I like cable street line and willow line best from all the rejects.
I thought that most of the line names were a bit vomit-inducing but I hadn’t seen the ones they’d rejected I suppose.
Why they couldn’t have just kept them relatively neutral sounding though, most of the others are descriptive / royals.
Lea Valley lines was pretty good already for example.
Something like Stratmond for Stratford to Richmond?
> Keskidee line
This one is hilarious because it’s an exact phonetic match to the way a French person would say “what’s he saying?” (“Qu’est-ce qu’il dit?”)
Lmao if people thought the names they chose are ‘woke’ they should read this list.
Those names are beyond pathetic. Wonder how much money was spent coming up with them. I dread to think.
Sunflower line: “Showcasing the sunflower, which is a symbol used by those with non-visible disabilities, especially autism and other forms of neurodiversity.”
Willow line: “Recognising the willow trees that run along the banks of the River Lea, representing conservation and the furniture making industry that is prevalent in this area of London.”
Malins line: “Opened in 1860, Malin’s is recorded as the first fish and chip shop in the UK. As well as the country’s national dish, fish and chips encapsulate how migration and trade have shaped our culture, with fried fish being introduced by Sephardic Jewish immigrants and chips being made by potatoes that originally come from the Americas.”
Fanns line: “The Land of the Fanns is a 50-year ecological project protecting the landscape of the Thames Estuary. The work aims to reunify the landscape, strengthen the attachment and create a sense of enjoyment for local people and visitors.”
Skylark line: “A well-loved bird, which can be found at the Walthamstow Wetlands. Their habitats are largely concentrated in the suburbs, almost forming a ring around the capital like the London Overground.”
Derham line: “Cleric and scientist William Derham (1657-1735) was a rector in Upminster from 1689 until 1735. He became chaplain to the Prince of Wales, the future George II, and was also made a canon of Windsor.”
Huggett line: “Annie Huggett was the longest surviving suffragist, who lived until she was 103. She worked with working-class suffragettes in the East End, running meetings in The Three Lamps, Barking, which was a favoured spot for trade unionists and suffragettes.”
Winton line: “Nicholas Winton organised the rescue of 669 children, mostly Jewish, from Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Second World War. This operation, later known as the Czech Kindertransport, saw the children arrive into Liverpool Street station.”
Hops line: “Plantsman William Coys’ (1560-1627) work at Stubbers Garden in Upminster was a precursor to the first botanical gardens. He grew the first tomatoes, Jerusalem artichokes and hops in the UK, and studied the art of beer brewing.”
Obaala line: “Named after a Black art gallery in South Tottenham, which was created by the Organisation for Black Art Advancement and Leisure Activities (OBAALA). The organisation aimed to showcase the work of artists who were proud of their African ancestry.”
Cother line: “Honouring Jack Cother, the first Asian professional footballer in the UK who played for Watford FC from 1897. The club’s Vicarage Road stadium at the end of the line has a small plaque in his honour. Cother’s father was originally from Mumbai, India and this story recognises the important South Asian communities along this line, particularly at Wembley, at a time when racism in football continues to be an important issue.”
Saffron line: “The word Croydon comes from the Anglo-Saxon words for crocus and valley, indicating that it was a centre for the cultivation of saffron, which is a spice, dye and perfume ingredient that originates from the Middle East and South Asia, and is popular in cooking, fashion and fragrances from as far as Spain and India.”
Althea line: “Althea McNish is considered to be the first designer of African-Caribbean descent to achieve international recognition. Her designs depict English flora in vibrant colours. She moved from Trinidad to London when she was 27.”
Jayaben line: “Recognising the work and fighting spirit of Jayaben Desai, who led strikes against working conditions, pay inequality and institutional racism within the Grunwick Plant in Willesden.”
Polari line: “A form of language, Polari originated in the London’s fish markets, theatres, fairgrounds and circuses. It was adopted by the gay subculture at a time when being homosexual was illegal, to disguise gay men from hostile outsiders and undercover police officers.”
