London Overground

Pre-1999

Rail services in Great Britain are mostly run under franchises operated by private train operating companies, marketed together as National Rail.^[4]

The concept of developing a network of orbital services around London goes back to the independently produced Ringrail proposals in the early 1970s.^[5] Some of these were evaluated in the London Rail Study of 1974^[6] (the Barren Report) and Barren suggested consideration of a North London Network of orbital services, based on a later suggestion by the Ringrail Group, which involved using many existing rail routes, rather than the new construction suggested in earlier drafts of the Ringrail Plan.

The proposal from Barren was for several overlapping services mainly using the North London line, generally at 20-minute intervals.^[5] The suggested routes followed the original North London line service from Broad Street to Richmond, new services from Barking to Clapham Junction, and a third service from Ealing Broadway to North Woolwich. However, the Wilson government's continuing antipathy to the railways,^{[citation needed]} along with British Rail's management's lack of interest in minor local train services, meant that few of these initiatives were carried forward.

In 1979, the Greater London Council (GLC) decided to sponsor an improved service from Camden Road, on the North London line, to North Woolwich, opening up a previously freight-only line between Dalston and Stratford and linking it to an improved Stratford – North Woolwich service. This was given the marketing name Crosstown Linkline, and operated with basic two-car diesel multiple units.

The next initiative came from the GLC in 1984, when the government supported the Broadgate development that would entail the demolition of Broad Street station. The closure process was convoluted because of problems in making alternative arrangements for the North London line, and the remaining services operating from Watford Junction to the City. These eventually ran to and from Liverpool Street via a new section of track, the Graham Road Curve.

British Rail replaced the existing three-car Class 501 electric trains (built 1957)^[7] with slightly newer but shorter two-car Class 416 electric trains (built 1959^[8]), leading to overcrowding^{[citation needed]}. In 1988, by reorganising and reducing services on the Great Northern routes from Moorgate, about 18 relatively modern Class 313 dual-voltage electric trains were transferred to operate the North London and Watford services, from both Euston and Liverpool Street.

Several voluntary sector groups, the Railway Development Society (RDS, later Railfuture), Transport 2000's then London groups, and the Capital Transport Campaign, launched a series of leaflets and briefings promoting a concept called Outer Circle. This name had once been used for a semi-circular service from Broad Street to Mansion House, which ceased during World War I.

Mayor of London and GLA

The pamphlets and briefings, first issued in 1997, initially suggested a route from Clapham Junction to the Greenwich Peninsula, intended to improve access from south London to the Millennium Dome. However, this was thwarted by architect Richard Rogers^{[citation needed]} who considered that a railway route on a viaduct could cause "community severance",^{[citation needed]} and so the Victorian brick viaduct was demolished. Nothing further happened to develop this network until after the new Greater London Authority (GLA) was launched in 2000. But the lobbying discreetly continued, with a series of short briefings published by one RDS member based in North London. Mayoral and GLA candidates were approached to discuss the viability of the Outer Circle concept. The principle was widely supported and was adopted into the first Mayor's Transport Plan, published in 2001.

Meanwhile, a pilot scheme was launched in 2003 to bring several National Rail local services, mainly in South London, operated by Connex South Eastern, Southern and South West Trains under the ON – Overground Network brand. TfL introduced consistent information displays, station signage and maps on the selected routes in South London. Although this pilot was primarily an exercise in branding, some service improvements were introduced, and it was the first instance of the newly created TfL having a visible influence over National Rail services. The pilot scheme was later dropped.

In January 2004 the Department for Transport (DfT) announced a review of the rail industry in Great Britain.^[9] As part of that review, TfL proposed a "London Regional Rail Authority" to give TfL regulatory powers over rail services in and around Greater London.^[10]

A result of this consultation was agreement by the Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, to transfer the Silverlink Metro services from DfT to TfL control.^[11]

Silverlink had two areas of operation: Silverlink County regional services from Euston to Northampton, St Albans Abbey, Bletchley and Bedford; and Silverlink Metro within the London urban area. When the franchise was split up in 2007, County services were taken over by the London Midland franchise,^[12] and the Metro services came under TfL control. TfL decided to let this franchise as a management contract, with TfL taking the revenue risk.

