Theyll struggle to fit all the new lines on the Whiteboards/TV screens/PIS displays, i suspect that problem is here too stay
Yes that is also a downside. I mentioned earlier than each method has its downsides.
Theyll struggle to fit all the new lines on the Whiteboards/TV screens/PIS displays, i suspect that problem is here too stay
This is the point rather than it being woke or whatever. These things are so transient.Windrush, absolutely fine. But shouldn't we also place equal status to other generations who migrated to London. None of the lines are named after the Irish navvies who built much of Britain's railways, or the Scots or Welsh who moved to London to work on the railways. Then there's the Indian, Pakistan & Chinese who make London such a great place to live and work. Not forgetting people of South Asian heritage who are the pillars of the NHS in London.
But they were named that way naturally such as after an event such as the Jubilee Line for the Silver Jubilee, the Elizabeth Line for the longest serving monarchy, Metropolitan Line having evolved from the Metropolitan Railway (that is now the oldest underground railway in the world) or simply a District of lines. Whereas these names were intended to assist passengers in working out where they are and where they are going. But if you aren't aware of the history of the Windrush Generation and the significance of the area the namesake line serves, how will you know that's where the line will take you? How will anyone who has no interest in football know where the Lioness Line will take them? How is anyone who has never heard of Mildmay Hospital going to know where the Mildmay Line will take them?Does the Jubiliee line, or Elizabeth line, or Metropolitan line, or Diatrict line do that? No.
rather than entrenching never ending grievances.
Are you having a laugh?Very good point in my view. Shouldn't we be looking to *improve* London's rail services, as well as life in London in general, rather than - as you quite rightly put - entrench grievance. The difficulty is that when one looks back at the mayoralty, it's hard to find examples where genuine improvements have been made. Much as he's become somewhat discredited over time, and rightly so, at least Ken Livingstone actually had ideas. TFL nowadays seems to fail to deliver on so many levels, as I'm sure Central Line users know only too well, to give just one example.
Very good point in my view. Shouldn't we be looking to *improve* London's rail services, as well as life in London in general, rather than - as you quite rightly put - entrench grievance.
But they were named that way naturally such as after an event such as the Jubilee Line for the Silver Jubilee, the Elizabeth Line for the longest serving monarchy, Metropolitan Line having evolved from the Metropolitan Railway (that is now the oldest underground railway in the world) or simply a District of lines. Whereas these names were intended to assist passengers in working out where they are and where they are going. But if you aren't aware of the history of the Windrush Generation and the significance of the area the namesake line serves, how will you know that's where the line will take you? How will anyone who has no interest in football know where the Lioness Line will take them? How is anyone who has never heard of Mildmay Hospital going to know where the Mildmay Line will take them?
The Waterloo and City Line which serves Waterloo and the old city at Bank. The Northern Line which serves north of the Thames (though named in anticipation of the Northern Heights extension plan). The Bakerloo Line whose name is a portmanteau of Baker Street and Waterloo which the was built to connect and originally called the Baker Street & Waterloo Railway. The Central Line for running through the centre of London opened under the name of Central London Railway. The Metropolitan Line (built as Metropolitan Railway) derived from the world metropolis, a term used to refer to London in the old days. The District Line was originally the Metropolitan District Railway. Jubilee and Elizabeth Line are the exceptions here because they were named in relation to Queen Elizabeth, the longest serving monarchy of the UK.What lines have names that tell people where they go to? I mean we've discussed Victoria and H&C already, and GOBLIN isn't widely known, but the others? Jubilee? Elizabeth? Metropolitan? Distract?
Then why name them what they did? Why not use something more simple and easy to remember like number based (Line 1, Line 2) or colour based (Red Line, Burgundy Line)?It really doesn't matter what names were chosen.
I too am a longstanding left-winger, and I also find the new names a bit jarring, just as much as I find the Elizabeth Line annoying as a substitute for the perfectly apt Crossrail.Left wing here but hate the new names, i much prefer geographical names but that is because i value practicality and substance over style. Perhaps my least favourite ine is the Mildmay line, how does that in any way represent those on the western ends of the line ie, Richmond Branch, West London line branch to Clapham. Theres not a station on the line called Mildmay, the place its named after Mildmay hospital is nowhere near the line.
Goblin line
Harlequin/Watford DC
North London Line/ North London Orbital (with West London branch specifically for trains to/from Clapham)
East London line/South London Orbital
Tottenstow lines
Emerson Park line
Those would be my suggestions. These new names do i agree seem to politically motivated which doesnt fit well for public transport which should be open and accessible to all, and thereby not promoting one ideology or another. People have already mentioned the issues with windrush line favouring one subset of immigrants over others, a lot of the names seem to have very weak ties to the places the lines serve. Sure the lines needed separating for increased customer clarity but for me the way they've done this i cannot get behind it. As i say Public transport, it should be open and accessible to all. The fact this thread has got highly political indicates that these names are not inclusive for all. Politicians building monuments after themselves is not a good use of public resources, be they left wing, centre or right wing.
