TFL has announced new names for London Overground Lines. Whilst I think this is a wonderful idea, on reflection, I think he's not got it right. Here are my views on the new names, line by line, with a mark out of 10
Lioness - 10/10 - I like this. It goes to Wembley and the Lionesses deserve the accolade. This is the one they got right. It makes sense
Mildmay - 0/10 - This has always been the North London Line. People know it. It doesn't need changing.
Windrush - 1/10 - Windrush is associated with the arrival of Carribean workers from the West Indies. They largely settled in areas in South and West London, such as Brixton and Notting Hill. If the line ran from Notting Hill/Harlesden/Willesden to Brixton, this would be a great name, but it is on totally the wrong axis of London. I gave it a 1, as the line does need a name. As the main area served is East London, the old name, The East London Line might have been OK. I'd have called it The Cablestreet line if I was going to change it
Weaver 2/10 - Another line that needed a name. The Weaver line says nothing that I can associate with. I'd have called it the Grassroots line, as it stops at Hackney Downs, the home of Grassroots football in London. Association Football is the sport of London and I doubt too many would argue. There are quite a few proper grass roots clubs of repute on the line, they should have bigged this up. I guess that our Mayor isn't interested in what ordinary Londoners are interested in
Suffragette - 0/10 - Again, Londoners know this as the Goblin Line as it goes from from Gospel Oak to Barking. To me, the Suffragettes were a national campaign, this implies it was a North London quirk. Totally inappropriate.
Liberty - 4/10 - I wasn't aware of this line, three stops from Romford to Upminster. As such it clearly needed some sort of rebrand, but why 'Liberty'. I know little about Romford (other than I dated a girl from there) and even less about Upminster. I did a little google and apparently the Speed of Sound was first calculated in Upminster. I'd call it the Sonic line, but let the locals decide.
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Mildmay - Name is too “niche”, it used to be the North London line, even the West London line section from Willesden Junction to Clapham Junction is still north of the river.
Windrush - very appropriate for the line that goes through Brixton, except that it doesn’t actually stop at Brixton!
Lionesses - Too “pop culture”, not sufficiently “timeless”, it was called “Harlequin line”. Efford privatisation, should have reinstated that.
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