England’s Lionesses have London Overground line named after them

England’s women’s football team have been honoured by having a London Overground line named after them.

London’s famous Tube map has undergone its biggest transformation for many years with the six Overground branches, previously represented by an orange line, each receiving a distinct colour and name.

The route between Euston and Watford Junction will be marked with yellow parallel lines on the Tube map and has been named the Lioness line as it passes through Wembley, the site of the Lionesses’s Euro 2022 triumph when they beat Germany 2-1 in the final thanks to Chloe Kelly’s iconic injury-time goal. They also reached last year’s World Cup final but fell to a narrow defeat to Spain.

The other five lines will be Mildmay (blue), Windrush (red), Weaver (maroon), Suffragette (green) and Liberty (grey) with each representing a different aspect of London’s history or culture relating to the parts of the city the line passes through.

London Overground lines have all been coloured orange on the map since the network was created in 2007 but its expansion has left what has been described as a “mass of orange spaghetti” on maps, making it difficult for some passengers to work out what train they need.

By giving each line a distinct identity, navigation should be made easier for passengers and the Lionesses will have their recent achievements immortalised.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “This is a hugely exciting moment, transforming how we think about London’s transport network. Giving each of the Overground lines distinct colours and identities will make it simpler and easier for passengers to get around.

“In reimagining 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.”

Andy Lord, London’s transport commissioner, said: “The London Overground is one of the most successful railways in the country and has grown to carry more than three million customers a week.

“The network – which has grown quite considerably since 2007 – is currently shown as a complicated network of orange on maps. This can be confusing for customers less familiar with the network and could be a barrier for some wanting to use the London Overground.

“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. It is also a great way to tell the stories of some important parts of London’s cultural diversity.”

The changes are estimated to cost £6.3m with the majority of this going towards updating customer information such as redesigning and redisplaying maps across all Tube and London Overground stations and issuing new versions in print and online.

Additional reporting by PA