Forum Topic

Welcome to the Mildew Line

Okay, I'm a bit miffed that they didn't go with my suggestion of the Olympic Line for the local Overground branch, but I think they have made a bit of an error with calling it Mildmay.Worthy as the intention is, very few people in this part of London will be aware of the hospital and it will inevitably become the Mildew line.

Mark Evans ● 372d36 Comments

I enjoyed reading your post PeterHow about the "Lord Lucan" line and get lost!

Jim Lawes ● 48d

The danger with that suggestion is that it will quickly stop being funny when people say 'I don't believe it' when a train is delayed.

Mark Evans ● 48d

The Andrew line of course would have endless delays due to discarded juveniles on the track.

Mark Frost ● 52d

Looking at the comments from the usual suspects maybe the Meldrew line would be appropriate.

David Burke ● 52d

Of course there was much debate about the Overground renaming, with many preferring to keep the more geographically descriptive 'North London', 'East London', and particularly 'Watford' lines, but that approach slipped away when 'Crossrail' was renamed after 'Elizabeth'.On that basis, I suppose the Overground could have been renamed after the next generation of Royals, when we'd have got the 'Charles Line' (shortened to ?), the 'Princess Anne Line' (OK?), the 'Edward Line' (shortened to ??), and the 'Andrew Line' (shortened to ???*!), with 'Camilla', 'Diana', 'Sophie' and 'Fergie' lines to work though until we got to the 'Harry and Meghan Line', which the Daily Mail could campaign against!

Peter Evans ● 52d

Absolutely. Anyone who had to travel on the old Silverlink service will recognise the complete transformation. It used to be terrible and now is one of the best lines to get across London.However, it must be pointed out that, just recently, it there have been endemic closures at the weekends, some of them unannounced.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 52d

“Now, I can see at once if there are delays on the Mildmay Line, the only one I ever use.”Ah yes. It’s Labour’s confirmation that it always anticipates, and caters for, failure. Failure is the name of the game for Labour so the name changes were necessary.

Steve Taylor ● 52d

What a head of steam about nothing in particular.  I just want to say that for a long time I have been a regular user of South Acton Station and I really appreciate the regular service it provides.  This whole network actually sticks to a timetable which is as rare as hen’s teeth within London Transport. It deserves credit not a cheap slur.Wishing you all many happy and reliable journeys on the Mildmay line and a more peaceful 2025!

Alastair Banton ● 53d

And to cap it all off, Khan sits back and waits for his knighthood. Tfl think this shambles of virtue signalling is their highlight of 2024 apparently, Heaven help all of us who are appalled by their mismanagement of our money.

peter king ● 53d

Big up from susan Just dont say anything bad about labour

Julian Pavey ● 53d

Dearie me! The overground lines were seriously in need of differentiation and it hardly matters what the actual names are so long as they are different, or whether they are 'Woke'.Until recently, I would access TfL's website and be told that there were delays on the Overground and have to click through to find out where in London they were. Now, I can see at once if there are delays on the Mildmay Line, the only one I ever use.Small amount of money, very well spent.

Susan Kelly ● 53d

You can buy the really naff signage at the transport museum for £950 a popLike "overground northbound platform 2" without any names whatsoever on the signsWorth about £200 i reckon at best unless it has a tube line  or a station line on it. They dont even have any tube network colours on them. If they did it would be an investment well worth getting for the future£950,yeh right

Julian Pavey ● 53d

There was nowt wrong with the North London line, known by thousands of regular commuters.Mayor Khan's work again, spending good money on pointless names unbeknown to most of us.

Mr Denis.I. Fox ● 53d

Just to add people often shorten names so could it become the m and m line that would be sweet oops.

Paul Jennings ● 53d

The mayor needs his head shaken about for 2025What a complete waste of money and im told tourists are a bit confused with signage on the network.

Julian Pavey ● 53d

I’m still struggling to figure out why a newly named line has the name of a hospital that was closed, reopened, and isn’t even on the route. Was there an intense brainstorming session for this? Or was it just someone in an office saying, “You know what? Let’s slap that name on it and call it a day.” Genius at work, clearly.

Edward Przepiora ● 53d

Mildmay was also the surname of the soprano wife of John Christie, the founder of Glyndebourne, where there is the  Mildmay Restaurant. David Hare wrote a play about her called, I think, The Moderate Soprano.