Announcements and launch

On 20 February 2006, the DfT announced that TfL would take over management of services then provided by Silverlink Metro.^[13] Tenders were invited to operate the service under the provisional name of the North London Railway.^[14][15][16]

On 5 September 2006, London Overground branding was announced, and it was confirmed that the extended East London line would be included.^[17]

On 25 June 2007, a statutory instrument was laid before parliament to exclude the ex-Silverlink metro lines from the franchising process, which enabled them to be operated as a concession.^[18]

On 11 November 2007, TfL took over the North London Railway routes from Silverlink Metro. The following day there was an official launch ceremony at Hampstead Heath station with the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone; there was also a later media event on the bay platform at Willesden Junction.

The launch was accompanied by a marketing campaign entitled "London's new train set", with posters and leaflets carrying an image of model railway packaging containing new Overground trains, tracks and staff.^[20]

At the launch, TfL undertook to revamp the routes by improving service frequencies and station facilities, staffing all stations, introducing new rolling stock and allowing Oyster pay as you go throughout the network from the outset.^[21]

After the takeover, all stations were "deep-cleaned",^[22] and Silverlink branding removed. Station signage was replaced with Overground-branded signs using TfL's corporate New Johnston typeface.^[21][22]

On 15 April 2009, the North London line trains at Stratford moved to new high-level platforms 1 and 2 from low-level platforms 1 and 2, which were needed for the Docklands Light Railway's Stratford International service. The new platforms 1 and 2 are an island platform with step-free access to platform 12 and subway links to platforms 3–11.^[23]

On 27 September 2009, Imperial Wharf station opened on the West London line, between West Brompton and Clapham Junction.^[24]

East London line extension

On 27 April 2010, the East London line became part of the London Overground network when the Phase 1 extension was completed.^[25] The former London Underground line was extended northwards, mostly along the former Broad Street viaduct of the North London line, to the re-opened Dalston Junction, and southwards to Crystal Palace and West Croydon.

Operations began with a limited preview service between Dalston Junction and New Cross/New Cross Gate,^[26] with full operation between Dalston Junction and West Croydon/Crystal Palace on 23 May.^[27] On 28 February 2011, the line between Dalston Junction and Highbury & Islington was opened. In attendance were the Mayor of London and London Underground's Managing Director. TfL announced in November 2010 that ridership was ahead of forecast at 92,000 a day, and that patronage at Surrey Quays had "gone through the roof".^[28]

The incorporation of the East London line into the Overground network has added substantial sections of line in tunnel, including the historic Thames Tunnel, the oldest tunnel under a navigable river in the world. A peculiarity is that at Whitechapel the London Overground runs below the London Underground (though there are other parts of the network where this occurs, e.g. the Watford Junction to Euston route between Kenton and South Kenton – shared with the Bakerloo line – passes under the Metropolitan line between Northwick Park and Preston Road).

South London line extension

The next addition opened on 9 December 2012, from Surrey Quays to Clapham Junction via the South London line, calling at Queens Road Peckham, Peckham Rye, Denmark Hill, Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road. The extension uses an alignment between Surrey Quays and just north of Queen's Road Peckham that had been disused since 1911; new track was laid after some major civil engineering works. Passive provision has also been made for a new station at Surrey Canal, to be constructed when funding becomes fully available. This was put on hold in 2009, although a suitable station 'foundation structure' has been built to facilitate completion in the future.

Funding for the railway rebuilding project was secured in February 2009,^[29] including £64 million from the Department for Transport (DfT) and £15 million from TfL, and construction began in May 2011.

The route passes over both Loughborough Junction and Brixton stations without stopping, and this lack of interchange stations was criticised by local politicians during the planning phase of the project.^[30][31] No stations are planned at these locations as the line is on high railway arches, making the cost of any station construction prohibitive.^[32]

Liverpool Street station services

On 31 May 2015, the Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters) and Chingford services, as well as the Romford to Upminster service, were transferred from Greater Anglia to TfL to become part of the London Overground network.^[33][34]

Introduction

The initial network, service levels and timetables were a continuation of Silverlink Metro services, a set of routes primarily built and electrified by the North London and London & North Western railway companies in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As the Overground name implies, the majority of the network is above ground, and it mostly consists of railway lines that connect areas outside Central London, with a considerable portion of the network in Zone 2. The network also uses Euston in central London, the southern terminus of the Watford DC line.

