About the Overground
The London Overground is an orbital railway network that transformed London's transport geography when TfL took over and rebranded it in 2007. Running 167 km across six separate routes, its 112 stations connect the inner and outer suburbs of north, east, south and west London in a way that the radial Underground lines cannot. Key interchanges include Highbury & Islington, Dalston Junction, Hackney Central, Stratford, West Ham, Clapham Junction, Crystal Palace, Shepherd's Bush and Richmond. The distinctive orange livery is now one of the most recognisable colours in London transport.
History
London Overground was created in 2007 when Transport for London took over the former Silverlink Metro service on the North London Line and Watford DC Line. The network expanded rapidly over the following decade, adding the East London Line (2010), the Gospel Oak to Barking line (2011), the Romford to Upminster shuttle (2015) and the Dalston to New Cross/Crystal Palace/Clapham Junction routes. In 2024 TfL renamed the six Overground routes individually to improve navigation - the routes are now called the Lioness, Mildmay, Windrush, Weaver, Suffragette and Liberty lines.
Stations on this Line
21 stops along the route
Line Statistics
Travel Tips
- 1The Overground is excellent for orbital travel - crossing London without going through the crowded city centre
- 2Clapham Junction is the busiest railway station in Europe and a key Overground interchange for south and west London
- 3The East London line section (Highbury & Islington to Crystal Palace/Clapham Junction) is particularly useful for south-east London destinations
- 4In 2024 the six Overground routes were given individual names to aid navigation
- 5Contactless and Oyster work across all Overground routes within the TfL fare zones
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Overground in London.