Overground Network

Last updated

Overground Network
OvergroundNetwork.svg
Overview
Owner Strategic Rail Authority
Transport for London
Locale Greater London
Transit typePilot umbrella brand for multiple commuter rail services
Operation
Began operation2003
Ended operation2006 (approximate)
Operator(s) Connex South Eastern
South Central Trains
South West Trains

Overground Network (abbreviated on or ON) was a branding initiative launched in 2003 by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and Transport for London (TfL), the public transport authority in London, England. Its aim was to encourage use of National Rail services in South London. The project was a partnership between the SRA, TfL, three train operating companies (Connex South Eastern, South Central Trains and South West Trains), the South and West London Transport Conference (SWELTRAC) and the South East London Transport Strategy (SELTRANS). [1] The scheme is no longer being promoted and the Overground Network project has since been abandoned.

Contents

Note that in common parlance within London, the term "overground" may be used in reference to any National Rail line, in order to distinguish it from the Underground. [2]

Background

Suburban rail services in London, as in the rest of Great Britain, are run on a system of rail franchises and operated by a number of private train operating companies, managed by National Rail.

South London is poorly served by the London Underground network, but does have a large number of suburban rail lines. Transport studies had suggested that the public perceived the South London rail network as confusing, with multiple operators and a lack of consistent information design, in contrast to the clarity of London Underground's Tube map. [3] [4]

A pilot scheme was launched on 30 September 2003 to bring National Rail services operated by multiple companies at 41 stations under one branding umbrella within London. [5]

Control of rail services

Unlike the today's London Overground, TfL exercised no operational or regulatory control over rail services on the Overground Network, but funded station improvements such as standardised information presentation, branded signage, CCTV and lighting. Operational powers remained with the individual train operators.

In 2004 TfL put forward proposals for a "London Regional Rail Authority" to be established, which would give TfL regulatory powers over rail services in and around Greater London. [6] The Department for Transport considered that granting operational control of rail services to the London mayor would result in fragmentation of the National Rail system. [7] Out of these proposals evolved a new mechanism for giving the London mayor more control over rail services within London, and London Overground was established as a National Rail franchise managed by TfL in 2007. [8] This new system, mostly in North London, was the successor to the Overground Network pilot. ON was quietly forgotten and TfL now promotes LO as its rail service.

Ticketing

The Overground Network pilot was a branding exercise and did not include any new ticketing policies. When London Overground was launched, it was fully integrated into TfL's ticketing network from its launch, including full acceptance of the Oyster card electronic smartcard system. [9] This ticketing policy was not extended to the former Overground Network, and for a number of years Oyster card pay-as-you-go tickets were not valid at stations bearing the "ON" brand, despite the similarity of the two network brand names. In January 2010, Oyster card was fully rolled out across National Rail services in London, and Oyster pay-as-you-go is now valid across the whole London rail network, including the former "ON" system. [10]

The ON brand

ON-branded signs ON sign1.jpg
ON-branded signs
Sign at Richmond ON richmond sign.jpg
Sign at Richmond
Overground Network branding ON sign2.jpg
Overground Network branding
Feltham railway station, with "ON" signage outside (far right) Feltham station building.JPG
Feltham railway station, with "ON" signage outside (far right)
ON line map at Norwood Junction station Norwoodjunction9.JPG
ON line map at Norwood Junction station
ON line map at Woolwich Arsenal station in August 2021 Overground Network at Woolwich Arsenal Aug 2021.jpg
ON line map at Woolwich Arsenal station in August 2021

Using the Overground Network brand, Transport for London introduced consistent information displays, station signage and maps on selected routes in South London, along with prominent "ON" branding on station exteriors. Railway stations selected for the Overground Network were those with a service frequency of 4 or more trains per hour to a London terminus. The scheme sought to encourage metro-style usage of these services. [11] A diagrammatic map of the Overground Network was published to support passenger information provision, showing high-frequency routes in colour, with Underground and Tramlink connections. [12] The ON branding was not applied to trains, which retained the livery of the individual train operating companies.

The "ON" brand was conceived by the brand agency Fitch and featured a logo formed from orange-coloured, lower-case "ON" initials. [13] The letter "N" was stylised to look like a rounded arrow pointing down, with an arrow cutout shape penetrating upwards.

Although this pilot was purely an exercise in branding, this was the first instance of TfL having a visible influence over National Rail services in London. The Overground Network pilot has since been withdrawn.

