New Overground line names progress?

[Peter Sarf]

Goodness me, those alternative options make me glad they went for the ones they did.

The cynic in me suggests the alternatives were come up with to make the names chosen look more attractive.

Meanwhile in Paris its -
RER Line A, RER Line B etc etc, (sort of equivalent to Thameslink and Elizabeth Line (ie Crossrail 1)).
with Metro lines numbered 1 to 14. (equivalent of London's Underground)

What is the obsession with names ?.

 

[stuu]

The cynic in me suggests the alternatives were come up with to make the names chosen look more attractive.

Meanwhile in Paris its -
RER Line A, RER Line B etc etc, (sort of equivalent to Thameslink and Elizabeth Line (ie Crossrail 1)).
with Metro lines numbered 1 to 14. (equivalent of London's Underground)

What is the obsession with names ?.

Lines in London have names, not numbers. Other cities use names too

 

[Mag_seven]

Just a gentle reminder that this thread is about reporting progress on the new London Overground names. If anyone wants to discuss anything else then please start a new thread elsewhere.

For discussion about alternative names please use this thread:

What names would you give to the Overground lines?

Moderator note-split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/new-overground-line-names-progress.271250/ If i was in charge i would have picked these names for the London Overground lines: • East London Line - Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction and Crystal Palace and West Croydon and...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Dave W]

Interesting that the previously discussed Harlequin is in the long list presented without explanation. It would only be TfL who, despite the name having links with the DC lines, would probably have applied it somewhere else

There's some drek in the list but I thought the article summed it up nicely:

But it’s a helpful reminder of how the all iconic names that we use for parts of London’s infrastructure were ultimately chosen by individuals and reflected the era in which they lived.

no-one over the age of thirty

Eh? What's age got to do with it?

 

[BeijingDave]

I have changed my mind about this, I actually think it works pretty well.

 

[boiledbeans2]

Just had a ride on Sunday (15th June 2025) on the diverted Mildmay line route: Stratford - Primose Hill - Willesden Junction low-level.

The WB journey starting from Stratford was declared a Mildmay line throughout the entire journey on the display and announcements, which seemed logical.

However, the EB journey from Willesden Junction was declared a "Lioness Line to Stratford" throughout the entire journey.

 

[vuzzeho]

Just had a ride on Sunday (15th June 2025) on the diverted Mildmay line route: Stratford - Primose Hill - Willesden Junction low-level.

The WB journey starting from Stratford was declared a Mildmay line throughout the entire journey on the display and announcements, which seemed logical.

However, the EB journey from Willesden Junction was declared a "Lioness Line to Stratford" throughout the entire journey.

I wondered what would happen when they did that kind of service. That's pretty fun.

 

[ijmad]

Missed opportunity to refer to it as the "Mildness"

 

[BJames]

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).

 

[Dstock7080]

New car line diagrams also appearing on 1992 Stock and S8 Stock.
Other Stock will start to receive new ones soon.

 

[Mojo]

Saw new CLDs on the Bakerloo this morning with the Overground line names.

Also of interest the zones are now on a grey background rather than blue.

 

[vuzzeho]

Spotted on the Northern line.

Images: Carriage maps on a Northern line train, showing the new maps with Overground lines named.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Spotted on the Northern line.

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…

 

[Class15]

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…

I agree with this. The overground brand is iconic and I will always associate it with my childhood. Growing up on a line revitalised by the ‘orange tube’, the overground brand became a part of life for me. I’m not sure ‘Mildmay line’ will quite hit as hard. I feel like North London line would’ve fitted the line’s ‘vibe’ much better.

 

[jon0844]

It's still London Overground. The trains are still branded as such.

Besides the 'usual suspects' that still moan about giving names and saying nasty things about the Mayor of London, surely by now people are seeing the benefits of having each line individually identifiable - especially when doing service status checks.

 

[stadler]

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…

It is not really fading away. They are keeping the "London Overground" brand as the overall brand in the same way that they have kept the "London Underground" brand. The only difference is that LO now operates like LU in that each line has its own name. But the livery and branding of the trains remains the same.

 

[AM9]

I agree with this. The overground brand is iconic and I will always associate it with my childhood. Growing up on a line revitalised by the ‘orange tube’, the overground brand became a part of life for me. I’m not sure ‘Mildmay line’ will quite hit as hard. I feel like North London line would’ve fitted the line’s ‘vibe’ much better.

