On 20 Sep, 18:10, "Richard J." wrote:
DW downunder reply@newsgroup wrote on 19 September 2009 05:51:41 ...

"Recliner" wrote in message
But many Overground trains will use National Rail stations, complete with
double-arrows. In any case, though you may think it's illogical, imperfect
Londoners do tend to refer to all non-Underground/DLR services as
'overground trains'.
That's something that has developed since 1987, when I returned to Oz.
Certainly, none of US called anything the overground. The whole concept of
Network South East was to give the whole home counties and beyond a product
concept built on the Underground model of clarity (if not frequency).

I've come to the conclusion that this must be a generation thing. *I've
never used 'overground' to refer to anything but LO. *In my own
experience, people have tended to stick with out-of-date or inaccurate
terms like 'British Rail' or 'main-line' when referring to National Rail
services as a whole.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

It may also be geographical. Anywhere outside of northish London,
there would be no need to make the contrast.

I don't think I used the term myself, but I know that others did,
particularly where there was a choice, eg Stratford to Liverpool
Street, or Walthamstow Central into central London.