The Overground line that was nearly named after beloved South London site with tragic history

A beloved South London community centre nearly had a London Overground line named after it, Transport for London has confirmed. A report published last month said that the site had been listed as an option for one of the renamed lines in the run-up to the service being revamped last year. The centre was included in the longlist of names that reflected stories and identities representative of the culture of the capital.

The Moonshot line was reportedly considered to honour the Moonshot Community Centre in New Cross, originally known as the Pagnell Street Youth and Community Centre. The report said: "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.



" It added: "The club’s founder, Sybil Phoenix, became the first Black woman to be awarded an MBE." The centre was built specifically for the African and Caribbean communities in the New Cross area. It was redeveloped in 1981 following the New Cross fire, which claimed the lives of 13 young Black people aged between 14 and 22.

The centre was closed in 1999 and later reopened in 2007. The Moonshot line was likely pitched as an alternative name for the Windrush line, given the service runs through New Cross Gate station. The Windrush line was selected as the final name for the line in order to honour the strong ties to Caribbean communities throughout the route.

Arthur Torrington CBE, Director of Windrush Foundation, said: "We are reminded of the iconic journey of Empire Windrush and the contributions the Caribbean community have made to the capital over many decades." The arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush on June 22 1948 saw Caribbean immigrants helping to rebuild Britain after World War II due to labour shortages in the construction, healthcare and transport industries. The individuals were often denied access to housing, clubs and churches due to their race, highlighting the importance of such communities in the capital.

Entrepreneur and chef Levi Roots said: "The renaming of the Windrush line is special to me being a child of the Windrush generation, and I’m inspired by this most amazing honour to be part of the unveiling." Have a story you want to share? Email joseph.coughlan@reachplc.

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