Galtymore line: “A tribute to an Irish club near Willesden Green, which ran for 56 years. The Galtymore dance hall and community centre opened in 1952 and became famous as an oasis of Irishness in an often hostile city.”
Paralympic line: “In 1948, coinciding with the opening of the Olympic games in London, the first competition for wheelchair athletes took place at Stoke Mandeville with 16 injured service men and women taking part. More than 70 years later, the London 2012 Paralympic Games were held in Stratford.”
Ripple line: “Capturing the line’s strong association with water, taking in Hampstead Ponds, Walthamstow Wetlands and Hackney Marshes through to the Thames at Barking and the Ripple Nature Reserve.”
Cable Street line: “Remembering the Battle of Cable Street at Shadwell in 1936, an anti-fascist demonstration by a collective uprising of local trade unionists, communists and British Jews, supported in particular by Irish workers and socialist groups.”
Lovers Rock line: “Celebrating a subgenre of reggae music that emerged in the 1970s. The Eve Studios in Brockley helped establish the sound. Created by London’s Caribbean community, it is known for its romantic sound and content, and aimed to show the humanity of Black Britons.”
Keskidee line: “Founded in 1971, the Keskidee Arts Centre was Britain’s first arts centre for the Black community. Located near Caledonian Road & Barnsbury station, the project was initiated by Guyanese architect and cultural activist Oscar Abrams to provide cultural activities for the West Indian community.”
Garrud line: “Edith Garrud was the first British female jujitsu teacher and one of the first female martial arts instructors in the western world. She was a supporter of women’s suffrage and joined the Women’s Freedom League in 1906, where she set up a self-defence club. Garrud trained the Women’s Social and Political Union in self-defence techniques to protect its leaders from violence.”
Sisterwrite line: “Opened in 1978, Sisterwrite was Britain’s first feminist bookshop. It ran as a collective and safe space for female writers and readers, and was notable for its lesbian literature section, becoming an early hub for London’s lesbian community. The Islington-based bookshop, which closed in 1993, is an example of the many small independent businesses that serve as community assets across London.”
Kaushal line: “Born in 1906 in Punjab, Baldev Kaushal trained at the Middlesex Hospital before setting up a medical practice near Cambridge Heath. It was here that he helped victims of the Bethnal Green Tube station disaster of 1943.”
Moonshot line: “The Moonshot was opened in 1981 as the first purpose-built community centre for Black people in the UK. The centre was built on the site of an old mission hall in New Cross Gate, which was burned down in an arson attack by National Front members. The club’s founder, Sybil Phoenix became the first Black woman to be awarded an MBE.”
Green carnation line: “Commonly worn by gay men in the Victorian era, green carnations were a covert symbol of their sexuality. It was popularised by Oscar Wilde and has since be readopted by the LGBTQ+ community as a symbol of positivity.”
Rom line: “As well as giving a geographical nod to the town of Romford and the river Rom, the name is also associated with the Rom skatepark. Since opening in 1978, the skatepark has earned Grade-II listed status, the first in Europe to achieve this and only the second in the world.”
Sounds like they’re straight out of a community diversity board meeting.
I think I like the sound of willow line more than weaver line. Weaver isn’t a terrible name but I always think of Jackie weaver whenever I hear it lol
The ginger line was such a good name and they’ve even changed the colour out of spite since the renames
I will maintain to my grave that the Mildmay Line should have been called the “Regents Line”, after the canal it parallels for most of its length. There is nothing more important to the history of how the area developed than the canal — it was the railway before the railway arrived — and I’m devastated to hear they didn’t even consider any reference to it at all.
Mildmay is a nice thing to commemorate, but the line doesn’t even serve the Mildmay hospital (its on the Windrush). This is a station decoration theme for Hoxton, not a line name.
I don’t know who was brought in to consult on these names but the combination of what was rejected and what got approved tells me whoever it was is clearly paid too much.
The Malins line name I actually quite like, but the explanation given really highlights to me the sort of decision making going on behind the scenes: “Opened in 1860, Malin’s is recorded as the first fish and chip shop in the UK. As well as the country’s national dish, fish and chips encapsulate how migration and trade have shaped our culture, with fried fish being introduced by Sephardic Jewish immigrants and chips being made by potatoes that originally come from the Americas.”
