London Overground

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London Overground
Locale Greater London; Three Rivers; Watford, UK
Transit type Regional rail
Began operation 2007
System length 86 km (53.4 Miles)
Number of lines 4 (5 by 2012)
Number of stations 55
Track gauge Standard
Owner Transport for London
Operator(s) London Overground Rail Operations Ltd
(until 2014 or 2016)
London Transport Portal

London Overground[1] is a train operating company that provides railway services in north, west and east London.

On November 11, 2007 it took over the North London Railway routes formerly of Silverlink Metro. The East London line will form part of the network, as the East London Railway, upon completion of its Phase 1 extension in 2010.[2] London Overground services remain part of the National Rail network, but the contracting authority is Transport for London (TfL) rather than central Government. This arrangement is similar to the model adopted for Merseyrail.

The routes are branded with a version of the London Underground roundel coloured orange with a blue bar[2] and are shown on Underground maps[1] with a double orange stripe.[2] The lines continue to be owned and maintained by Network Rail, although the Dalston-New Cross section of the East London Railway will remain TfL property when it becomes part of the Overground. The Overground is best described as a commuter rail system, especially as many of the lines share traffic with freight services, although there is an intention to introduce metro frequencies eventually on all routes.

Contents

[edit] History

Image:london overground type.PNG
Franchise(s): London Overground[3]
11 November 2007 - 2014
(optional 2016)
Main Region(s): Greater London
Other Region(s): Hertfordshire
Fleet size: Unconfirmed
Stations called at: 55
National Rail abbreviation: LO
Parent company: Transport for London
Web site: www.tfl.gov.uk/overground
London Overground Rail Operations Limited
London Overground Rail Operations Limited
A poster promoting the newly-launched London Overground
A poster promoting the newly-launched London Overground
Kilburn High Road station with Overground signage
Kilburn High Road station with Overground signage
For the early history of some of the lines making up the London Overground, see East London line and North London Railway.

[edit] Initial announcements

On February 20, 2006 the Department for Transport announced that TfL would take over management of services then provided by Silverlink Metro. Tenders were invited from potential contractors to operate the service under the provisional name of the North London Railway. On September 5, 2006 London Overground branding was announced, and it was confirmed that the extended East London Line would be included.

The routes cover many areas of London, and reasons why TfL would see them as attractive for direct control include:

[edit] Operator

Following a model similar to that already used for the Docklands Light Railway, TfL invited tenders for operation of the London Overground. Unlike National Rail franchisees, TfL would set fares, procure rolling stock and decide service levels. The operator would take an element of revenue risk: TfL take 90% of the revenue risk, 10% of revenue is retained by the operator, and the operator is responsible for revenue collection.

The tenderers were MTR Laing, a 50/50 joint venture between MTR Corporation and Laing Rail, Govia, National Express Group (the operator of Silverlink), and NedRailways. In December 2006, this was narrowed to Govia and MTR Laing, who were selected to submit their ‘best and final offers’,[6] and on June 19, 2007 it was announced that MTR Laing had been selected.[7]

The formal contract was signed on July 2, 2007. The contract is due to last seven years, with the option of a two-year extension.[8] In preparation for the launch of London Overground, MTR Laing renamed itself as London Overground Rail Operations Ltd (LOROL).

In December 2007, Henderson Group, the parent company of John Laing plc announced the sale of the Laing Rail division, which comprises half of LOROL, Chiltern Railways and a stake in the Wrexham & Shropshire open-access railway operator. In January 2008 Deutsche Bahn announced it had bought Laing Rail. The price is said to be around €170 million.

[edit] Launch

London Overground started operating on November 11, 2007. The launch was accompanied by a marketing campaign entitled "London's new train set", with posters and leaflets carrying an image of a model railway retail package containing the new Overground trains, tracks and staff.[9]

The official launch was on November 12, 2007 at Hampstead Heath railway station by Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, with a later media event on the disused bay platform at Willesden Junction station.

At the launch TfL undertook to revamp the routes by improving service frequencies, staffing all stations, improving station facilities, introducing new rolling stock and by allowing Oyster card pay as you go to be used throughout the network from the outset.[10]

All stations are being "deep-cleaned"[11] following the TfL takeover and Silverlink branding removed. Station signage is being gradually replaced with London Overground-branded signs using TfL's corporate New Johnston typeface. There are temporary adhesive signs at some stations, to be replaced with full-size enamel platform name signs using the orange and blue London Overground roundel as station refurbishment progresses.[11][12]

[edit] Current system

[edit] Introduction

The initial network, service levels and timetables are a continuation of Silverlink Metro services. As the Overground name implies, the vast majority of the network is above ground, mostly consisting of railway lines connecting areas outside Central London, with a considerable portion of the network in Zone 2. The network also uses Euston in central London, the southern terminus of the Watford DC Line [2][13].

