Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Comment
Andy Beill

OPINION - Talking Point: Should TfL spend £4 million renaming the Overground lines?

Transport for London (TfL) is to explore “options” for renaming the Overground lines, as set out in its 2023/24 budget.

The six orange lines on the London transportation map, which cover 112 stations, are currently identifiable by only their start and end points. They are:

  • Highbury & Islington West Croydon/Clapham Junction/Crystal Palace
  • Richmond/Clapham Junction to Stratford
  • Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside
  • Watford Junction to Euston
  • Liverpool Street to Enfield Town/Cheshunt/Chingford
  • Romford to Upminster

Giving the lines their own names could make the transport network more easily navigable and obvious where journeys are running.

The rebranding will, of course, come at a cost. City Hall will spend £4 million to look into the proposal, though it remains unclear how much the implementation would cost should it get the go-ahead.

The idea was one of Sadiq Khan’s election pledges in 2016 when Londoners first voted him in as Mayor so it has not come out of nowhere — albeit it has been a very long time coming.

Should TfL spend £4 million renaming the Overground lines? Let us know in the comments or on our Instagram for your chance to be featured on the Evening Standard website.

Earlier this week, we asked: Can the Met earn back London’s trust?

https://twitter.com/sea55red/status/1638295881781764097

On Facebook, C.R. Oakton answered: “Not in a million years”

Jonathan Huang commented: “The problems in the MET are not politically solved. These institutional problems have existed since before most of us were born. The solution needs to come from the top down, not the bottom up.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.