West Midlands Railway is preparing to mobilise hundreds of its passengers in a bid to challenge violence against women and girls, as the operator launches two weeks of awareness events tied to White Ribbon Day and the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism. Staff, volunteers and Community Rail Partnerships will take to stations across the region from 25 November to encourage conversations about gender inequality and the actions individuals can take to tackle abuse.

Pop-up stalls will appear at Wylde Green, Hereford, Wolverhampton and Worcester Shrub Hill, where travellers will be invited to make the White Ribbon promise — a vow to never use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence against women and girls. In Wolverhampton, the activity will go a step further with an interactive “spin the wheel” installation offering conversation starters about allyship, delivered in partnership with Rethink Mental Illness, which runs the station’s safeguarding hub for people in crisis.

London Northwestern Railway, WMR’s sister brand, will also join the initiative with events at Stone, Tamworth, Marston Green and Canley. The move builds on WMR’s long-standing support for White Ribbon UK, the national charity dedicated to ending violence against women and girls, which has been its charity partner of the year. Since March, the operator has raised more than £12,000 and continues to promote awareness through station murals at five locations.

Matthew Bradley, head of stations at WMR, said:

“As the company’s White Ribbon lead, I am passionate about advocating for an end to violence against women and ensuring our female passengers feel safe travelling by train. We’ve taken part in White Ribbon Day for multiple years, but this year we’re going one step further by expanding our initiative and hosting awareness raising events throughout the UN’s 16 Days of Activism. We hope that by encouraging our customers to open up about their role as allies, we can help to create a safer railway for everyone.”

Lynne Elliot, chief executive at White Ribbon UK, said:

"WMR’s support for White Ribbon UK demonstrates a willingness to take action to ensure everyone feels safe when travelling, through their White Ribbon Accreditation and the activities they are hosting across their stations to raise awareness for White Ribbon Day.”

Alongside public activities, WMR will continue its internal fundraising at depots and head office as part of its wider commitment to the cause.

WMR White Ribbon engagement events:

• 25 Nov – Wylde Green station in partnership with Spaghetti Line station adoption group

• 3 Dec – Hereford station in partnership with Transport for Wales

• 8 Dec – Wolverhampton station

• 9 Dec – Worcester Shrub Hill station in partnership with Worcestershire CRP

LNR White Ribbon engagement events in the West Midlands:

• 25 Nov – Canley station in partnership with Heart of England CRP

• 27 Nov – Stone station, in partnership with Staffordshire CRP

• 1 Dec –Marston Green station in partnership with Heart of England CRP

• 1 Dec - Tamworth

Image: West Midlands Railway