London Overground further expands drinking fountain network

• Water points on the network help customers reduce the use of single-use plastic, and save money
• New handy map is available online to help customers find their nearest drinking fountain

Customers using the London Overground will find it even easier to stay hydrated as Transport for London (TfL) adds a further six free-to-use drinking fountains to its network.

The new drinking fountains are now available at Bethnal Green, Bush Hill Park, Chingford, Gospel Oak, Highams Park and Homerton stations, with these joining the 22* already offering easy access to tap water across the London Overground network.

Carrying water when using public transport is highly recommended, especially during the summer months, and these new drinking fountains will make it even easier for customers to fill their bottle up and stay cool on the transport network.

With the average Londoner buying more than three plastic water bottles every week, or around 175 bottles a year, the drinking fountains available across the London Overground will aim to bring this number down, encouraging customers to use their own refillable bottle

To help London Overground customers find their nearest drinking fountain, TfL has also published a handy map online giving details of their locations, both at London Overground stations or nearby.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "We know how important it is for Londoners to stay hydrated and cool on our network, but I'm also determined to reduce our city's use of single-use plastic. That's why we're installing these additional water fountains, along with a helpful map for Londoners to find their nearest fountain, as we continue to build a better, greener London for everyone."

Rory O'Neill, General Manager for London Overground, said: "We are committed at London Overground to provide easy access to free drinking water wherever we can. Our growing number of drinking fountains is a testament to that, allowing customers to stay hydrated while using our services but also doing our bit for the environment by helping reduce the reliance on single use plastic bottles."

The Mayor of London is encouraging Londoners to adopt small changes that can have a big environmental impact, like refilling reusable bottles, instead of needlessly buying single-use ones. Complementing the water fountains on the London Overground, City Hall has partnered with Thames Water to install more than a 100 water fountains in busy and accessible areas of London. 

Access to drinking water in public spaces has also been improved through the Refill London scheme, which encourages London's many restaurants, cafes and businesses to offer free refills and water fountains, making it easier for Londoners and visitors to the capital to refill on the go.

From this autumn, each of the six London Overground lines will be represented by a new name and colour to make it easier for customers to navigate the network, while also celebrating the city's diverse culture and history. 

Ahead of this there is a programme of activities celebrate the rich history of the six new names for the London Overground lines, including a 'Mind the Gap' podcast series celebrating the communities and stories that inspired the new names of the London Overground lines. The first two episodes of the podcast about the London Overground Mildmay and Lioness lines are available to listen to and download. The 'Mind the Gap' podcast series was produced by 18Sixty and is available on all major podcast platforms. 

TfL is running a competition to celebrate the rich history of the six new names for the London Overground lines. People are being encouraged to create a poster or poem for each line that will feature on the London Overground network later in the year. Further details on the competition and how to enter before the closing date on the 30 August can be found on the Made by TfL blog. 

Several of the new water fountains are at stations on what will become the London Overground Weaver line this autumn that runs from Liverpool Street to Cheshunt, Enfield Town and Chingford. TfL is also inviting Londoners to take part in a free community weaving event in collaboration with Chingford Community Hub and Cockpit to create a Weaver line roundel for one of the stations along the route.  For more information about the free community weaving sessions on the Sunday 8 September and to reserve a place visit here

ENDS

Notes to editors

• The drinking water fountain map is available online here
• *Some fountains were installed and are maintained by TfL with others installed by the GLA in partnership with Thames Water who are also the maintainer. The drinking fountain at Clapham Junction was installed and is maintained by Network Rail. Some of these may be located just outside the station