Susan Jennifer Thackray ● 369d

Can’t believe this absolute waste of money. Which morons thought of this stupid idea?  Was it can and his circus of clowns?

Steve Taylor ● 369d

And before that it was known as the Broad Street to Richmond line. I have lived somewhere along it all my life!

Teresa Shaw ● 369d

I used the West London Line often after its' re-creation in 2005-10.    It's disappointing that the excellent upgrades, to stations & carriages that replaced the early Clapham J. WLL service, have now been re-named.    It'll still be the Willesden, Wembley, Hampstead or Richmond line to me; and that's how i will explain it, if necessary, to any fellow-travellers.A bad waste of some ill-gotten ULEZ money.

Peter Crowther ● 369d

If we keep saying 'You take the Lioness Line to, er, Watford' or 'the Suffragette Line to, er, Barking' then the exercise might prove to be rather redundant - though I guess that's what we do with many existing lines with meaningless names, such as Jubilee, Elizabeth, District, etc, etc..!

Peter Evans ● 370d

What an appalling waste of money. I'll just refer to them by colour - eg the blue overground.

Claire Moran ● 370d

£6m each, or a job lot? I'd have called them* The Party Line* Walk the Line* Toe the Line* Line in the Sand* Line my Pockets* Sniff the LineAny better ideas?

Davey Harris ● 370d

It was The North London Link, not Line, I think, and thats what I'll always call it. Mildmay is probably the first Line that doesnt actually sound like a rail line. Still, good to know theyve got millions of spare pounds to waste on re branding. Just think of all the signage, repainting the train livery and stations, the maps etc

Stephen Gould ● 370d

To me it’ll always be the Broad Street line .

Susan Jacques ● 371d

I expect TfL decided that passengers could get confused between the North London Line and the Northern Line on the Tube (which has, I think, the most southerly station on the Tube network). Perhaps they have a secret admirer of our former PM in their ranks, but decided that to call it the Theresa May line would be too much for their socialist comrades, so disguised her name ?

Richard Greenhough ● 371d

To be fair, it would cost the same however these lines were to be individually renamed.

Peter Evans ● 371d

NORTH LONDON LINE, very clear, very precise. I remember North London Line rolling stock. The clue is NORTH, simple to understand. I just cannot see the need to change it.

Nicholas Beard ● 371d

Here here!North, East, West and South London LinesGOBLIN LineEuston DC lineIs what they have always been and shall always be known as, to me at least.I total waste of taxpayers money

Jon Jones ● 371d

Not to be confused with the East London Line!  Simple!

Peter Evans ● 372d

I will never call it anything other than the North London Line, which is what it was when I moved to London fifty years ago.What a waste of time and money!

Susan Kelly ● 372d

There was an earlier consultation in which suggestions were invited but not a vote which led to the Boaty McBoatface debacle. I suggested the Olympic line for the local service because across the length of the route there were various sites which had associations with the three Games held in London. What I feel the should have done is held a second consultation  giving Londoners a range of options for each line including on colours which would have avoided the Mildmay/DLR gaffe.

Mark Evans ● 372d

I thought all the names were a bit odd, why not ask for suggestions? But then you'd get Trainy McTrainface types.

Vanessa Smith ● 372d

Richard is right on both counts. Perhaps Mildmay was the name originally given to the Windrush line but the latter was felt to be a better fit given the Windrush generations association with Clapham and Brixton. Then TfL wanted to keep the Mildmay name even if there was no association with the line it was allocated to.The colour confusion is a really bad mistake. TfL should have consulted on these proposals before implementing them but it is too late now.

Mark Evans ● 372d

It does indeed refer to the Mildmay Hospital.

Andrew Jones ● 372d

If the name is meant to refer to the Mildmay Hospital, that is between Hoxton and Shoreditch High Street on the Windrush Line!  Also, when I looked at the new map*, I found that the Mildmay Line colour is very close to that of the DLR, which causes confusion around Stratford.* https://content.tfl.gov.uk/tube-map-with-the-new-lo-names.pdf

Richard Jennings ● 372d

Sorry to differ but when there is yet another announcement about being 'held at a red signal' passengers are going to shout 'I don't believe it' hence it will be the Meldrew line.

Francis Rowe ● 372d