Free travel for job seekers

Apply for our Way to Work scheme

Our Way to Work scheme helps you get on track with your career goals, by offering free rail travel to interviews, training and employment.

What do you get

Sometimes in life, you need a little help along the way, which is why our Way to Work scheme helps support your next career step by providing:

  • Up to 6 day travel vouchers for rail travel to job interviews and
  • Up to 3 months free rail travel to a new job, placement or apprenticeship

Apply Now

You can also apply by downloading an application form and post or email it to:

  • Post: Way to Work Scheme, Customer Relations Team, West Midlands Trains, 134 Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2ES​
  • Email: [email protected]

Before you start

Before you start applying, ask yourself:

Am I eligible?

To be eligible for our Way to Work scheme, you must have either:

  • Graduated from university, further or higher education within the last 6 months and have not yet found employment OR
  • Been unemployed for 6 months or longer

What do I need?

Before we can issue any travel vouchers under our Way to Work scheme you must submit at least one item from the list below to show your eligibility:

  • Your university/college degree or further education qualification certificates, or proof of graduation on official headed paper.
  • A jobseeker's Allowance Confirmation Letter
  • Universal Credit Award Letter/ Statement (the top part with name/reference)
  • JobCentre Plus journal entry stating the name of the job coach and your duration of unemployment

If you can’t provide any of the above, please let us know your circumstances and we may be able to advise on suitable alternative evidence to support your application.

Please note - we cannot return any documents, copies are acceptable.

Applying for travel vouchers

You must also submit at least one relevant item from the list below to show your eligibility for the relevant travel vouchers you are applying for.

This will also be required for any subsequent travel voucher requests.

  • Proof of a job interview being offered
  • Proof of a job, placement or apprenticeship offer, which has not yet started.

Please note - we cannot issue travel vouchers to jobs, placements or apprenticeships that have already started.