Once those who instinctively resist the changes can remember the relevant lines, Mildmay, Suffragette, Weaver etc., they will be as universally recognised as the names Jubilee, Victoria and Bakerloo are*.

* apart from a few who are still hung up on changes that they didn't want.

 

[Silent]

Saw new CLDs on the Bakerloo this morning with the Overground line names.

Also of interest the zones are now on a grey background rather than blue.

Why change for Lioness line at Willesden Junction? I just noticed the zones are now grey instead of blue.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jul 2025 ==

I agree with this. The overground brand is iconic and I will always associate it with my childhood. Growing up on a line revitalised by the ‘orange tube’, the overground brand became a part of life for me. I’m not sure ‘Mildmay line’ will quite hit as hard. I feel like North London line would’ve fitted the line’s ‘vibe’ much better.

Is this a thing that has faded away and then came back with London transport/tfl branding. For example, early 00s I remember buses had no roundels on their body usually until late 00’s. Then since the 10s the rounders seem more prominent on tfl vehicles, the 710s and 24 stock have more built in roundels compared to 378’s and pre s stock.

And then the change to having unique stock for each line in the 80s/90s may have made underground trains feel less London Underground or less representative of the then London transport brand, idk though.

Yeah I think the overground branding might be changing, thinking about it, but it’s always probably been this way.

 

[vuzzeho]

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…

It's not. It's still firmly there - the lines just have names now. People still refer to it as the Overground, same as they refer to Tube lines as the Underground. The trains still say Overground, the announcements say Overground (for now) and even when they're changed, it'll likely be 'Change for London Overground ______ line'. The stations still say Overground. While there's new lines with new colours, the overarching colour is still orange.

 

[Recessio]

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

 

[Farnborough]

It's still London Overground. The trains are still branded as such.

Besides the 'usual suspects' that still moan about giving names and saying nasty things about the Mayor of London, surely by now people are seeing the benefits of having each line individually identifiable - especially when doing service status checks.

While the separate colours are not a bad thing, the lines already had names - there was no need replace the names.

And we've managed for long enough with all of the mainline lines being the same colour...

 

[jon0844]

While the separate colours are not a bad thing, the lines already had names - there was no need replace the names.

And we've managed for long enough with all of the mainline lines being the same colour...

I'd say coped, rather than managed. Before these names, there weren't official names and they weren't advertised. Of course people survived, but giving names and unique colours now makes it easy to identify where issues are (and discard information that doesn't impact you on the line you are using).

Plenty of people get confused when there are delays on mainline TOCs that aren't clearly broken down to an area or route, so you don't know if the issue impacts you.

 

[thomalex]

The way the Overground names have been handled with this is a complete abomination. There needs to be a ground up overhaul of the whole thing as it simply doesn’t work.

Just looking at some of these diagrams and we’ve got overground lines highlighted with double lines, the Elizabeth line, also a double line, appearing as a tube line with no double line, and no reference to the Overground at all.

Back to the drawing board

 

[vuzzeho]

Just looking at some of these diagrams and we’ve got overground lines highlighted with double lines, the Elizabeth line, also a double line, appearing as a tube line with no double line, and no reference to the Overground at all.

There is reference to the Overground on every map - they're listed under 'Overground' and on line maps with interchanges, the orange roundel appears next to their names. The Elizabeth line is specified as a separate mode with every map, and while it appears with the Tube, everything does - even Thameslink. The map's a lot, yes, but let's not act like the Overground renaming is why. I would say it's actually made the map easier to read, not having a mass of orange.

 

[croydontangle]

Just looking at some of these diagrams and we’ve got overground lines highlighted with double lines, the Elizabeth line, also a double line, appearing as a tube line with no double line, and no reference to the Overground at all.

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

 

[Russel]

For all of the uproar when this was announced, these names seem to have bedded in quite well, it's like they've always been there.

 

[croydontangle]

Yeah I agree — the only place they sound a bit odd is Class 378 announcements! (but that’s no fault of the names of course)

 

[Cach17]

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

 

[Taunton]

Whitechapel station is a right mess, with signage down at the Elizabeth Line level only referring to 'Overground', and up at the interchange corridor only referring to 'Windrush Line', neither making any reference to the other.

 

[Silent]

I agree. I think the solution is kinda more nuanced than it seems because it’s about looking clear to passengers. I find the tube interchanges easiest to read and notice on a tube line diagram.