It’s a neat connection, so honestly why is the explanation simply not “Opened in 1860, Malin’s is recorded as the first fish and chip shop in the UK. Fish and chips is widely regarded as one of the country’s national dishes and a big part of our culture” or similar?
Don’t get me wrong, it does encapsulate all the above about migration and trade. But it feels so forced into the conversation it’s almost kind of silly?
How the Regents Line was not even considered for the Mildmay is a crime tbf
I always thought “Windrush Line” seemed a bit forced, like its mandatory for anything in London to have some reference to the Windrush. It doesn’t even go through that many traditionally Caribbean areas. In fact, with it going through Wapping, Shadwell, Whitechapel, Shoreditch etc. it actually goes through more Bengali/Asian areas than Caribbean areas, so why not call it the Sylhet Line or something?
Fanns line would have 100% been colloquially named The Fanny
The Underground names are the first time I’ve thought maybe other metro systems were on to something naming their lines with either single character letters or numbers.
And I thought that the adopted names were bad.
Not a fan of the term “woke”, but my God, the criteria for all those names (and the ones that actually made it) makes it hard to think of a better term. Honestly felt like I was reading a parody piece.
What happened to simply naming stuff after inventors, engineers, war heroes, public servants, and scientists? Died for your country or invented something which bettered the lives of millions? No thanks mate, let’s commemorate some edgy bookshop with a lesbian erotica section instead!
Missed a trick by not calling the Suffragette Line the EmmeLine.
They missed out calling the overground underground the Womble line 🙂 They should have called them things like Wallace n Gromit LINE or Bagpuss. Who wouldnt rush to catch the Danger Mouse Line 😉
Jim Waterson is smashing it lately
whatever they called it the map looks shit now and can we PLEASE BRING BACK THE TFL STATUS MAP. I check it every time i leave my flat to go somewhere new in London. The map that actually highlights what lines are open and closed not some random list of closed station names. Now they tell you to go to the TFL GO app. The TFL GO app is shit. Such a waste of money there were loads of good transport apps before they wasted money on this.. and its still crap 🙂 [https://tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/](https://tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/)
From a purely aesthetic and phonetic point of view, the ‘Suffragette’ line is the worst. It sounds so clunky and awkward to say. By contrast, ‘Windrush’ is a really fun word to say.
Skylark and Willow are great names from that list.
GOBLIN.
For Gospel Road to Barking Line.
Its been named like that for years, shame they changed it.
If you say all of these names in sequence to a right-winger, it activates them like a Russian sleeper agent.
Seems strange that they considered Paralympic line, but not Olympic – which would have been good for one going to Stratford, because at least everyone knows that’s where the Olympic park is.
The other names just don’t tie to the places
(I’d have liked to see more named, like Bakerloo, as a mash up of the start and finishing points, as then it would be a heck of a lot easier to remember where each damned one is)
Real missed opportunity to have a service called the Polari Express
Should’ve just given them location based/practical names like the majority of tube lines have. No controversy, no one having a whinge and avoids potential issues in the future if it comes out someone/something lines are named after ruins their/its reputation.
Lioness, Windrush and Suffragette names suck.
The Women won a Euros. Not a World Cup. Also Lines Lines
Windrush is so forced.
Suffragette would have sounded better if they named it after a specific Suffragette. For me, its the suffering line
Willow and Skylark are pretty good names
Most of the tube lines reference the names they had before when they were independent (eg the metropolitan district railway became the district line) I think they should have kept more of a reference to what locals knew the lines as before. North London line and Goblin were both pretty well known terms people understood. Most egregious is the windrush imho. The orange line or the east London line from Shoreditch to New Cross was an iconic part of the map so it’s so weird it’s been named primarily for communities in the Peckham section going towards Clapham which feels like a much more recent much less important part of the line
I don’t even get why they changed them in the first place.