As of September 2006, the scheme had not been expanded. However, TfL has helped fund several similar station upgrade programmes including enhanced passenger information and line guides without applying the "on" branding, leaving the future of the scheme in doubt. The Overground Network website was shut down in February 2007, and now redirects to the TfL pages for London Rail.

End of the brand

According to a talk given by Innes Ferguson of TfL at the London Transport Museum on 24 September 2007, the Overground Network scheme is now "dead"; the logo is no longer being used on train operating companies' (TOCs) publicity material nor is the network being promoted by TfL. He added that whilst TfL funded the installation of Overground Network "on" signage at appropriate National Rail stations, it is being left to individual TOCs to remove these at their own expense, hence the many that remain in situ in 2008, and even some are still left as of 2021.

In 2006, TfL launched London Overground, a similar but more comprehensive scheme in north London unrelated to Overground Network. Again, according to Innes Ferguson, TfL's medium-term aspiration is for the former to be expanded to cover other National Rail services in London and the South-East, either by direct TfL operation through a concession-holder (as with the ex-Silverlink routes) or by a TOC agreeing to operate under the London Overground "brand".

Routes

These routes were part of the scheme, and carried the on branding on station signs: [12]

Additionally, these routes were shown on the network map as having 4 tph service: [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

London Underground Public rapid transit system in London, UK

The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.

National Rail (NR) in Great Britain is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group, an unincorporated association whose membership consists of the passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England, Scotland, and Wales. The TOCs run the passenger services previously provided by the British Railways Board, from 1965 using the brand name British Rail. Northern Ireland, which is bordered by the Republic of Ireland, has a different system. National Rail services share a ticketing structure and inter-availability that generally do not extend to services which were not part of British Rail.

Tube map Schematic map of the London Underground network

The Tube map is a schematic transport map of the lines, stations and services of the London Underground, known colloquially as "the Tube", hence the map's name. The first schematic Tube map was designed by Harry Beck in 1931. Since then, it has been expanded to include more of London's public transport systems, including the Docklands Light Railway, London Overground, TfL Rail, Tramlink, the Emirates Air Line cable car and Thameslink.

Transport for London Local government body responsible for the transport system in Greater London

Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, England.

Southern (Govia Thameslink Railway) British train operating company

Southern is the brand name used by the Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) train operating company on the Southern routes of the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise in England. It is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since August 2001 and the Gatwick Express service since June 2008. When the franchise was subsumed into GTR, Southern was split from Gatwick Express and the two became separate brands, alongside the Thameslink and Great Northern brands.

Kensal Green station London Underground and London Overground station

Kensal Green is a Network Rail station served by London Underground Bakerloo line and London Overground trains. It is located in College Road, London NW10 close to the junction with Harrow Road. It is about 0.5 mile (750m) route distance from the older Kensal Rise station located to the north east on the North London Line, which was itself named Kensal Green until 1890. The station is in a cutting with a tunnel at the western end.

Oyster card Payment method for public transport in London

The Oyster card is a payment method for public transport in London in the United Kingdom. A standard Oyster card is a blue credit-card-sized stored-value contactless smart card. It is promoted by Transport for London (TfL) and can be used on travel modes across London including London Buses, London Underground, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground, Tramlink, some river boat services, and most National Rail services within the London fare zones. Since its introduction in June 2003, more than 86 million cards have been used.

Clapham High Street railway station London Overground station

Clapham High Street railway station is on the South London Line in Clapham, within the London Borough of Lambeth, Greater London. It is 6 miles 21 chains (10.1 km) measured from London Bridge. It is served by London Overground services, with a limited service to Battersea Park under the control of the London Rail division of Transport for London, and a daily Southeastern service to Ashford International once a day.

Gospel Oak to Barking line London Overground line

The Gospel Oak to Barking line is part of the Network Rail network of railway lines. It is 13 miles 58 chains (22.1 km) in length from one terminus to the other and carries both through goods trains and London Overground passenger trains, connecting Gospel Oak station in north London and Barking station in east London. The line is part of Network Rail Strategic Route 6, and is classified as a London and South East Commuter line.

Barking station Interchange railway station in London

Barking is an interchange station serving the town of Barking, east London. It is served by London Underground, London Overground and National Rail main line services. It is located on Station Parade, in the town centre.

