What is the Suffragette London Overground line named after?
ONE of the six new London Overground names is the Suffragette line.
The £6million project aims to celebrate the capital’s history, but where have the names come from?
What is the Suffragette line named after?
The Suffragette line is named after East End working-class movement that marked the way for women’s rights.
Barking was the home of the longest surviving Suffragette Annie Huggett, who passed away at the age of 103.
Her family moved to King Edward’s Road in 1903 and she moved to Greatfields Road in 1923, where she lived until her death.
Where is the Suffragette line?
The Suffragette line will be the Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside route.
The line will be marked by green borders.
London transport commissioner Andy Lord said on maps the Overground “is currently shown as a complicated network of orange”, which can be “confusing for customers less familiar with the network”.
“These new names and line colours will simplify the maps and routes for our customers, and it is hoped it will encourage more people to make the most of our services,” he added.
Why were the London Overground lines renamed?
The London Overground lines were renamed so the network is easier to navigate.
Talking about the project, Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “Giving each of the Overground lines distinct colours and identities will make it simpler and easier for passengers to get around.
“In re-imagining London’s Tube map, we are also honouring and celebrating different parts of London’s unique local history and culture.
“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.”
Here’s a run-down of the other lines:
- The Lioness line – running between Euston to Watford Junction and will be illustrated with yellow parallel lines. The name was chosen due to the nickname of the England women’s football team as it honours the Euro winners and is meant to “inspire and empower the next generation of women and girls in sport”.
- The Windrush line – running between Highbury & Islington and Clapham Junction, New Cross, Crystal Palace and West Croydon. It runs through areas with strong ties to Caribbean communities, such as Dalston Junction, Peckham Rye and West Croydon and will be shown in red parallel lines.
- The Mildmay line – runs between Stratford and Richmond/Clapham Junction, honours the Mildmay Mission, the charitable hospital in Shoreditch that has cared for Londoners for 160 years and treated diseases like cholera and HIV. It will be shown with blue parallel lines.
- The Weaver line – travels in and out of Liverpool Street – to and from Cheshunt, Enfield Town and Chingford. It runs through areas such as Spitalfields, Bethnal Green and Hackney that were known for their textile trade. It will have maroon borders.
- The Liberty line – the short route between Romford and Upminster and will be shown by grey parallel lines. The borough of Havering has traditionally had more self-governance than other areas.
What are people saying about the Suffragette line?
The naming of the Suffragette line has been welcomed by Melisa Green who is the chief executive of the Women’s Institute.
Ham & High reported that she said: “We warmly welcome the new naming of a London Overground route to The Suffragette Line.
“There’s something special about having the movement forever imprinted onto the iconic London transport map, and the entire route from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside, original home of suffragette Annie Huggett.”