32 comments
I like cable street line and willow line best from all the rejects.
I thought that most of the line names were a bit vomit-inducing but I hadn’t seen the ones they’d rejected I suppose.
Why they couldn’t have just kept them relatively neutral sounding though, most of the others are descriptive / royals.
Lea Valley lines was pretty good already for example.
Something like Stratmond for Stratford to Richmond?
> Keskidee line
This one is hilarious because it’s an exact phonetic match to the way a French person would say “what’s he saying?” (“Qu’est-ce qu’il dit?”)
Lmao if people thought the names they chose are ‘woke’ they should read this list.
Those names are beyond pathetic. Wonder how much money was spent coming up with them. I dread to think.
Sunflower line: “Showcasing the sunflower, which is a symbol used by those with non-visible disabilities, especially autism and other forms of neurodiversity.”
Willow line: “Recognising the willow trees that run along the banks of the River Lea, representing conservation and the furniture making industry that is prevalent in this area of London.”
Malins line: “Opened in 1860, Malin’s is recorded as the first fish and chip shop in the UK. As well as the country’s national dish, fish and chips encapsulate how migration and trade have shaped our culture, with fried fish being introduced by Sephardic Jewish immigrants and chips being made by potatoes that originally come from the Americas.”
Fanns line: “The Land of the Fanns is a 50-year ecological project protecting the landscape of the Thames Estuary. The work aims to reunify the landscape, strengthen the attachment and create a sense of enjoyment for local people and visitors.”
Skylark line: “A well-loved bird, which can be found at the Walthamstow Wetlands. Their habitats are largely concentrated in the suburbs, almost forming a ring around the capital like the London Overground.”
Derham line: “Cleric and scientist William Derham (1657-1735) was a rector in Upminster from 1689 until 1735. He became chaplain to the Prince of Wales, the future George II, and was also made a canon of Windsor.”
Huggett line: “Annie Huggett was the longest surviving suffragist, who lived until she was 103. She worked with working-class suffragettes in the East End, running meetings in The Three Lamps, Barking, which was a favoured spot for trade unionists and suffragettes.”
Winton line: “Nicholas Winton organised the rescue of 669 children, mostly Jewish, from Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Second World War. This operation, later known as the Czech Kindertransport, saw the children arrive into Liverpool Street station.”
Hops line: “Plantsman William Coys’ (1560-1627) work at Stubbers Garden in Upminster was a precursor to the first botanical gardens. He grew the first tomatoes, Jerusalem artichokes and hops in the UK, and studied the art of beer brewing.”
Obaala line: “Named after a Black art gallery in South Tottenham, which was created by the Organisation for Black Art Advancement and Leisure Activities (OBAALA). The organisation aimed to showcase the work of artists who were proud of their African ancestry.”
Cother line: “Honouring Jack Cother, the first Asian professional footballer in the UK who played for Watford FC from 1897. The club’s Vicarage Road stadium at the end of the line has a small plaque in his honour. Cother’s father was originally from Mumbai, India and this story recognises the important South Asian communities along this line, particularly at Wembley, at a time when racism in football continues to be an important issue.”
Saffron line: “The word Croydon comes from the Anglo-Saxon words for crocus and valley, indicating that it was a centre for the cultivation of saffron, which is a spice, dye and perfume ingredient that originates from the Middle East and South Asia, and is popular in cooking, fashion and fragrances from as far as Spain and India.”
Althea line: “Althea McNish is considered to be the first designer of African-Caribbean descent to achieve international recognition. Her designs depict English flora in vibrant colours. She moved from Trinidad to London when she was 27.”
Jayaben line: “Recognising the work and fighting spirit of Jayaben Desai, who led strikes against working conditions, pay inequality and institutional racism within the Grunwick Plant in Willesden.”
Polari line: “A form of language, Polari originated in the London’s fish markets, theatres, fairgrounds and circuses. It was adopted by the gay subculture at a time when being homosexual was illegal, to disguise gay men from hostile outsiders and undercover police officers.”
