The London Overground gets a major rebrand

For the primary time in almost 20 years, the London Overground is debuting a colourful new look—and renaming all six of its traces.

The Overground, in-built 2007 by Transport for London (TfL), modernized the town’s public transit by connecting extra routes exterior of central London, creating “a completely orbital community” across the capital. On London’s iconic Tube Map, all six of those traces have been represented in orange and ultimately nicknamed “the Ginger line.” However because it’s grown over time, the Overground has began to look an entire lot extra like a multitude of orange squiggles. 

“[The lines are] at present proven as a sophisticated community of orange on route maps,” TfL transport commissioner Andy Lord mentioned in a press launch. “This may be complicated for purchasers much less accustomed to the community and might be a barrier for some wanting to make use of the London Overground.”

London’s Tube Map was initially designed by Harry Beck in 1931 and has since been lauded for its simplicity and topology-forward perspective. Nevertheless, analysis from the TfL uncovered that the ever-expanding monotone Overground traces have been making the map much less legible. Now, every line can be redesignated with its personal shade and culturally vital title. The complete rebrand is anticipated to price $7.9 million and attain completion by the tip of 2024.

To pay homage to native landmarks and leaders, a gaggle of shoppers, native historians, and transport specialists helped the TfL brainstorm and choose names for the brand new traces. The yellow Lioness line, which runs close to Wembley Stadium, honors England’s girls’s soccer staff; the blue Mildmay line is a testomony to a small hospital that was instrumental in supporting its neighborhood through the HIV/AIDS disaster; and the inexperienced Suffragette line celebrates working-class girls within the East Finish who fought for equal voting rights. 

“There are such a lot of fascinating, and sometimes forgotten, tales from our metropolis that must be instructed and remembered,” London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan instructed the TfL. “Naming the traces is not going to solely assist educate guests about our superb metropolis and its unbelievable historical past, however will even make it simpler for individuals who reside, work, or go to London to navigate the town.”