The story behind TfL's new Overground line name Windrush

The Windrush line starts at Highbury and Islington and goes through the East End and Docklands before crossing the Thames and branching to New Cross, Brockley, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill, Sydenham, Crystal Palace, Penge, Anerley, Norwood Junction and West Croydon.

It is one of six separate routes created as TfL gives individual services their own names and colours to make the network easier to navigate.

Here we take a look at why transport bosses decided to give the route, which will be shown by red parallel lines on TfL maps, the name of Windrush.

The new Overground map with six separate lines (Image: PA/TfL)

• READ MORE - How the new London Overground line names and colours work 

‘An iconic journey’

Windrush is an Overground route that crosses the capital’s river, connecting its two halves.

It has been named after the Windrush generation, which refers to the groups of people who were invited to relocate to Britain from their homes in the Caribbean between 1948 and 1971.

At the time, the government needed workers to help fill post-War labour shortages and rebuild the economy.

The first of these passengers were carried to London from Jamaica on HMT Empire Windrush, and its arrival became symbolic of this generation.

The 1971 Immigration Act gave Commonwealth citizens already living in the UK indefinite leave to remain in the country.

But many from this generation were never given formal papers to prove their lawful status, so were targeted after the Conservatives’ hostile environment policy was introduced in 2012.

It is estimated that more than 150 people were wrongfully detained or deported during the scandal.

Windrush Day is now celebrated on June 22, the day HMT Empire Windrush arrived in 1948, to honour the contributions of this generation to Britain.

And now, many more passengers will be making a ‘Windrush’ journey of a different kind, with the renamed Overground route transporting them to areas with strong links to London’s Carribbean communities.

According to TfL, these include the areas around Dalston Junction, Peckham Rye and West Croydon stations.

Arthur Torrington, co-founder and director of the Windrush Foundation, has now said the charity is looking forward to Londoners using the Windrush line.

He added: “We are reminded of the iconic journey of Empire Windrush and the contributions the Caribbean community have made to the capital over many decades.”