With Pride Month running from 31 May to 30 June, it’s an ideal time for the industry to champion diversity and fly the flag for its LGBT+ colleagues and customers. Train operating companies (TOCs) up and down the country are working hard to to raise awareness, combat ignorance, and show their support for the LGBT+ community. RailStaff takes a glance at the initiatives that have made the news in the past few weeks.
A display of regional pride
On 3 April, Greater Anglia unveiled a special Pride livery for one of its Stadler-built ‘class 755’ trains. The livery, which was applied to regional train (number 755421), includes both the Pride and transgender flags adjacent to the driver’s cab, on both ends and sides of the four-carriage train.
The train primarily operates services both between Ipswich and Felixstowe, Lowestoft, Cambridge, and Peterborough, and between Norwich and Cambridge/Stansted Airport, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, and Sheringham.
The livery, launched at a special ceremony at Norwich station, also includes the word ‘Pride’, applied beneath the windows of the first and last carriages, in colours supporting the progress flag and representing visibility for marginalised LGBT+ people, as well as the wider values of diversity and inclusion.
The unveiling marks the second ‘Pride train’ on Greater Anglia. In July 2023, a Class 720 suburban train, which operates on a large number of Greater Anglia routes from London to Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Suffolk, was unveiled at London Liverpool Street in a similar livery. The addition of the livery to one of the regional bi-mode trains, means it will now be seen across most Greater Anglia routes and passing most Greater Anglia stations.
“I’m so very proud to have witnessed the unveiling of this new Greater Anglia Pride train,” said Jamie Gooch, who works as a senior conductor and is a member of the LGBT+ community.
“For Pride-liveried trains to now run across the majority of our network and be particularly visible across rural areas of Suffolk and Norfolk, spreads the message that the railway is here for everybody.
“It is another step forward to bringing communities together and ensuring that everyone, regardless of sexuality and gender, can be their true selves while travelling with us and working for us.”
Greater Anglia has also invited those heading to parades and festivals across East Anglia and London this Pride Month to let the train take the strain. The operator has stations close to where a number of the key events will be held, enabling everyone to celebrate across the region.
Fine name for a train
Ahead of Birmingham’s Pride festival at the end of May, West Midlands Railway (WMR) named one of its newest trains “Hurst Street” in honour of the city’s famous Gay Village.
The train, which also features a stylish rainbow diamond motif and the word PRIDE, is one of the new Class 730 fleet being rolled out on the Cross City Line through Birmingham.
“Hurst Street” – also known as 730018 – is the first train in the fleet to be officially named. The fleet has been dubbed the ‘Landmark Class’, with further trains due to be named after other landmark locations across the West Midlands in coming months.
“We are proud to play an active part in our communities and celebrate the diversity of our people, our passengers and our region,” said Jonny Wiseman, WMR customer experience director.
“The Gay Village is a huge part of Birmingham’s culture and identity and we are proud that the Hurst Street name is the first to adorn our newest train fleet.”
On 23 May, colleagues from across WMR joined the official photocall at Lichfield Trent Valley on the Cross City Line to launch the new name, including members of the company’s Aspect group, supporting the LGBTQA+ community.
Staff from WMR, including workers from on-train and head office, were among those taking part in the iconic Birmingham Pride parade on Saturday 25 May.
Not one, but two
Train operator CrossCountry unveiled two Pride-themed trains at the end of May. The two new-look trains were brought into service in time for Birmingham Pride, with CrossCountry colleagues in attendance for the first time ever. Together with colleagues from Chiltern Railways and Grand Central, they walked with a specially-decorated bus, mingling with the crowds and giving out free goodies.
The move marks the ongoing commitment of the company – headquartered in Birmingham – to focus on diversity and inclusion as it embarks on its new National Rail Contract.
Turbostar unit 170618 will spend the summer taking customers from Birmingham to and from Pride festivals from Cambridge to Cardiff, and everywhere in between.
Meanwhile, intercity Voyager unit 220005 will be racking up the miles taking customers from Birmingham to all corners of the country – to Scotland and the North East of England, towards Manchester, Bristol, Bournemouth, Southampton – even as far afield as Penzance.
Julian Edwards and Scott Maynard, CrossCountry’s interim managing directors, said: “We’re delighted to unveil CrossCountry’s first-ever Pride-liveried trains. It’s important for us, as a train company connecting so many parts of Great Britain, to demonstrate our commitment to the diverse communities that we serve and that make up the CrossCountry family.
“We’re always keen to do even more to create an environment that encourages our colleagues to bring their whole self to work – and these specially-liveried trains are a fantastic symbol of that ongoing commitment.”
Coming together to celebrate
Colleagues from LNER and TransPennine Express (TPE) joined together on 1 June, in a show of unity to celebrate the start of Pride Month. The teams gathered at York Railway Station alongside LNER’s special liveried train ‘Together’ and TPE’s ‘Unity’.
The teams were joined by members and beneficiaries of LGBTQIA+ youth charities Mosaic Trust and The Proud Trust who travelled to York for the popular Pride Parade and Festival.
Launched during Pride Month 2023, ‘Together’ was the first in the Azuma fleet to feature it’s eye-catching livery on each of its nine carriages. Its name symbolises the unification of all communities which LNER is proud to support, as well as the relationship between members of the LGBTQIA+ community, allies at LNER, and the wider industry.
Tracey Barber, senior employee experience partner at LNER, said: “We celebrate Pride all year round and foster and encourage individuality and an environment where our colleagues can bring their true selves to work, every day. It’s fabulous to see so many of our colleagues, and colleagues across the industry, getting into the spirit with our Pride celebrations in York and a joy to see LNER’s ‘Together’ train and TPE’s ‘Unity’ train side-by-side on the tracks as a show of solidarity for the LGBTQIA+ community.”
TPE launched its dedicated Pride train earlier this year as part of its ‘Week of Inclusion’. Named ‘Unity’, it symbolises how the company celebrates diversity and embraces the individuality of colleagues and customers.
“Seeing the ‘Unity’ and ‘Together’ trains side by side is a powerful symbol of our commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said TPE Diversity and Inclusion Manager Harriet Harbidge. “At TPE, we strive to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected, and joining forces with LNER to celebrate Pride highlights the solidarity and support within the rail industry for the LGBTQIA+ community.”
TPE also ran an extra morning service for customers attending York’s Pride celebrations onboard the ‘Unity’. The extra service ran between Newcastle to York via Leeds on the morning of the festivities.
Lead image: TPE