[edit] Routes

Initial London Overground network from November 2007 (orange) and the East London line in 2010 (light orange).
Initial London Overground network from November 2007 (orange) and the East London line in 2010 (light orange).

info Diagrammatic map of London Overground, November 2007

London Overground consists of the following lines:

The network interchanges with the Bakerloo, Central, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Northern and Victoria lines and also the Docklands Light Railway. TfL has issued a diagrammatic map of London Overground in the familiar Tube map style, showing these interchanges.

[edit] Stations

London Overground serves the following stations:

North London Line West London Line Watford DC Line Gospel Oak - Barking Line

* Step-free access on eastbound platform only

[edit] Ticketing

London Overground ticket based on same design as National Rail tickets but with a Transport for London roundel in the background/relief
London Overground ticket based on same design as National Rail tickets but with a Transport for London roundel in the background/relief

Ticketing on London Overground uses a mix of paper and the Oyster Card electronic smart card. As with existing National Rail services in London, passengers may use a Travelcard (daily, three-day, seven-day, monthly and annual) as well as paper single, return and cheap day return tickets priced under the zonal scheme. In addition, TfL permits the use of Oyster "pay-as-you-go" (PAYG), which allows passengers to load a cash value onto their Oyster card, and have the relevant fare deducted at the end of their journey.

As part of an effort to improve safety and revenue protection, TfL has announced that it will introduce ticket barriers at a number of stations. The remaining stations have been fitted with standalone Oyster Card readers similar to those at ungated London Underground and DLR stations.

The ticket stock for London Overground continues to be common National Rail stock, as London Overground services remain part of the National Rail network, but with a large TfL roundel in the centre and the repeated legend "Rail Settlement Plan" in a light green background.

[edit] Ticket pricing

Paper tickets are charged at the old Silverlink prices, which are generally lower than National Rail London zonal fares and London Underground fares. For example, the ticket above shows that the adult single fare between Harrow & Wealdstone (Zone 5) and Hatch End (Zone 6) is £1.50. This would be £1.90 under the National Rail zonal fare system and £3.00 under the London Underground fares.

Oyster PAYG is charged on the same zone-based rules as for the London Underground and Docklands Light Railway. Oyster is generally cheaper than paper tickets: for example, the fare between Harrow & Wealdstone and Hatch End is £1.00 with Oyster PAYG. Stations outside Greater London, except for Watford Junction, are included in the newly created Travelcard Zones 7-9.[15] Acton Central, Hampstead Heath and Willesden Junction were re-zoned on January 2, 2008 (from 2 to 3, 3 to 2 and 3 to 2/3 respectively),[15] which will also reduce some zone-based fares.

[edit] Branding

The public presentation of London Overground is visually associated with existing TfL design standards, using identical graphic design elements to those used on London Underground publicity, signage and other elements, drawing on the design heritage of Harry Beck. These design standards will be applied to the new fleet of trains.

The Overground uses the familiar Tube roundel, originally devised for London Underground and now established as the corporate branding for all TfL services. The roundel is a blue bar on an orange circle. In common with other TfL services, London Overground is denoted by a sector colour, a vivid orange (Pantone 158C). This colour was inherited from the former East London line, whose operations are to be incorporated into the Overground system.

London Overground appears on the Tube map in its corporate orange. Similarly to the presentation of the DLR, London Overground is shown as a double stripe rather than a solid line, to denote its status as a franchised line operating within the TfL network.

Corporate signage, stationery and literature use the New Johnston typeface in common with other TfL services.[16]

[edit] Performance

Although the Overground network has TfL branding, it is monitored for performance as part of the national rail network, unlike London Underground services. The first figures released by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), for October to December 2007, showed that it had achieved 89.3% of the Public Performance Measure PPM) target for punctuality and reliability set by the ORR. This was 1% better than the equivalent quarter the year before and 2.9% better than the average PPM for all regional railway companies. [17].

