London Overground - A

London Overground - A

London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, it now serves a large part of Greater London as well as the home county of Hertfordshire, with 113 stations on nine different routes.

The Overground forms part of the United Kingdom's National Rail network but it is under the concession control and branding of Transport for London (TfL). Operation has been contracted to Arriva Rail London since 2016. TfL assigned orange as a mode-specific colour for the Overground in branding and publicity including the roundel, on the Tube map, trains and stations.

London Overground History

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.

The concept of developing a network of orbital services around London goes back to the independently produced Ringrail proposals in the early 1970s. Some of these were evaluated in the London Rail Study of 1974 (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. 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, 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 then 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) with slightly newer but shorter two-car Class 416 electric trains (built 1959 ), leading to overcrowding.

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.

London Overground Overview

London Overground Owner: Transport for London

London Overground Locale: Greater London and Hertfordshire

London Overground Transit Type: Commuter rail

London Overground Number of lines: 6

London Overground Number of Stations: 113 served (81 operated)

London Overground Annual Ridership: 189 million

London Overground Began Operation: 11 November 2007; 15 years ago

London Overground Operator(s): Arriva Rail London (2016–2024)

London Overground Reporting Marks: LO (National Rail)

London Overground System Length: 167 km (103.8 mi)

London Overground Track Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

London Overground Electrification:

25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead

750 V DC third rail

London Overground Network Map

Acton Central

Anerley

Barking

Barking Riverside

Battersea Park

Bethnal Green

Blackhorse Road

Brockley

Brondesbury

Brondesbury Park

Bruce Grove

Bush Hill Park

Bushey

Caledonian Road & Barnsbury

Cambridge Heath

Camden Road

Canada Water

Canonbury

Carpenders Park

Cheshunt

Chingford

Clapham High Street

Clapham Junction

Clapton

Crouch Hill

Crystal Palace

Dalston Junction

Dalston Kingsland

Denmark Hill

Edmonton Green

Emerson Park

Enfield Town

Euston

Finchley Road & Frognal

Forest Hill

Gospel Oak

Green Lanes

Gunnersbury

Hackney Central

Hackney Downs

Hackney Wick

Haggerston

Hampstead Heath

Harlesden

Harringay Green Lanes

Harrow & Wealdstone

Hatch End

Headstone Lane

Highams Park

Highbury & Islington

Homerton

Honor Oak Park

Hoxton

Imperial Wharf

Kensal Green

Kensal Rise

Kensington (Olympia)

Kentish Town West

Kenton

Kew Gardens

Kilburn High Road

Leyton Midland Road

Leytonstone High Road

Liverpool Street

London Fields

New Cross

New Cross Gate

North Wembley

Norwood Junction

Peckham Rye

Penge West

Queen's Park

Queens Road Peckham

Rectory Road

Richmond

Romford

Rotherhithe

Seven Sisters

Shadwell

Shepherd's Bush

Shoreditch High Street

Silver Street

South Acton

South Kenton

South Hampstead

South Tottenham

Southbury

St. James Street

Stamford Hill

Stoke Newington

Stonebridge Park

Stratford

Surrey Quays

Sydenham

Theobalds Grove

Turkey Street

Upminster

Upper Holloway

Walthamstow Central

Walthamstow Queen's Road

Wandsworth Road

Wanstead Park

Wapping

Watford High Street

Watford Junction

West Brompton

West Croydon

West Hampstead

White Hart Lane

Whitechapel

Willesden Junction

Woodgrange Park

Wood Street

Rail Holidays
Rail Vacations

Luxury Trains
Luxury Tours

International Trains
International Tours