We quickly learned about the network’s low cognitive load — its lighter, cooler, quieter journeys meant that the Overground is often preferred by vulnerable groups and those with neurodivergent needs. The network also formed a ring of care around London, connecting key workers and patients to dozens of NHS hospitals in our city.
This is all nonsense though really though isnt it, everything you have said is ultimately now just deemed more acceptable to many purely due to the passage of time. There is nothing inherently more natural to the district line being called the district line than any of the new names - its just a 100 years has now set that in stone and in the conscience of everyone.But they were named that way naturally such as after an event such as the Jubilee Line for the Silver Jubilee, the Elizabeth Line for the longest serving monarchy, Metropolitan Line having evolved from the Metropolitan Railway (that is now the oldest underground railway in the world) or simply a District of lines. Whereas these names were intended to assist passengers in working out where they are and where they are going. But if you aren't aware of the history of the Windrush Generation and the significance of the area the namesake line serves, how will you know that's where the line will take you?
The important thing is that the unwieldly map should hopefully now be a lot easier to follow.
That's... That's horrible.What is this pish?
You've missed the point. The new naming of the Overground lines were said to be done with the goal of helping passengers understand where they are and where they will be going (therefore making your point that you don't need to know why it's named that way incorrect), but their names do not do anything to do that. So the Windrush Line name you mentioned will not help you understand where you are going if you don't have a clue about Windrush, and that is actually one of the more sensible names of the bunch because at least it has some geographical relevancy with the line running through areas with significant Caribbean populations. The truth of the whole thing is that the names were done for political point scoring, and I wouldn't even be half as bothered if people just stopped pretending otherwise. The old names evolved naturally and made sense. These names were mostly chosen for publicity.This is all nonsense though really though isnt it, everything you have said is ultimately now just deemed more acceptable to many purely due to the passage of time. There is nothing inherently more natural to the district line being called the district line than any of the new names - its just a 100 years has now set that in stone and in the conscience of everyone.
None of those older names cited confer ANY indication of destination, locale, to anyone in 2024. You don't need to know WHY the Windrush line is called the Windrush line to use the actual damn thing, there isn't a pop quiz upon boarding. The route map does that job, exactly the same as the district line. In the same way practically no normal joe using the District know the smallest inkling why that line is even called that, are we to suggest they need to brush up on that to give them a clue where they might be heading? Clue: it wont help them.
Rose tinted glasses on some of the legacy names it seems.
Indeed, and this is going to be a complete mess when the “Mildmay Line” is diverted to run along the “Lioness Line” between Camden Jn and Willesden when the route between Camden and Willesden via Hampstead is shut. I suggest adding the Mildmay line via Primrose Hill to WJ but putting it in limited services colour, and specify at the side it’s diversions only.They did on the 12 January
Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!
These names are awful! They're so close to verging on the "Winnie Mandela House" trope of cringing Eighties tokenism. They've chosen all the names that I thought of and rejected and added a few more, just to be sure. Just to spite me.
Without any doubt they all violate the most important Rule Number 1 of Naming Things:
> Any name that requires an extensive and exhaustive explanation as to its meaning and origin is by definition wrong and should be rejected.
This is from the "Book of How Not to do Stuff". It's very large.
'Lioness' will date badly too.
I think that a name like 'Windrush' is not something to be commemorated by a rail service. It's a better term for a Museum of Understanding and Community Centre, perhaps. Also, the Port of Tilbury and the Cotswolds say 'Hello'.
Manchester waves and says 'Hi' over 'Suffragette' as well.
If the 'Weaver' line is named after the Huguenots. why not just call it the the 'Huguenot Line'?
If they wanted to commemorate something better then I proffer the following list: Faraday, Nightingale, Coram, Sancho, Handel, Equiano, Robeson, Grosvenor, Fitzroy, Seacole, Pepys, Herschel amongst others.
I mention Pepys because of his parmesan cheese that he buried in his garden during the Great Fire and his enormous bladder stone.
Ah, well.
And just a bit of fun>>>
Yes, the Metropolitan Line is badly named. The Circle Line should be called the Metropolitan, and the Met should be called the Middlesex Line although 'Harrowick' (from Harrow and Rickmansworth) appeals.
DLR lines should be numbered Dx.
I await your bile.
Edit: I quite like the colours though.
Numbers are simpler and more tourist-friendly.But less informative because numbers do not show where a line actually serves! Whereas North London Line, in particular, describes very well where the line (mostly) goes, and has been in use for decades.
Yes.
Perhaps, perhaps not, but the new name is not used by anyone!
Isn't it a bit ironic that the Watford DC line being renamed after the English females kickball team is the line which won't get used if you wanted Wembley Stadium from Central london (Met line is more frequent & faster, with the benefit of Wembley Park being some-what closer to Wembley Stadium than Wembley Central.