Sadiq Khan was filmed hugging Aslef union boss Mick Whelan at the launch of the controversial £6.3million London Overground revamp – which critics have dismissed as ‘predictable woke liberal nonsense’.
The Mayor of London attended the event today as six new rail lines and colours were launched on the line – with names such as Lioness, Mildmay, Windrush, Weaver, Suffragette and Liberty.
He said the changes would make the network ‘easier for customers to navigate’ and ‘celebrate the best of London’, but the move has been described by the Tories as ‘virtue signalling nonsense’.
Mr Khan was joined at the opening event by a number of famous faces, including Mr Whelan, who shared a warm embrace with the Labour politician.
Their meeting comes two months after Aslef members had overwhelmingly accepted a bumper pay offer from the Labour Government, to end a two-year dispute at 16 rail companies.
The multi-million-pound Overground changes will be paid for by the Mayor of London’s Greater London Authority budget.
The announcement of the project at the start of this year was greeted with bemusement and disbelief at the sheer cost of the project, considering London’s current crumbling network.
But speaking today, Mr Khan said the new lines were a part of a ‘historic change to the capital’s transport network’.
Sadiq Khan was filmed hugging Aslef union boss Mick Whelan at the launch of the controversial £6.3million London Overground revamp
Mr Khan was joined at the opening event by a number of famous faces, including Mr Whelan, who shared a warm embrace with the Labour politician
He added: These distinct colours and identities will not only make our fantastic London Overground network easier for customers to navigate, they also celebrate the best of London, from the contribution of the Windrush generation to our inspiring England women’s football team, as well as other untold elements of London’s cultural history.
‘The London Overground is now a reminder that we wouldn’t be the city we are today without the energy and diverse experiences of everyone who lives here.’
As part of the plans, Transport for London (TfL) said it will update 6,000 station direction signs as well as maps, digital screens and online journey planners.
The signage across the network will feature artwork and writings created by winners of a competition who were encouraged to create a poem or poster depicting what the lines and the new names mean to them.
London Overground lines have all been coloured orange on TfL maps since the network was created in 2007, when the transport authority took control of services on four suburban rail lines.
The system has expanded to 113 stations, creating what has been described as a ‘mass of orange spaghetti’ on maps, making it difficult for some passengers to work out what train they need.
On Wednesday r ail lines will be given individual colours and names including Lioness, Mildmay, Windrush, Weaver, Suffragette and Liberty
Alex Williams, TfL’s chief customer and strategy officer, said: ‘There has been a colossal amount of preparation work and engagement ahead of this official launch of the new line names and colours that are now in use.
‘With these changes we’re making the London Overground network easier to navigate and celebrating the diverse history and culture of the communities the London Overground lines serve.
‘The support already shown for the new lines names has already been fantastic and we look forward to continuing to deliver the brilliant service the London Overground is known for.’
There were 11 winners between the ages of six and 51 whose posters and poems will be displayed across the Overground network.
But not everyone is pleased with the changes.
When the plans were announced, critics derided it as a ‘word cloud of virtue’ and joked ‘The only surprise was he hadn’t named one of them the Sadiq line’.
In February, Susan Hall, Mr Khan’s Conservative opponent in May’s mayoral election, told MailOnline: ‘A thousand people have been killed under his Mayoralty, and yet Sadiq Khan is only interested in this virtue signalling nonsense.
‘The only surprise from today’s announcement is that he hasn’t named one of them the Sadiq line.’
The Weaver line between Liverpool Street and Cheshunt/Enfield Town/Chingford (maroon): The line runs through areas known for the textile trade
The Liberty line between Romford and Upminster (grey): This celebrates how Havering, which the line runs through, historically had more self-governance through being a royal liberty
The Suffragette line between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside (green): This is in tribute to the movement that fought for votes for women. Barking was home to suffragette Annie Huggett, who lived to 103
The Windrush line between Highbury & Islington and Clapham Junction/New Cross/Crystal Palace/West Croydon (red): The name honours the Windrush generation, who came to the UK from the Caribbean to fill labour shortages after the Second World War. The line runs through areas with communities linked to the Caribbean
The Mildmay line between Stratford and Richmond/Clapham Junction (blue): The Mildmay Mission Hospital in Shoreditch specialises in treating patients with HIV-related illnesses
The Lioness line between Euston and Watford Junction (yellow): This honours the England women’s football team winning Euro 2022 at Wembley, which is on the line
Ex-minister Paul Scully, Tory MP for Sutton and Cheam, told MailOnline: ‘Londoners just want a Mayor who can get them from A to B on time, at reasonable cost and in a degree of comfort, not just spraying a word cloud of virtue signalling at a cost of £6m of taxpayers’ money.
‘If he insists on renaming lines, he could have looked at sponsorship which would inject much-needed investment.
‘But either way, at a time that we’re hearing about TfL’s delays to replacing old train stock, he’s just putting a new lick of paint over a creaking transport system rather than doing the job Londoners expect.’
Tory MP Bob Blackman told MailOnline: ‘Another woke idea from a mayor who becomes more ridiculous every day.’
Further critics highlighted the cost given Transport for London (TfL) had been on the verge of bankruptcy before securing last-minute Government funding, ongoing strikes and disputes and and how Tube crime has soared by 56 per cent fuelled by a surge in thefts and robberies.