London Overground

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London Overground <ref name="TfL">Transport for London - Introducing 'London Overground'</ref> is the name given to both the network of rail services in London, England, to be provided by the London Rail division of Transport for London (TfL) from 11 November 2007, and the eventual holder of the franchise to operate services on the network. It will initially include the routes that are currently operated by Silverlink Metro, and will include the East London Line (to be renamed East London Railway) upon completion of its phase one extension in 2010.<ref name="BBC">BBC London News - London Overground plans unveiled (September 2007)</ref>

[edit] Network

[edit] History

(For early history of some of the lines making up the London Overground, see East London Railway and North London Railway. Also see the North London Line, Watford DC Line, East London Line, West London Line and Gospel Oak to Barking Line.)

On 20 February 2006, it was announced that Transport for London would take over the provision of services that were being provided by Silverlink Metro. Tenders were invited from potential operators for this service under the provisional name of the North London Railway. On 5 September 2006, the London Overground branding was announced, and it was confirmed that the extended East London line would form part of this service.

There are a number of reasons why this set of routes was seen as attractive for direct control by Transport for London.

• Although the Overground routes cover many areas of London, there is some concentration in the north-east, and services to Stratford, and these are expected to support the 2012 Summer Olympics.
• Many of the lines pass through less affluent areas, and the services are seen as part of the regeneration of these areas.<ref> [1]- Response to Network Rail's Draft Cross London Route Utilisation Strategy.</ref>
• The North London Line and Gospel Oak to Barking Line have been considered by some to be neglected and not developed to their full potential. <ref> London Assembly - London's Forgotten Railway: The Transport Committee's review of the North London Railway (PDF)</ref>

[edit] Scope

The network will consist mostly of railway lines connecting areas outside Central London that avoid the busiest part of the city. A considerable portion of this network will be in Zone 2. However, the initial network will use Euston Station in central London as the terminus of the Watford DC Line.<ref name="BBC"/> As the name implies, the majority of the network will be above ground, but there are sections of the East London Line that are in cut-and-cover tunnel, and this line also includes the Thames Tunnel.

The routes will be operated by a single franchisee selected in early 2007, and will be branded with a version of the familiar London Underground roundel. <ref name="BBC"/> The line will appear on tube maps <ref name="TfL"/>, and will be depicted by a double orange stripe. <ref name="BBC"/> Although services will be provided by Transport for London, the railway lines will be maintained by Network Rail. The franchise itself will be only the third on the National Rail network to be awarded by a body other than the Department for Transport (the others being the Scottish domestic franchise, awarded by Scotland's devolved government, and the Merseyrail franchise, awarded by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive).

[edit] Routes

[edit] Initial operations

Initially, the London Overground will consist of the following lines. All of them are currently operated by National Express under the Silverlink Metro brand and are part of National Rail:

• North London Line - Richmond to Stratford. The Stratford to North Woolwich section will close before London Overground starts operating.<ref>[2] - Latest Tube Map</ref>
• West London Line - Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction
• Gospel Oak to Barking Line
• Watford DC Line - Watford Junction to Euston

The exact nature of operation on these lines is still to be announced but it is likely that there will be a number of through services from Clapham Junction to Stratford.

[edit] East London Line extension

Main article: East London Line

The East London Line (as the East London Railway) will be part of the network when the extension opens in 2010. This will incorporate new southern termini at Crystal Palace and West Croydon as well as the existing terminus at New Cross. The northern extension of the line will be mostly along the Broad Street viaduct and the original Phase 1 plans were that the extension would terminate just south of the North London Line at Dalston Junction. However, the mayor has stated his intention that the link between the North London Line and East London Line be delivered as part of this phase. When this link was initially mooted, it was stated that trains on the East London Line would travel as far as Highbury & Islington, but the mayor implied that there may be through services between Richmond and West Croydon using much of the existing North London line and extended East London line. <ref>Transport for London - Introducing 'London Overground'</ref>

[edit] Other proposed routes

• Plans to re-extend the Bakerloo Line to Watford Junction have been approved in principle, but no timeline has been set out. If this is done, it is possible then that the entire section from Queens Park to Watford Junction will be taken over by the London Underground. London Overground services may be diverted to a line currently not used for passenger operations, between Primrose Hill Junction and Camden Road via Primrose Hill, and there could be a through service from Queen's Park to Stratford. The DC line from Euston to Primrose Hill Junction would then see no passenger service.
• The East London Line extension Phase 2 plans incorporate an extension from Surrey Quays to the South London Line, and then along this line to Clapham Junction. This would then create an orbital network around London: the Orbirail concept. However, this phase of the extension is currently unfunded.

[edit] Franchise

[edit] Franchise bidding

Four prospective operators have been pre-selected for the London Overground franchise:

• Govia
• MTR Laing (a joint venture between MTR Corporation and Laing Rail)
• National Express Group
• Nedrail
  

The successful operator will be selected in Spring 2007 and begin operations from 11 November 2007.

[edit] Rolling stock

The service will begin operation using older stock<ref name="TfL" />. Silverlink currently operate the routes using a fleet of Class 313 EMUs and Class 150 DMUs, and London Overground may inherit these^{[citation needed]}.

From 2009, the franchise will be operated by a fleet of Electrostars to be built by Bombardier Transportation. The East London Line will have 20 four-car units and the remaining lines will share 24 three-car units <ref>Transport for London TfL awards £223m new trains contract</ref>, though arrangements for the currently-unelectrified Gospel Oak to Barking Line are unclear - TfL has recommended to Network Rail that the route be electrified, but there are no concrete plans for this. As a consequence, it is likely that DMUs would continue to be used on the Gospel Oak to Barking <ref>Transport for London TfL welcomes support for North London Railway plans</ref>

The Watford DC line may be switched to newly-retired Victoria Line stock before it is transferred to the Bakerloo Line.<ref>Always Touch Out London Rail Authority</ref>

[edit] Trivia

• The initial London Overground network will interchange with the following London Underground lines: Bakerloo, Central, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee, Northern, Victoria.
• When the East London Line extension opens, the London Overground part of Whitechapel tube station will be below the London Underground part.
• When this extension opens, the London Overground will contain the oldest tunnel under the Thames, the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages.

[edit] See also

• London Underground
• Overground Network
• Orbirail

[edit] References

<references/>

[edit] External links

• Tube map showing London Overground routes
• Transport for London press release
• Always Touch Out on the topic

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | Railway lines of England | London's railways | London Rail | London Overground | 2007 establishments