At London Northwestern Railway, we’re proud to support the transgender community across our network. From our colleagues to our customers, we want everyone to feel safe when travelling with us. This Transgender Awareness Week, we’re focusing on how we support our Transgender community, as well as steps we can all take to feel safer when travelling across the network.
As an inclusive employer, London Northwestern Railway embraces the principles of FREDIE: Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement. The company’s overriding ambition has been to exceed the expectations of customers, colleagues and communities. To create a diverse and modern culture, London Northwestern Railway cares passionately about ensuring the railway is a safe and welcoming place.
As part of our commitment to implementing the FREDIE principles in everything that we do, they are used to help inform and set our management team's annual objectives. This embeds the values into our day-to-day work, as well as our long term aims and objectives. We’re proud to have been awarded an Investors in Diversity silver accolade, further cementing our work to embed diversity and inclusion into our culture.
Our ASPECT network group connects our LGBTQIA+ colleagues and allies across the business. The brings together colleagues from across the business, from our frontline teams to our head office colleagues, and meet regularly to ensure London Northwestern Railway is an inclusive organisation and to make sure everyone can be themselves at work.
This year we were proud to join the largest ever group of our colleagues (and even some of their families too) to take part in the Birmingham Pride parade under the West Midlands Railway banner.
We have a zero-tolerance policy towards transphobia across our network, and we work closely with the British Transport Police, as well as other agencies, to ensure everyone, regardless of their gender identity, can travel on our network worry free. Here are a few simple tips to help you feel safer when travelling:
- If you see anything suspicious – tell a member of staff or the British Transport Police by texting 61016 (save this number to your phone) – in an emergency always call 999. Help points are also available at every station.
- Stay aware of your surroundings – keep your music turned down and always keep an eye on your belongings.
- There’s a Senior Conductor on every train. If you are travelling alone and want to feel more comfortable (or need help), you can locate where the conductor is at every stop. Just look out for the staff member standing on the platform and you can get on the same carriage as them to take a seat or to talk.
- Bring a phone charger – most of our trains have USB-A and traditional plugs onboard (on some older trains, these may only be in a specific part of the train – the Senior Conductor onboard can help you find these).
- Our social media team are available 24/7 and can help with general enquiries and issues on your journey. They can be contacted on X, Messenger and Instagram and will aim to respond within 15 minutes. Please do not contact the team for any immediate safety concerns, please speak to staff or text the British Transport Police.
- Once you’re off the train, you might be walking to your next destination. To help make you feel more at ease, you can call Strut Safe (available Friday – Saturday 7pm – 3am) on 0333 335 0026 and a volunteer on the other line will stay and chat with you until you arrive safe.
To learn more about our approach to diversity and inclusion, click here.