New London Tube map goes overground

THE TRADITIONAL London Underground map, recognised internationally as a symbol of the capital,, faces competition.

Quickmap, a London-based company, has produced a new map which includes overground rail routes and forgoes the straight lines of the colour-coded original, produced by LU electrical engineer Harry Beck in 1931.

Quickmap's version includes a bus map on the reverse side, and costs pounds 2.50.

Peter French, a Quickmap spokesman, said: "The London Underground map sticks in people's minds as just for one system. We want to give the overground system the same prominence."

A London Underground spokeswoman said LU already included overground interchanges on its London Connections map, available free from any tube station.

"A lot of people do strange versions of our maps. As far as we are concerned it is just a commercial thing about making money," she said.