London train lines to have names reflecting diversity

SIX overground rail routes in London are to be given names reflecting the diversity of the city as part of a £4 million project to try to make the capital’s public transport network easier to navigate.

Local councils and London TravelWatch, the city’s transport watchdog, may be asked for views, but it remains to be seen whether the public will be able to suggest names for the routes.

The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, an organisation set up by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to reflect the capital’s diverse population on statues, memorials and street names, is likely to be consulted, the MyLondon news website reported.

Other cities, including Paris, Berlin and Madrid, have given rail lines letters and numbers to help those using the network find their way around easier.

But, Mr Khan has ruled out using letters or numbers, preferring to follow the Tube map approach of full names.

Names such as Victoria, Jubilee and Elizabeth line as well as the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) have all come from City Hall or Transport for London (TfL).

Mr Khan says he wants each individual line to have an “identity” to “recognise and celebrate” the capital’s diversity.

The Commission for Diversity was established in the wake of the Black Lives Matter campaign in 2020. It aims “to increase the presence of underrepresented groups including women, Black, Asian and minority ethnic, LGBTQ+ and disabled Londoners.”

The six overground routes are Euston to Watford Junction, Stratford to Richmond, Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside, Romford to Upminster, Highbury & Islington to New Cross/West Croydon/ Crystal Palace/Clapham Junction and Liverpool Street to Enfield Town/ Cheshunt/Chingford.

Mr Khan made naming the routes a manifesto pledge in 2021. Additional cash for this activity was ring-fenced in the budget for the upcoming financial year.