Transport for London (TfL) announced the renaming of six overground lines this week to give each line its own unique brand and make it easier for passengers to get around the network.
The Highbury & Islington line to Clapham Junction, New Cross, Crystal Palace and West Croydon will now be renamed the Windrush Line to honour the Caribbean community and be represented by two red parallel lines on the map.
Lambeth Councillors suggested the Windrush Line to TfL last summer and with the support of local organisations such as Clapham Transport Users Group.
Lambeth Council deputy leader Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, cabinet member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, hailed the name change.
She said: “We are delighted that Transport for London has agreed to change the Highbury & Islington to West Croydon line as the Windrush Line.
“We requested this change as part of our efforts to properly honour the Windrush generation and their descendants who have contributed so much to making London the place it is today.
“Lambeth is the home of the Windrush generation, and it is only right that the overground line that serves our borough reflects this. I am so pleased that TfL has very literally put them on the map.”
Lambeth Council has been a strong advocate for the Windrush generation and played an important role in 2020 by lobbying the government for more support for those affected by the Windrush Scandal.
This included working with the Black Cultural Archives to hold free legal advice sessions for those affected by the scandal to help them apply for compensation.
Last summer was the 75th anniversary of HMT Empire Windrush docking in Britain. Many of those who arrived spent their first months in lodgings underneath Clapham South tube station before settling in the borough.
The council organised a range of events, issued community grants and held a parade as part of the celebrations.
The wider rebranding of the overground network will pay homage to London’s diverse past.
Other new station names include the Lioness line; the Mildmay line; the Windrush line; the Weaver line; the Suffragette line; and the Liberty line.
Previously the network was marked in orange across all overground lines, leading to calls for the rebrand as navigating the different lines could be confusing for passengers.
TfL has said it hopes to start the roll out of the new branding in the autumn and aim to complete the rebrand by the end of the year.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “The new names and colours have been chosen through engagement with passengers, historians and local communities, reflecting the heritage and diversity of our amazing city.”
