Local London Overground Service Now the Mildmay Line
Name chosen is of a hospital in Shoreditch specialising in HIV
South Acton station. Picture: Sunil060902
February 15, 2024
Transport for London (TfL) has announced new names for each of London Overground’s six lines with the local branch becoming the Mildmay line.
The route from Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford which serves stations including Gunnersbury, South Acton, Acton Central, Shepherd’s Bush and West Brompton will now be designated by two parallel blue lines.
Mildmay is the name of a small charitable hospital in Shoreditch that is best known for caring for people with HIV/AIDS in the 1980s, making it a place of significant for the LGBTQ+ community.
TfL says the new names were chosen after engagement with passengers, stakeholders, historians, industry experts and local communities and that research it has undertaken has shown that some customers find the London Overground network confusing and would find it easier to navigate if it wasn’t one single colour and name.
The orange roundel will continue to be used across the London Overground network.
The other line names are:
• The Lioness line: Euston to Watford Junction. The Lioness line, which runs through Wembley, honours the England women’s football team. It will be yellow parallel lines on the map.
• The Windrush line: Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction/New Cross/Crystal Palace/West Croydon. The Windrush line runs through areas with strong ties to Caribbean communities today, such as Dalston Junction, Peckham Rye and West Croydon and honours the Windrush generation. It will be red parallel lines on the map.
• The Weaver line: Liverpool Street to Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford. The Weaver line runs through Liverpool Street, Spitalfields, Bethnal Green and Hackney - areas of London known for their textile trade. It will be maroon parallel lines on the map.
• The Suffragette line: Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside. The Suffragette line celebrates the movement which fought for votes for woman and paved the way for women’s rights. The line runs to Barking, home of the longest surviving Suffragette Annie Huggett, who died at 103. It will be green parallel lines on the map.
• The Liberty line: Romford to Upminster. The Liberty line celebrates the historical independence of the people of Havering, through which it runs. It will be grey parallel lines on the map.
Geoff Coleman, Chief Executive Officer for Mildmay Mission Hospital, said, “We are deeply honoured that the Mildmay line was chosen as one of the new London Overground lines names in recognition of the work of the dedicated doctors, nurses and support staff at the Mildmay Hospital. From its humble origins in the 1860s - serving the poorest people of the East End - to its pivotal role during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 80s and 90s, Mildmay has evolved into an internationally renowned rehab centre, and our dedicated team continues to serve people from across London. More than just tracks and stations, the Mildmay line symbolises a journey of acceptance, love, and belonging – a vibrant thread connecting our collective past, present, and future.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said, “This is a hugely exciting moment, transforming how we think about London’s transport network.
“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 new names and colours have been chosen through engagement with passengers, historians and local communities, reflecting the heritage and diversity of our amazing city.”
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |