Overground Network

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The scheme should not be confused with London Overground

Overground Network (abbreviated on) is a branding initiative of Transport for London to encourage use of National Rail services in South London.

South London is poorly served by the London Underground network, but does have a large number of suburban rail lines. The scheme seeks to encourage metro-style usage ("Turn Up and Go") of these services. Railway stations are given the Overground brand if they have 4 or more trains per hour to a London terminus. TfL also helps fund the installation of CCTV and other station upgrades.

A pilot scheme was launched at 41 stations on 30 September 2003. As of September 2006, the scheme has 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 website for it was shut down in February 2007.

ON signage on a sign at a participating station

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 individial TOCs to remove these at their own expense, hence the many that remain in situ as of October 2007.

Note that in common usage, overground rail may refer to any National Rail line, not just those in this scheme. 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".