the morning?

 

[Dave W]

Definitely, I don't hear anyone referring to the Lioness Line or whatever, totally pointless exercise.

Well if that's your experience that must be true of all 9 million of us, eh? Plus the hundreds of thousands that visit every day.

I don't need them for wayfinding (as a Londoner) but they're hugely useful in disruption - in the previous system Overground delays required more investigation. Splitting the lines out helps identification.

I live at the top of the Weaver. In ye olden days of "Severe delays on the overground" that could be me stuffed (overhead wire issues at Seven Sisters), or me gaily cracking on with my day (train fault at Denmark Hill).

To me the actual names are irrelevant and they could have called them whatever. But ultimately they've been named certain things. If you don't like the names you can pretend they don't exist. They still will.

 

[renegademaster]

system Overground delays required more investigation. Splitting the lines out helps identification

Only with a few of the lines, the more branchy lines it's still pretty useless. "The Windrush line is part suspended" is still going to require you to get your phone out, since you'll need to figure out whether it's the Crystal Palace branch, the West Croydon branch, further up somewhere like Sydenham or in the South London line part.

 

[Dave W]

Only with a few of the lines, the more branchy lines it's still pretty useless. "The Windrush line is part suspended" is still going to require you to get your phone out, since you'll need to figure out whether it's the Crystal Palace branch, the West Croydon branch, further up somewhere like Sydenham or in the South London line part.

So you're advocating for more names, I take it!