[edit] Rolling stock

Overground branding on a Class 508 coach in Silverlink livery
Overground branding on a Class 508 coach in Silverlink livery

On all routes except the East London line, services began using Class 313 EMUs, Class 508 EMUs and Class 150 DMUs inherited from Silverlink. However, TfL committed to introducing brand new rolling stock to the service, including the East London Line, over three to five years. From 2009 the electrified lines will be operated by Class 378 Electrostars to be built by Bombardier Transportation. The East London Railway will initially have 20 four-car units and the North London Railway 24 three-car units.[1] In 2011, the North London Railway fleet will be extended to four cars and the East London Railway will gain three extra trains.[18]

The Class 378 stock will not be able to operate over the Gospel Oak to Barking Line (GOBLIN) as the line is not electrified. While electrification is advocated by Transport for London, local boroughs and passenger groups, it has not been included as part of Network Rail's Route Utilisation Strategy for the Cross London Route.[5] TfL has indicated that it intends to use new two-car Class 172 Turbostar diesel trains from 2009.[19] MTR/Laing will lease 8 two-car units from a ROSCO, rather than their being purchased by TfL, as was planned with the Class 378 units.[20] The 8 Class 172/0 units were ordered by Angel Trains on behalf of TfL in November 2007.[21] In February 2008, TfL announced that it would lease rather than purchase its Class 378 EMUs. This will be done through a newly formed ROSCO named QW Rail Leasing, with the lease running until 2027. TfL took this option to free up the £250 million capital cost of purchase, combined with reducing the risk of making a loss through any future sell-on of the fleet.[22]

If the plan to replace the Watford DC Line with a Bakerloo line service to Watford Junction goes ahead, the 1972 Stock fleet on the Bakerloo line could be augmented by newly-retired Victoria line 1967 Stock trains, although these would need modification.[23]

[edit] Current fleet

 Class  Image Type  Top speed   Number   Cars per set   Seat layout   Number of seats   Routes operated   Built 
 mph   km/h 
Class 150/1 diesel multiple unit 75 120 6[citation needed] 2 2+3 (high density) 146 Gospel Oak-Barking 1985-86
Class 313/1 electric multiple unit 75 120 23 3 2+2/2+3 (high density) 228 North London;
Watford DC;
West London		 1976-77
(Refurbished 1997-2002)
Class 508/3 electric multiple unit 75 120 3 3 2+2/2+3 (high density) 230 Watford DC Line 1979-1980 (Refurbished 2003)

[edit] Future fleet

Class Image Type Top speed Number Cars per set Seat layout Routes operated Built
mph km/h
Class 172/0 Turbostar diesel multiple unit 75 120 8 2 2+3 Gospel Oak-Barking 2009
Class 378 Electrostar electric multiple unit 75 120 54 4 Longitudinal North London
Watford DC
West London
East London		 2007-2010

[edit] Livery

All London Overground trains remain in Silverlink's purple and lime green livery with yellow doors. Silverlink logos have been removed and London Overground banners have been added to most units. It is not expected that any more cosmetic changes will be made to the livery and interiors until the delivery of the new rolling stock.

TfL's artist impressions of the future stock show them in a new livery, similar to London Underground's, which has blue and white coaches with orange doors and yellow fronts

Artist's impression of new rolling stock livery.
Artist's impression of new rolling stock livery.

[edit] Future developments

The network with all proposed changes in place
The network with all proposed changes in place

[edit] East London Railway

Main article: East London line

The East London Railway will become part of the network when the Phase 1 extensions to the East London Line to the new southern termini at Crystal Palace and West Croydon and the northern extension (mostly along the Broad Street viaduct) to the re-opened Dalston Junction are completed in 2010. When the East London line is added to the network, this will add substantial sections of line that are in tunnels (including the Thames Tunnel) (the oldest tunnel under the Thames), and will create the anomaly that the Overground will be below the London Underground part of Whitechapel tube station.

The line was closed on December 22, 2007 in preparation for its extension and incorporation into the London Overground. Work is due for completion ahead of schedule on November 7, 2009.[24]

In the original Phase 1 plans, the East London Railway terminated just south of the North London Line, at Dalston Junction. The former Mayor, Ken Livingstone, has since stated that Phase 1 of the East London Railway project would be extended to Highbury & Islington, in order to make a connection with the North London Railway, the Victoria line and First Capital Connect services. This is not planned to open until 2011.[1]

[edit] Watford line

TfL has had an aspiration for the Bakerloo line to be re-extended to Watford Junction.[25] If this happens, most or all of the line from Queen's Park to Watford Junction would be used exclusively by London Underground.

London Overground services would most likely be diverted at Primrose Hill Junction away from Euston, via the currently freight-only route through Primrose Hill station to Camden Road, providing a new service running between Queen's Park and Stratford.[citation needed] This would mean that Kilburn High Road and South Hampstead would no longer having direct services to central London.

[edit] South London Line

The Phase 2 plans of the East London line extension incorporate an extension from Surrey Quays along the South London Line to Clapham Junction[26]. This would then create an orbital network around Central London, fulfilling the Orbirail concept.