Galtymore line: “A tribute to an Irish club near Willesden Green, which ran for 56 years. The Galtymore dance hall and community centre opened in 1952 and became famous as an oasis of Irishness in an often hostile city.”
Paralympic line: “In 1948, coinciding with the opening of the Olympic games in London, the first competition for wheelchair athletes took place at Stoke Mandeville with 16 injured service men and women taking part. More than 70 years later, the London 2012 Paralympic Games were held in Stratford.”
Ripple line: “Capturing the line’s strong association with water, taking in Hampstead Ponds, Walthamstow Wetlands and Hackney Marshes through to the Thames at Barking and the Ripple Nature Reserve.”
Cable Street line: “Remembering the Battle of Cable Street at Shadwell in 1936, an anti-fascist demonstration by a collective uprising of local trade unionists, communists and British Jews, supported in particular by Irish workers and socialist groups.”
Lovers Rock line: “Celebrating a subgenre of reggae music that emerged in the 1970s. The Eve Studios in Brockley helped establish the sound. Created by London’s Caribbean community, it is known for its romantic sound and content, and aimed to show the humanity of Black Britons.”
Keskidee line: “Founded in 1971, the Keskidee Arts Centre was Britain’s first arts centre for the Black community. Located near Caledonian Road & Barnsbury station, the project was initiated by Guyanese architect and cultural activist Oscar Abrams to provide cultural activities for the West Indian community.”
Garrud line: “Edith Garrud was the first British female jujitsu teacher and one of the first female martial arts instructors in the western world. She was a supporter of women’s suffrage and joined the Women’s Freedom League in 1906, where she set up a self-defence club. Garrud trained the Women’s Social and Political Union in self-defence techniques to protect its leaders from violence.”
Sisterwrite line: “Opened in 1978, Sisterwrite was Britain’s first feminist bookshop. It ran as a collective and safe space for female writers and readers, and was notable for its lesbian literature section, becoming an early hub for London’s lesbian community. The Islington-based bookshop, which closed in 1993, is an example of the many small independent businesses that serve as community assets across London.”
Kaushal line: “Born in 1906 in Punjab, Baldev Kaushal trained at the Middlesex Hospital before setting up a medical practice near Cambridge Heath. It was here that he helped victims of the Bethnal Green Tube station disaster of 1943.”
Moonshot line: “The Moonshot was opened in 1981 as the first purpose-built community centre for Black people in the UK. The centre was built on the site of an old mission hall in New Cross Gate, which was burned down in an arson attack by National Front members. The club’s founder, Sybil Phoenix became the first Black woman to be awarded an MBE.”
Green carnation line: “Commonly worn by gay men in the Victorian era, green carnations were a covert symbol of their sexuality. It was popularised by Oscar Wilde and has since be readopted by the LGBTQ+ community as a symbol of positivity.”
Rom line: “As well as giving a geographical nod to the town of Romford and the river Rom, the name is also associated with the Rom skatepark. Since opening in 1978, the skatepark has earned Grade-II listed status, the first in Europe to achieve this and only the second in the world.”
Sounds like they’re straight out of a community diversity board meeting.
I think I like the sound of willow line more than weaver line. Weaver isn’t a terrible name but I always think of Jackie weaver whenever I hear it lol
The ginger line was such a good name and they’ve even changed the colour out of spite since the renames
I will maintain to my grave that the Mildmay Line should have been called the “Regents Line”, after the canal it parallels for most of its length. There is nothing more important to the history of how the area developed than the canal — it was the railway before the railway arrived — and I’m devastated to hear they didn’t even consider any reference to it at all.
Mildmay is a nice thing to commemorate, but the line doesn’t even serve the Mildmay hospital (its on the Windrush). This is a station decoration theme for Hoxton, not a line name.
I don’t know who was brought in to consult on these names but the combination of what was rejected and what got approved tells me whoever it was is clearly paid too much.
The Malins line name I actually quite like, but the explanation given really highlights to me the sort of decision making going on behind the scenes: “Opened in 1860, Malin’s is recorded as the first fish and chip shop in the UK. As well as the country’s national dish, fish and chips encapsulate how migration and trade have shaped our culture, with fried fish being introduced by Sephardic Jewish immigrants and chips being made by potatoes that originally come from the Americas.”
