London Overground
TfL took over a series of under-used suburban rail lines and transformed them into a high frequency metro-style service. The aim of London Overground was to integrate these older networks into new routes in east and south London to create a fully orbital network to serve the capital.
Since then, the London Overground network has expanded, improved connectivity for millions of people and supported new jobs, homes and economic growth.
The network
The Overground network covers 100 miles of railway, 113 stations and all 9 fare zones.
More than 3 million passengers use the service each week, connecting some of London's most historic and diverse neighbourhoods.
The network spans 6 routes:
- Stratford to Richmond/Clapham Junction
- Euston to Watford Junction
- Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside
- Liverpool Street to Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford
- Highbury & Islington to New Cross/ Clapham Junction/Crystal Palace/West Croydon
- Romford to Upminster
Line names
In 2024, we named each of the London Overground's 6 lines to make the network easier for customers to navigate, while also celebrating the city's diverse culture and history. Find more - including stories behind the line names - on the London Overground line names page.
London Overground's launch introduced Oyster to all 55 stations at the time, refurbished every station and replaced the entire train fleet with 62 modern trains, among other improvements. Contactless payment is now available at all London Overground stations and is the easiest way to pay for your journey.
Windrush line
The line between West Croydon and Dalston Junction opened as part of London Overground in 2010, with subsequent extensions to Highbury & Islington and Clapham Junction. However, the route of the line is much older.
In 1865 the East London Railway Company bought Marc Brunel's Thames Tunnel connected it to the rail network on both sides of the river, carrying passengers and freight on a variety of routes.
It became part of the Tube network in 1933, and passenger services were standardised as a shuttle between Shoreditch and New Cross/New Cross Gate. The East London line closed as part of London Underground in 2007 for extensive refurbishment before reopening as part of London Overground 3 years later.
The new northern extension, opening in stages in 2010 and 2011, made use of the existing Kingsland viaduct. This had previously carried the lines into Broad Street station until it closed in 1986. Four new stations were built at Shoreditch High Street, Hoxton, Haggerston and Dalston Junction.
The southern extensions, to West Croydon (2010) and Clapham Junction (2012), involved creating new connections to existing railways that became an orbital railway around inner London - the first new circular route in the capital since the Circle line opened 128 years earlier.
Lioness line
The route from Euston to Watford Junction follows the route of one of Britain's earliest railways - the line between London and Birmingham, opened by the London and North Western Railway in 1838.
However, the line that we would recognise as the Euston to Watford Junction service of today, operating on its own separate tracks, really came into being in 1922, when the London and North Western Railway completed the Camden to Watford Junction New Line. This provided additional suburban capacity on an electrified route and allowed more outer-suburban services to run non-stop to Euston.
Before this, in 1917, London Electric Railway Bakerloo line services were extended from Willesden Junction to Watford Junction. Tube and rail services continue to share the route today, although the Bakerloo line now only runs as far as Harrow & Wealdstone.
The line was operated by British Rail until privatisation, and later by Silverlink, until November 2007 when we took control and created London Overground. All stations have since been refurbished and the line now runs with longer trains with increased capacity and a 20-minute service.
Suffragette line
The route from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside, is made up of various lines built in the 19th century. The first section, west of South Tottenham, opened in 1868 as the Tottenham and Hampstead Junction Railway. This was linked to Woodgrange Park in 1894 by the Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway.
The route between Upper Holloway and Woodgrange Park has remained constant, but several different stations have formed the east and west ends of the route. Kentish Town, St. Pancras and Moorgate, as well as Gospel Oak, have all acted as western termini. East Ham served as an alternative eastern terminus for some time, and certain trains were even extended as far as Tilbury and Southend.
The line was considered for closure to passenger services in 1963 as part of the Beeching proposals - although it remained open, it fell into disrepair. By 1980 the line had been cut to an hourly service between Kentish Town and Barking. The situation improved in 1981 when a replacement link to Gospel Oak (the old one had closed in 1926) was built and services on the current route began.
Along with the rest of the British Rail network, the line was privatised in 1994, and for most of the subsequent period was operated under the brand name Silverlink, with little investment in services or facilities. TfL took control in November 2007, making the line part of its new London Overground network. Improvements to stations, new trains and the introduction of Oyster all followed, and the line was included on the Tube map for the first time.
From 1981 to 2022, the line ran from Gospel Oak to Barking. In July 2022, Barking Riverside station opened, completing the first extension of London Overground since 2015.
Weaver line
The Weaver line running from Liverpool Street to Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford has its origins in the Northern & Eastern Railway which was incorporated into the Great Eastern Railway in 1862.
Known as the Lea Valley lines, by the end of the 19th century routes from Liverpool Street extended to Walthamstow in 1870 and Chingford in 1873.
The final section linked Lower Edmonton on the Enfield branch via Churchbury (later Southbury) with the Broxbourne line at Cheshunt when it opened in 1891 - it was known as the Churchbury loop until that station was renamed in 1960, then the Southbury loop.
Electrification of the lines via Seven Sisters to Enfield Town and the Chingford branch, were completed in 1960. On 31 May 2015, services from London Liverpool Street to Chingford, Cheshunt and Enfield Town were transferred to London Overground, enhancing service consistency and reliability. New-built Class 710 trains now operate on the entire line.
Mildmay line
The Mildmay line route is the oldest part of the TfL rail network and passes through the inner suburbs of London between Richmond and Clapham Junction in the southwest and Stratford in the east, skirting around central London. The line evolved from several separate railway lines constructed in the mid-19th century, originally intended for freight traffic serving London's docks and industries, and by the late 19th century, the North London Railway was a major commuter and freight route, with services running into Broad Street Station in the City.
After World War 2 passenger numbers and freight use declined and services were cut back. The Richmond-Broad Street route was listed for closure in the 1963 Beeching Report but was saved by a passenger campaign.
The part of the line that today runs through Kensington (Olympia) was solely used for freight. Broad Street Station closed in 1986, and many routes were reduced or closed. However, in 1988 a significant change saw North London line services diverted to North Woolwich, with electrification completed between Richmond and North Woolwich via Stratford.
In 2007 TfL took over the line, incorporating it into the new London Overground network and started the process of major upgrades, including new trains, extended platforms, better accessibility and security at stations. In 2016 the southeastern part of the line between Stratford and North Woolwich was closed and incorporated into the Elizabeth line.
The Mildmay line now runs frequent services between Richmond/Clapham Junction and Stratford. It plays a vital role in connecting West, North, and East London, integrating with National Rail, DLR, the Tube and the Elizabeth line.
Liberty line
The Liberty line route originally opened on 7 June 1893 providing a link from the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway at Upminster to the Great Eastern Railway at Romford. The line has always been single-track throughout.
Like many railway lines in the post- World War 2 period, usage declined and the line was earmarked for closure in the Beeching Report of 1963 and again in 1970 - both attempts failed.
The line was electrified in the 1980s with electric trains operating on the line in April 1986. The line transferred to become part of the London Overground network in May 2015 and a Sunday service was reintroduced in December 2015 timetable.
In October 2020 TfL introduced the new Class 710 trains to serve the line.
The line today is 5.4 km long, with one intermediate station at Emerson Park. Originally named Emerson Park Halt, and shown in some timetables and on some signage throughout its history as Emerson Park & Great Nelmes, the station name was later simplified to Emerson Park.