The network interchanges with the Bakerloo, Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern and Victoria tube lines, and also with the Docklands Light Railway, Elizabeth line and Tramlink networks. The Overground lines appear on Tube maps issued by TfL,^[35] and a separate map of the system is available.^[36]

Much of London Overground passes through less affluent areas, and is seen as contributing to their regeneration.^[37] The North London and Gospel Oak to Barking lines were previously considered by the Transport Committee of the London Assembly to be neglected and not developed to their full potential.^[38]

More information Legend ...

v t e London Overground
Cheshunt Theobalds Grove Enfield Town Turkey Street Romford Bush Hill Park Southbury Emerson Park Upminster Edmonton Green Silver Street Chingford White Hart Lane Highams Park Watford Junction Bruce Grove Wood Street Watford Seven Sisters Walthamstow Central High Street Harringay Blackhorse Road Walthamstow Queen's Road Bushey Green Lanes Carpenders Park Crouch Hill South Tottenham St. James Leyton Midland Road Hatch End Upper () Stamford Hill Street Leytonstone Headstone Lane Holloway Stoke Newington Clapton High Road Harrow & Kentish Town West Rectory Road Wanstead Park () Wealdstone Gospel Oak Camden Road () Hackney Woodgrange Park () Kenton () Caledonian Road Canonbury Downs Barking South Kenton & Barnsbury Barking Riverside () North Highbury & Islington Dalston Kingsland Hackney Central Wembley Hampstead Heath Dalston Wembley Finchley Road & Frognal () Junction London Fields Central West Hampstead ( ) Haggerston Cambridge Homerton Stonebridge Brondesbury Hoxton Heath Hackney Wick Park Brondesbury Park Shoreditch High Street Bethnal Green Stratford Harlesden Kensal Rise Kensal Green Liverpool Whitechapel Willesden Queen's Park Street Shadwell () Junction Kilburn High Road Wapping South Hampstead Rotherhithe Shepherd's Bush () Euston () Canada Water Kensington (Olympia) Surrey Quays West Brompton Battersea Park Imperial Wharf () (limited service) New Cross Clapham Queens Road Peckham New Cross Gate Junction Peckham Rye Brockley Acton Central Wandsworth Road Denmark Hill Honor Oak Park South Acton () Clapham Forest Hill Gunnersbury High Street Sydenham Kew Gardens Richmond Crystal Palace Penge West Anerley Norwood Junction West Croydon ()
Legend
Station National Rail Liberty line Accessible station Thameslink Lioness line Interchange station Elizabeth line Mildmay line Accessible interchange Docklands Light Railway Suffragette line Internal interchange London Underground Weaver line Out-of-station interchange London Trams Windrush line (   ) Nearby interchange London River Services The new London Overground line names and colours were introduced across the London rail network in November 2024

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Services

Parts of this article (those related to the out-of-date service tables) need to be updated. (September 2024)

As of May 2023^[update], the typical off-peak service pattern is:^[39]

Battersea Park railway station is served by an infrequent parliamentary train service from Dalston Junction, which terminates at Battersea Park instead of Clapham Junction. Since the reorganisation of services into the London Overground network, this has been the only service to use the link from platform 2 at Battersea Park to Wandsworth Road.

Depots

Highbury & Islington to New Cross, Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace and West Croydon services are served by New Cross Gate Depot.

Richmond and Clapham Junction to Stratford, Watford Junction to Euston, and Gospel Oak to Barking services are served by Willesden Traction Maintenance Depot.

London Liverpool Street to Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford, and Romford to Upminster are served by Ilford EMU Depot, Chingford sidings and Gidea Park Sidings.