It’s a neat connection, so honestly why is the explanation simply not “Opened in 1860, Malin’s is recorded as the first fish and chip shop in the UK. Fish and chips is widely regarded as one of the country’s national dishes and a big part of our culture” or similar?
Don’t get me wrong, it does encapsulate all the above about migration and trade. But it feels so forced into the conversation it’s almost kind of silly?
How the Regents Line was not even considered for the Mildmay is a crime tbf
I always thought “Windrush Line” seemed a bit forced, like its mandatory for anything in London to have some reference to the Windrush. It doesn’t even go through that many traditionally Caribbean areas. In fact, with it going through Wapping, Shadwell, Whitechapel, Shoreditch etc. it actually goes through more Bengali/Asian areas than Caribbean areas, so why not call it the Sylhet Line or something?
Fanns line would have 100% been colloquially named The Fanny
The Underground names are the first time I’ve thought maybe other metro systems were on to something naming their lines with either single character letters or numbers.
And I thought that the adopted names were bad.
Not a fan of the term “woke”, but my God, the criteria for all those names (and the ones that actually made it) makes it hard to think of a better term. Honestly felt like I was reading a parody piece.
What happened to simply naming stuff after inventors, engineers, war heroes, public servants, and scientists? Died for your country or invented something which bettered the lives of millions? No thanks mate, let’s commemorate some edgy bookshop with a lesbian erotica section instead!
Missed a trick by not calling the Suffragette Line the EmmeLine.
They missed out calling the overground underground the Womble line 🙂 They should have called them things like Wallace n Gromit LINE or Bagpuss. Who wouldnt rush to catch the Danger Mouse Line 😉
Jim Waterson is smashing it lately
whatever they called it the map looks shit now and can we PLEASE BRING BACK THE TFL STATUS MAP. I check it every time i leave my flat to go somewhere new in London. The map that actually highlights what lines are open and closed not some random list of closed station names. Now they tell you to go to the TFL GO app. The TFL GO app is shit. Such a waste of money there were loads of good transport apps before they wasted money on this.. and its still crap 🙂 [https://tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/](https://tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-overground/status/)
From a purely aesthetic and phonetic point of view, the ‘Suffragette’ line is the worst. It sounds so clunky and awkward to say. By contrast, ‘Windrush’ is a really fun word to say.
Skylark and Willow are great names from that list.
GOBLIN.
For Gospel Road to Barking Line.
Its been named like that for years, shame they changed it.
If you say all of these names in sequence to a right-winger, it activates them like a Russian sleeper agent.
Seems strange that they considered Paralympic line, but not Olympic – which would have been good for one going to Stratford, because at least everyone knows that’s where the Olympic park is.
The other names just don’t tie to the places
(I’d have liked to see more named, like Bakerloo, as a mash up of the start and finishing points, as then it would be a heck of a lot easier to remember where each damned one is)
Real missed opportunity to have a service called the Polari Express
Should’ve just given them location based/practical names like the majority of tube lines have. No controversy, no one having a whinge and avoids potential issues in the future if it comes out someone/something lines are named after ruins their/its reputation.
Lioness, Windrush and Suffragette names suck.
The Women won a Euros. Not a World Cup. Also Lines Lines
Windrush is so forced.
Suffragette would have sounded better if they named it after a specific Suffragette. For me, its the suffering line
Willow and Skylark are pretty good names
Most of the tube lines reference the names they had before when they were independent (eg the metropolitan district railway became the district line) I think they should have kept more of a reference to what locals knew the lines as before. North London line and Goblin were both pretty well known terms people understood. Most egregious is the windrush imho. The orange line or the east London line from Shoreditch to New Cross was an iconic part of the map so it’s so weird it’s been named primarily for communities in the Peckham section going towards Clapham which feels like a much more recent much less important part of the line
I don’t even get why they changed them in the first place.
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