Sadiq Khan Unveils ‘Re-imagining’ of Overground Map for a Modern London

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during a visit to Highbury and Islington underground station to announce that London Overground services will be split into separate lines in north London on Feb. 15, 2024. Jonathan Brady/PA Media

Sadiq Khan announced a rebrand of London’s Overground lines in what he described as a “re-imagining” of the capital’s tube map that would reflect the “heritage and diversity of our amazing city.”

Unveiling the plans during a visit to Highbury and Islington underground station on Thursday, Mr. Khan announced that London Overground services would be split into six separate lines and given individual names and colours.

The lines will be named Windrush (designated the colour red), Mildmay (blue), Lioness (yellow), Weaver (maroon), Suffragette (green), and Liberty (grey).

According to a press release published by Transport for London (TfL), the Windrush Line will run through areas “with strong ties to Caribbean communities.” Named for the Empire Windrush, the ship that carried one of the first large groups of West Indian migrants to the UK in 1948, TfL said it “honours the Windrush generation who continue to shape and enrich London’s cultural and social identity.”

Mildway is named after a hospital in Shoreditch that had a “pivotal role in the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s,” which made it the “valued and respected place it is for the LGBTQ+ community.”

The Lioness line runs through Wembley and marks the “historic achievements and lasting legacy” of the England women’s football team.

Weaver runs through areas of London known for the textile trade, which TfL described as being “shaped over the centuries by diverse migrant communities.”

The Suffragette line is named after the early twentieth-century movement that campaigned for votes for women, and the Liberty line “celebrates the freedom that is a defining feature of London.”

TfL said that the new names and line colours will make it easier for travellers to navigate the Overground, “while also celebrating the city’s diverse culture and history.”

New Branding Reflects London’s ‘Heritage and Diversity’

Mr. Khan, who as mayor of London is chairman of TfL, said, “This is a hugely exciting moment, transforming how we think about London’s transport network.”

He continued: “Giving each of the Overground lines distinct colours and identities will make it simpler and easier for passengers to get around.

“In re-imagining London’s tube map, we are also honouring and celebrating different parts of London’s unique local history and culture.”

The mayor said the new branding had been chosen through engagement with historians, passengers, and local communities, “reflecting the heritage and diversity of our amazing city.”

Conservative London Assembly member and mayoral candidate Susan Hall criticised the rebrand, posting to X, formerly Twitter: “In typical Sadiq Khan fashion, this pointless, costly, virtue signalling project is costing Londoners £6.3m. Instead of fixing the central line, getting a grip on crime on the tube and on our streets, he’s focusing on his own PR. We’ve had enough of this, it’s time for a change.”

TfL said it expects the rebranding across London’s transport network to be completed in one week in the Autumn of 2024.

Three-Hour Demonstration

The changes are estimated to cost £6.3 million which will come out of the Greater London Authority budget. The funds will go on updating customer information such as redesigning maps across all Tube and Overground stations, issuing new printed and online maps, updating around 6,000 station direction signs, and re-recording public address announcements.

Mr. Khan continues to face opposition to the expansion of his Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across all London boroughs. From Aug. 29, 2023, motorists with non-compliant vehicles must pay a £12.50 daily rate to drive through the ULEZ zone.

On Sunday, around 400 protesters in the London borough of Sutton engaged in a three-hour demonstration, successfully obstructing some 80 enforcement cameras, enabling drivers to move through the area without being charged.

Howard Cox, Reform UK’s mayoral candidate, praised the protest organised by Action Against Unfair ULEZ. Mr. Cox told The Epoch Times: “Great to see a successful peaceful protest against Sadiq Khan’s cash-grabbing ULEZ in Sutton. No arrests made, and no one hindered whatsoever. Decent honest people rightfully showing their disgust at the mendacious London Mayor’s attack on the poorest drivers and small businesses.”

PA Media contributed to this report.