Operator

The London Overground is currently operated by Arriva Rail London under a contract with TfL which expires in 2026. Following a model similar to that used for the Docklands Light Railway, TfL invited tenders for operation of the Overground. Unlike other National Rail operators under the franchise control of the Department for Transport, TfL sets fares, procures rolling stock and decides service levels. The operator takes only a small element of revenue risk, with TfL taking 90% and the operator 10%.

The first operator, London Overground Rail Operations, a 50:50 joint venture between Laing Rail and MTR Corporation, was chosen by TfL on 19 June 2007.^[41] The contract was signed on 2 July 2007 for seven years with the option of a two-year extension.^[42] In preparation for the launch of the Overground, MTR Laing renamed itself London Overground Rail Operations. In February 2013, it was awarded a concession extension until 14 November 2016.

In April 2015, TfL placed a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union, inviting expressions of interest in operating the next concession.^[43] In March 2016, TfL announced that Arriva Rail London had won the right to operate the London Overground concession, starting from 13 November 2016.^[44][45] In June 2023, Arriva announced a contract extension had been secured with TfL, pushing the expiry date to May 2026.^[46]

Ticketing

Ticketing is a mix of paper, Oyster cards, electronic smart cards and contactless payment cards for "pay-as-you-go" travel. As with all National Rail and TfL services in London, passengers can use a Travelcard (daily, seven-day, monthly or annual); as on other National Rail services in London, paper single, return and cheap day return tickets priced under the zonal fare scheme are also available.

As part of an effort to improve safety and protect revenue, TfL has announced that it will introduce ticket barriers at a number of stations. The stations that did not have barriers when TfL took over have been fitted with standalone Oyster card readers similar to those at ungated Underground and DLR stations. The validators at Blackhorse Road which were needed to enter/exit the Oyster card system when changing to and from the Victoria line were replaced with route validators, coloured pink: these are used to show that a traveller using Oyster PAYG changed lines at that station, showing which of the possible routes was used. Typically, this avoids paying for zone 1 when the passenger did not travel into it.

Ticket stock is common National Rail stock, as Overground services remain part of the National Rail network, but sometimes with a large TfL roundel in the centre and the repeated legend "Rail Settlement Plan" or on newer versions "National Rail" on a light green background. This ticket stock, coded "TFL" on the reverse, was introduced in November 2007.^[47]

Ticket pricing

Oyster PAYG is charged on the same zone-based rules as for the Underground and the Docklands Light Railway. Stations outside Greater London (except Watford Junction) are included in the new Travelcard Zones 7-9. On 2 January 2008 Acton Central was moved from zone 2 to 3, Hampstead Heath from 3 to 2 and Willesden Junction from 3 to both 2 and 3.^[48]

Paper tickets are charged on the same zone-based rules as for Underground and DLR paper tickets, which were expanded to take in the extra zones covered. Watford Junction has its own fare scale.^{[citation needed]} Paper tickets are significantly more expensive than using Oyster PAYG.^{[citation needed]}

Performance

This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: Eight year old performance statistics no long relevant. (February 2022)

Although a TfL service, the Overground is part of the National Rail network, unlike the Underground. The most recent figures released by Network Rail (NR), for period 7 (2013–2014), showed that it had achieved 96.6% of the Public Performance Measure (PPM) target for punctuality and reliability set by the ORR – down 0.9 percentage points on the period last year. The moving annual average (MAA) of the PPM for the 12 months to 12 October 2013 was 96.5%.^[49] TfL, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has investigated the use of data from the Oyster smartcard ticketing system to measure the performance of the Overground explicitly from the passenger perspective.^[50]

In the autumn 2011 National Passenger Survey, conducted by Passenger Focus, London Overground received an overall satisfaction rating of 92%, a 7% improvement on the previous survey.^[51] However, a survey in February 2014 by the consumer group Which? found that customer satisfaction of London Overground was at sixth place (out of 20 train operators) with a satisfaction percentage of 58%.^[52]

Line names

Before 2024 the Overground lines were also not officially distinguished by individual names, unlike the Underground. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan pledged in April 2022 that he would invite Londoners to suggest new Overground lines individual names to reflect their "diverse history".^[58] In August 2023, a consultation was announced to provide more clarity to the London Overground network by giving each route its own name and colour on the Tube map, making it easier for passengers to navigate their way around the system.^[59]