Travelcard

The Travelcard is an inter-modal travel ticket for unlimited use on the London Underground, London Overground, TfL Rail, Docklands Light Railway, Tramlink, London Buses and National Rail services in the Greater London area. Travelcards can be purchased for a period of time varying from one day to a year, from Transport for London, National Rail and their agents. Depending on where it is purchased, and the length of validity, a Travelcard is either printed on a paper ticket with a magnetic stripe or encoded onto an Oyster card, Transport for London's contactless electronic smart card. The cost of a Travelcard is determined by the area it covers and, for this purpose, London is divided into a number of fare zones. The Travelcard season ticket for unlimited travel on London Buses and the London Underground was launched on 22 May 1983 by London Transport. One Day Travelcards and validity on other transport modes were added from 1984 onwards. The introduction of the Travelcard caused an increase in patronage and reduced the number of tickets that needed to be purchased by passengers.

Kensington (Olympia) station London Underground and railway station

Kensington (Olympia) is a combined rail and tube station in Kensington, on the edge of Central London. Services are provided by London Overground, who manage the station, along with Southern and London Underground. It is in Travelcard Zone 2. On the Underground it is the terminus of a short District line branch from Earl's Court, originally built as part of the Middle Circle. On the main-line railway it is on the West London Line from Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction, by which trains bypass inner London. The station's name is drawn from its location in Kensington and the adjacent Olympia exhibition centre.

A train operating company (TOC) is a business operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand. TOCs have existed since the privatisation of the network under the Railways Act 1993.

London Rail Directorate of Transport for London

London Rail is a directorate of Transport for London (TfL), involved in the relationship with the National Rail network within Greater London, UK which manages TfL's non-London Underground train services.

Orbirail Proposed orbital railway around London

Orbirail was a name for a suggested orbital railway route around London.

London Overground London suburban rail network

London 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 112 stations on nine different routes.

Transport in London Transport network serving London and surrounding regions

London has an extensive and developed transport network which includes both private and public services. Journeys made by public transport systems account for 37% of London's journeys while private services accounted for 36% of journeys, walking 24% and cycling 2%. London's public transport network serves as the central hub for the United Kingdom in rail, air and road transport.

Oyster card (pay as you go) on National Rail

The use of Oyster pay as you go (PAYG) payment has now been implemented across National Rail services in the London Travelcard area, some additional stations served by c2c, Govia Thameslink Railway, Greater Anglia, TfL Rail and London Overground, Southeastern highspeed services within London, as well as Gatwick Express and Heathrow Express.

East London line extension Railway engineering project in London

The East London line extension (ELLX) project was a British railway engineering project in London, managed by Transport for London. The project involved extending the East London Line and making it part of the mainline London Overground network. This was done by re-opening sections of disused railway line and by converting track electrified by the third-rail system, signalling, lineside signage and communication systems, etc. to mainline standards. New rolling stock was introduced and four new stations built along the route, with a fifth scheduled to be added in the future at New Bermondsey.

References

  1. Barkley, John M (20 October 2003). "on Overground Network - Endorsement Article by SWELTRAC and SELTRANS". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  2. Turner, T. (2019). London Travel Guide 2019: Must-see attractions, wonderful hotels, excellent restaurants, valuable tips and so much more!. T Turner. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  3. Kwintner, Adrian (8 October 2003). "Better services on key rail route". News Shopper. Retrieved 25 August 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. "We're Going Overground". London Travelwatch. 30 September 2003. Archived from the original on 9 July 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  5. "Working with National Rail". TfL Annual Report 2003. 2003. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  6. "Bob Kiley outlines proposals for London Regional Rail Authority". Transport for London. 23 March 2004. Archived from the original on 29 January 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  7. "5.7.2". The Future of Rail. London: Department for Transport. 2004. ISBN   0-10-162332-1 . Retrieved 29 August 2008.
  8. "Silverlink Metro". Hansard. House of Commons. 14 February 2006. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
  9. "Creating London Overground" (PDF). Transport for London. 11 November 2007. Archived from the original (PDF leaflet) on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2007.
  10. "Transport for London One ticket for London as Oysterisation of rail and river confirmed". Transport for London. 23 November 2009. Archived from the original on 15 January 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  11. "TfL London Rail and Southern announce major investment in station security". Transport for London. 20 July 2004. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  12. 1 2 3 "High-frequency National Rail services in south London" (PDF). 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2003. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  13. "Fitch London on track with rail job". Design Week. 2 October 2003. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2008.