Customers will soon start to find navigating the London Overground easier, with Transport for London (TfL) rolling out the new line names and colours from 20 November.
From this date, the new line names and colours will start to be unveiled across TfL customer information channels and a small number of London Overground stations, with the majority being updated from 25 November. A phased approach is necessary due to the number of maps, diagrams and information systems being updated. This is one of the largest customer-focused projects TfL has ever undertaken to make the network easier to navigate for customers.
TfL will update around 6,000 station wayfinding signs, Tube maps, station digital screens, onboard train information, Journey Planner and TfL Go. Audio and visual announcements on trains and stations will also be updated.
The rollout is taking place as follows:
Signage unveiled over nine days across the 113 stations that London Overground serves
Updates to in-train maps and line diagrams across the London Overground fleet, and an upgrade to the audiovisual passenger information system on the Class 378 trains, which run on the Lioness, Mildmay and Windrush lines
New Tube maps at all stations
Online versions of maps live on the TfL website
Updates to customer information screens and PA announcements at London Overground stations
Digital channel updates, including the TfL website and TfL Go, will be updated in two phases which will be fully completed by mid-December
The audiovisual passenger information system on the Class 710 trains will follow by January 2025
Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “This is an exciting step as millions of customer journeys on the London Overground will be transformed by making it simpler to navigate. Individual line colours and names have helped customers navigate the Tube for more than a hundred years, so we wanted to take a similar approach on the London Overground. These changes will help improve customer confidence when travelling and encourage more to use our services.”
This is the first time each of the London Overground lines will be represented by a name and colour to make it easier for customers to navigate London’s transport network, while also celebrating the city’s diverse culture and history.
The new names and colours are:
Lioness (running from Watford Junction to Euston) – yellow
Mildmay (running from Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford) - blue
Windrush (running from Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace and West Croydon) – red
Weaver (running from Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford) – maroon
Suffragette (running from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside) – green
Liberty (running from Romford to Upminster) – grey
Stakeholders, customers, staff, historians, industry experts and communities have played a key role in helping decide the names through engagement, which took place ahead of the decision on the final six names. London’s diverse history and culture have always played a significant role in shaping the city, and it was important for the line names, which will be used for years to come, to reflect this.
Throughout the summer, TfL has engaged with customers through a number of activities all designed to help people become familiar with the new London Overground line name and colours. This includes a new series of TfL’s ‘Mind the Gap’ podcasts that delve into the history of each line name. These podcasts have been among the most popular TfL has produced, showing customers have taken a genuine interest in what’s behind each of the names.
TfL also teamed up with walking app Go Jauntly and launched six fascinating self-guided walks to help celebrate the new London Overground line names. Each one helps participants to delve into the stories behind each of the line names and visit points of interest while encouraging them to stay active.
