The London Overground is to be rebranded into six lines with names inspired by the diverse modern history of the capital and the country, from Windrush to the Lionesses.

In autumn, the web of orange on the tube map will be replaced by six colours and routes to help make the capital’s public transport network easier to navigate.

The six Overground lines will be called Lioness, Mildmay, Windrush, Weaver, Suffragette and Liberty.

The names – announced by Transport for London (TfL) and London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, after consultation with passengers, historians and communities – celebrate historic moments in immigration and woman’s equality, honouring campaigners and workers.

Khan said: “This is a hugely exciting moment, transforming how we think about London’s transport network. Giving each of the Overground lines distinct colours and identities will make it simpler and easier for passengers to get around.

“In reimagining London’s tube map, we are also honouring and celebrating different parts of London’s unique local history and culture.”

The Overground network was established from little-used or defunct rail lines between 2007 and 2015 and has grown rapidly to carry more than 3 million passengers a week.

The names and new map were unveiled by the mayor at an event in Highbury and Islington station, on what will be the Windrush and Mildmay lines, alongside figures including Fara Williams, England’s most capped footballer, and Arthur Torrington, a co-founder and director of the Windrush Foundation.

Mayor Khan said they had engaged with communities and experts to find names that would reflect the city’s heritage and be “a source of huge pride”, as well as highlighting lesser-known aspects of London’s history, such as Mildmay’s part in the 1980s Aids crisis, and the role of working-class suffragettes in the East End. “These stories are really important and hopefully people will find out more about [them],” the mayor said.