In February 2024, TfL announced names for each of London Overground's routes, intended to celebrate events from London's history,^[60] and these new names took effect in November 2024.^[61]

• Lioness line (yellow parallel lines): Euston to Watford, including Wembley Central – intended to honour the England women's football team, including their win in UEFA Women's Euro 2022 at Wembley Stadium^[62]
• Mildmay line (blue parallel lines): Stratford to Richmond/Clapham Junction – intended to honour the work of the Mildmay Mission Hospital, a charitable HIV hospital located in Shoreditch
• Windrush line (red parallel lines): Highbury & Islington to Clapham Junction/New Cross/Crystal Palace/West Croydon – intended to honour the Caribbean communities (particularly the "Windrush generation" of 1940s and 1950s arrivals, named after the ship HMT Empire Windrush) that the route runs through
• Weaver line (maroon parallel lines): Liverpool Street to Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford – runs through parts of London known for the textile trade, especially the historic area of the Huguenot weavers
• Suffragette line (green parallel lines): Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside – runs to Barking, home of the longest lived women's suffragette, Annie Huggett
• Liberty line (grey parallel lines): Romford to Upminster – referencing the Royal Liberty of Havering, and the wider freedom that is a "defining feature of London"

Khan officially named the lines in a ceremony at Dalston Junction Station in November 2024.^[63][64] Now called Lioness, Mildmay, Windrush, Weaver, Suffragette, and Liberty, the lines are intended to reference London's diverse history and communities.^[65][66]

Current fleet

More information Family, Class ...

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Coaches	Years built
				mph	km/h
Bombardier Electrostar	378 Capitalstar		EMU	75	120	57	5	2008–2011
Bombardier Aventra	710 Aventra					48	4	2017–2020
						6	5	2020

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Past fleet

Former train types operated by London Overground include:

More information Family, Class ...

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Coaches	Routes operated	Years built	Years operated
				mph	km/h
Sprinter	150/1		DMU	75	120	6	2	Gospel Oak to Barking line	1984–1987	2007–2010
Bombardier Turbostar	172/0			100	160	8			2010	2010–2019
BREL 1972	313/1		EMU	75	120	23	3	North London line Watford DC line West London line	1976–1977	2007–2010
	315					17	4	Lea Valley lines Romford–Upminster line	1980–1981	2015–2020
BR Second Generation (Mark 3)	317/7			100	161	8	4	Lea Valley lines	1981–1982	2015–2020
	317/8					6	4	Lea Valley lines	1981–1982	2015–2020
	321/4					2		Romford–Upminster line	1988–1990	2015–2016
BREL 1972	508/3			75	120	3	3	Watford DC line	1979–1980	2007–2010

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Livery

All Capitalstar and Aventra stock in service now carries Overground livery. It is similar to Underground livery, and consists of white and black coaches, a longitudinal thick blue stripe and a thin orange stripe along the bottom, London Overground roundels at midpoints along the coaches, black window-surrounds and orange doors. The ends of each Class 378 unit are painted yellow to comply with the National Rail standards that existed when the first wave of new trains began to enter service in 2009. However, Class 710 units do not have this as they were introduced into service after new standards released by the RSSB since most trains now have European-styled headlights allowing for better visibility from afar, unlike before when they needed the yellow fronts for visibility.^[86] The seat upholstery features a moquette by fabric designers Wallace Sewell.^[87]

As railway lines have been transferred to London Overground operation, services are sometimes operated using rolling stock inherited from the previous train operating company, and for a temporary period these trains have been branded with transitional livery until they are replaced with newer rolling stock. When the first London Overground services began, they were operated using Silverlink rolling stock which retained Silverlink's purple and lime green livery with yellow doors. The Silverlink logos were removed and Overground banners were added. This rolling stock was eventually completely replaced with new, Overground-branded trains.

