Unveiling London’s Vibrant New Overground Line Names and Colors

A transformative chapter has commenced for the London Overground – each line will now be designated with a unique colour and name, as part of an ambitious £6.3 million upgrade.

Historically, the London Overground has been eclipsed by the renowned Underground, which has long featured named lines displayed in distinctive hues on the iconic Tube map.

Regardless of your feelings towards your local Tube line, at least it was easily identifiable — a contrast to the uniformly orange Overground lines.

However, this has changed with the official unveiling of unique names and colours for each Overground line across the TfL network, following an earlier announcement this year.

Transport for London (TfL) has indicated that 6,000 station direction signs, alongside maps, digital displays, and online journey planners, will be updated accordingly.

Below are the newly designated names and colours as part of the £6.3 million enhancement.

What are the updated London Overground line names and colours?

The six new line names that have been adopted are Lioness, Mildmay, Windrush, Weaver, Suffragette, and Liberty.

These names were not randomly chosen — TfL involved a variety of stakeholders, customers, staff members, historians, industry specialists, and community representatives in the naming process.

The transport authority stated that these names were selected to honor and recognize notable aspects of London’s history and culture.

With an estimated total cost of £6.3 million, the expenses will reportedly be covered by the Greater London Authority budget overseen by Mayor Sadiq Khan.

New London Overground route names and their significance

• The Lioness – this line connects Euston and Watford Junction, honoring the England women’s football team for their Euro 2022 triumph at Wembley.
• The Mildmay – running between Stratford and Richmond/Clapham Junction, it is named after the Mildmay Mission Hospital in Shoreditch, known for treating patients with HIV-related conditions.
• The Windrush – linking Highbury and Islington, Clapham Junction/New Cross/Crystal Palace/West Croydon, this name pays tribute to the Windrush generation who arrived in the UK to address labor shortages, running through areas with Caribbean community ties.
• The Weaver – connecting Liverpool Street to Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford, this line traverses areas historically associated with textile trade.
• The Suffragette – the line between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside is named to commemorate the fight for women’s voting rights, notably honoring suffragette Annie Huggett, who lived in Barking until the age of 103.
• The Liberty – this line stretches between Romford and Upminster, celebrating Havering’s historic self-governance through a royal liberty.

Here are the specific colours associated with each name.

• Lioness – yellow parallel lines
• Mildmay – blue parallel lines
• Windrush – red parallel lines
• Weaver – maroon parallel lines
• Suffragette – green parallel lines
• Liberty – grey parallel lines

Nonetheless, it may take some additional time for the new names and colours to be fully integrated into all Tube maps and announcements due to budgetary limitations, according to TfL.

What has been said regarding the Overground overhaul?

Today, the Overground system features a total of 130 stations, having expanded from an initial four suburban rail lines that TfL took over in 2007.

Passengers have previously described it as a ‘mass of orange spaghetti’ on maps.

Andy Lord, the transport commissioner for London, remarked: ‘This marks an exciting advance, as millions of customer journeys on the London Overground will be simplified through enhanced navigation.

‘Distinct line colours and names have assisted riders in navigating the Tube for over a century, thus we aimed to adopt a similar strategy for the London Overground.

‘These modifications will bolster passenger confidence in traveling and motivate more individuals to utilize our services.’

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