This extension is currently unfunded and is at the proposal stage; as it would also involve the withdrawal of the current South London Line service between Victoria to London Bridge via Denmark Hill there is the suggestion that this extension could be funded as preliminary works for the Thameslink Programme[27], due to capacity constraints at London Bridge station once the Thameslink upgrade has taken place.

The proposed south London route would follow the line currently served by National Rail from Queens Road Peckham as far as Wandsworth Road, then branch off at Heathbrook Park, passing through Battersea towards Clapham Junction. This proposal has attracted criticism, as the route will cross over Loughborough Junction and Brixton stations [26], missing opportunities to create new interchange stations with Thameslink services and the London Underground Victoria line respectively[28][29]. Under current proposals, no stations are planned at these locations as the line is on high railway arches, making the cost of any station construction prohibitive[30].

In the March edition of the Londoner newspaper, TfL announced its intention to take over the South London Line and make it part of London Overground when Southern's franchise runs out in 2009. [31]

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Transport for London (2006-09-05). "Introducing London Overground - a new era for London Rail". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  2. ^ a b c d "London Overground plans unveiled", BBC News, bbc.co.uk, 2006-09-05. Retrieved on 2007-06-19. 
  3. ^ London Overground is not an ordinary franchise - all elements of train operation are under the control of Transport for London, with services contracted out to MTR/Laing
  4. ^ Response to Network Rail's Draft Cross London Route Utilisation Strategy (PDF). Transport for London (February 2006). Retrieved on 2007-01-10.
  5. ^ a b London's Forgotten Railway: The Transport Committee's Review of the North London Railway (PDF). Greater London Authority (March 2006). Retrieved on 2007-03-17.
  6. ^ Transport for London (2006-12-15). "Transport for London confirms next bid stage for London Overground services". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  7. ^ Greater London Authority (2007-06-19). "Milestone reached in transformation of London's overland rail network as operator is announced". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-06-19.
  8. ^ MTR Laing beats Go-Ahead unit Govia to win North London rail franchise. Hemscott. Retrieved on 2007-06-19.
  9. ^ Transport for London (11 November 2007). London's new train set (PDF leaflet). Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
  10. ^ Transport for London (11 November 2007). Creating London Overground (PDF leaflet). Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
  11. ^ a b All Change. The Londoner (November 2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-04.
  12. ^ Transport for London (December 2007). London Overground Signs Standard (PDF guide). Retrieved on 2008-02-17.
  13. ^ The fastest route between Clapham Junction and Stratford is still via London Waterloo, using South West Trains services and the Jubilee line. The operation of direct services on this route will mainly benefit passengers joining or alighting at intermediate stations and those who do not wish to travel via Zone 1
  14. ^ Latest Tube Map
  15. ^ a b Transport for London - Your guide to fares and tickets. January 2, 2008.
  16. ^ TfL. Design standards: London Overground. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
  17. ^ ORR statistics
  18. ^ Transport for London (2007-07-04). "£36m contract to bring extra rail carriages for London Overground". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  19. ^ New Plans. The Barking - Gospel Oak Line User Group.
  20. ^ "The Underground Roundel moves Overground" (September 2007). Today's Railways (UK) (70): 24–30. 
  21. ^ Class 172 Turbostar. The Railway Centre.
  22. ^ Transport for London (2007-07-04). "Transport for London signs new train leasing contract". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  23. ^ London Overground & Orbirail. alwaystouchout.com (2006-12-07). Retrieved on 2007-01-10.
  24. ^ Operational and Financial Report: First Quarter, 2007/08 (PDF). Transport for London (2007-10-24). Retrieved on 2007-10-26.
  25. ^ Scenario Testing for the Further Alterations to the London Plan (PDF). Greater London Authority (March 2006). Retrieved on 2007-06-19.
  26. ^ a b Transport for London (2006). The Tube in 2010. Retrieved on 2007-11-03. (map illustrating future development phases as proposed by TfL in 2006, subject to change)
  27. ^ Transport for London Board Meeting (2007-12-06). Retrieved on 2007-12-18.
  28. ^ Junction joy South. South London Press (2004-24-04). Retrieved on 2007-11-03.
  29. ^ Martin Linton MP (2006-07-19). Parliamentary Debate: London Orbital Rail Network. Hansard. Retrieved on 2007-11-03.
  30. ^ East London Line Extensions - Loughborough Junction. AlwaysTouchOut (2006-11-09). Retrieved on 2007-11-03.
  31. ^ "Next stop south London", The Londoner, Transport for London, March 2008. 

[edit] External links

Preceded by
London Underground
East London line operator
before 2010		 Operator of London Overground
2007 - present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Silverlink
North London Railways franchise
before 2007
v • d • e
Current train operating companies in the United Kingdom
◄ Defunct • Future ►
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1 Operates on the Irish railway network