Similarly, since the takeover of the Lea Valley lines, Overground services are being run with trains inherited from Abellio Greater Anglia which are mostly in a plain white livery with red doors. Prior to replacement of this rolling stock, the trains were repainted with full Overground livery and the interiors refurbished with Wallace Sewell upholstery and TfL standard signage and route maps.^{[citation needed]}

In June 2018, London Overground unveiled its first complete Class 710 unit, complete with a newly designed livery and moquette.^[88] In October, it then began a programme to refresh the Class 378 fleet, giving them a livery designed to appear similar to the one designed for the Class 710.^[89]

Gospel Oak to Barking line

Night service

London Overground began running 24-hour trains on Friday and Saturday nights, similar to the Night Tube of London Underground, between Dalston Junction and New Cross Gate from 15 December 2017.^[98] In February 2018 the service was extended to Highbury & Islington, which interchanges with overnight services of the Victoria line.^[99][100]

Watford DC line move to Bakerloo

In 2007, TfL proposed re-extending the Bakerloo line to Watford Junction.^[101] It was suggested that most or all of the line from Queen's Park to Watford Junction would be used exclusively by the London Underground; London Overground services would be withdrawn.

As part of this change, Overground services would have been diverted at Primrose Hill Junction via Primrose Hill (closed to passengers since 1992) to Camden Road, providing a new service between Queen's Park and Stratford.^[102] Had this change taken place, Kilburn High Road and South Hampstead would no longer have had direct services to Euston station, hindering access to central London.

The official Croxley Rail document states, "Bakerloo Line extension to Watford Unlikely" and "TfL’s plans to extend the Bakerloo Line to Watford Junction are on hold indefinitely due to funding and business case constraints".^[103]

Croxley Link

Plans were approved in 2011 for the Croxley Rail Link, diverting the Watford branch of London Underground's Metropolitan line to Watford Junction via Watford High Street, where it would share tracks with the Overground.^[104] However, in early 2017 this scheme was paused due to funding issues.^[105]

Old Oak Common interchange

A long-term plan exists to create an interchange with High Speed 2 at the proposed Old Oak Common station. Planning documents issued by the DfT suggest that the new station, on a site just south of Willesden Junction, could open by 2025 and offer connections with the Overground on both the North London and West London lines.

The station would also be served by Crossrail, Great Western Main Line services and the proposals indicate the possibility of interchange with the Bakerloo and Central lines.^[106] The plans are supported by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.^[107]

In June 2013, the Mayor of London and the London Boroughs of Brent, Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham released 'vision' consultation documents^[108] about the Old Oak Common area. These documents mention various connections to the London Overground system, linking Old Oak to the North London line, West London line, and to two new London Overground branches, to Hounslow, and – via the Dudding Hill line – to Thameslink stations on the Midland Main Line.

In October 2017, TfL began a public consultation on the construction of two new Overground stations, Hythe Road on the West London line and Old Oak Common Lane on the North London line. If built, these stations would provide interchange between London Overground and Old Oak Common station.^[109][110]

Thamesmead extension

In addition to the plan to extend the Gospel Oak to Barking line to Barking Riverside, there are also proposals to extend it further under the River Thames to a station in Thamesmead, and then on Abbey Wood to connect with the Elizabeth line.^[111]

Transport for London has confirmed that the Mayor has asked them to look at both the Overground extension from Barking Riverside and a DLR extension, for connecting to Thamesmead.^[112]

In February 2024, a public consultation began on a DLR extension to Thamesmead from Gallions Reach, which had been favoured over the previous London Overground proposal due to cost and service frequency.^[113]

Future acquisitions

Following the completion of the first phase of the London Overground network in December 2012, TfL has expressed its intention to take over the operation of other suburban lines in the London area. As with the original London Overground system, this would involve devolving National Rail services from the DfT's franchising system to a TfL-managed concession.

On 21 January 2016, it was announced consideration was being given to the possibility of gradually transferring the suburban services operated by Southeastern, South West Trains and Govia Thameslink Railway (Great Northern and Southern) to TfL to create a London Suburban Metro.^[114]

West London Orbital

Proposals to reopen the Dudding Hill line to passenger services as part of the London Overground have been mooted for several years. In June 2019, TfL published a report examining the possibility of opening the line as a London Overground branch line connecting Hounslow with Cricklewood and Hendon, with stations at Harlesden, Lionel Road, Hythe Road, Neasden and Brent Cross.^[124]