South Western Railway

This morning, we introduced two more Arterios, increasing the number of trains on the Windsor route as well as serving key commuter stations like Surbiton and Earlsfield for the first time.   Following their introduction on the Shepperton line last month, this is the next step in the rollout of the new trains, which will transform the customer experience on our suburban network.

Delighted to be part of this partnership 🌈

Ticket to #Pride! 🌈 We are thrilled that LGBT HERO and our Pride Network have 'adopted' Vauxhall station — the first major station in the UK to be adopted by an #LGBTQ+ group. By adopting Vauxhall, LGBT HERO will work with us to make our network safer and more inclusive for all, in line with our All Aboard campaign to end discrimination and abuse on the railway. We celebrated the start of this partnership yesterday, with the support of Florence Eshalomi MP, who cut a rainbow ribbon. The adoption is also back by Deputy Mayor of London Seb Dance, London Borough of Lambeth, Transport for London and London TravelWatch. A 2023 report by London TravelWatch revealed that 82% of LGBTQ+ transport users in London change their behaviour or appearance to avoid abuse, and one in five experienced hate crimes on the transport network in the past year. This must change. As a first step, we are joining the Lambeth Allies Programme, a coalition of organisations in the borough committed to improving the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people. We have also installed the first pieces of wonderful new artwork in the station by local LGBTQ+ artists. But there’s much more to do! Our new adopters have great plans for the coming months to tackle important issues around inclusion and safety, as well as champion the LGBTQ+ community and all the amazing destinations Vauxhall has to offer. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eagDv-Ph 

On 17 October South Western Railway had the honour of being awarded the Employers Recognition Scheme Silver Award demonstrating our commitment to the Armed Forces Community. Jeantene Willoughby and I gladly accepted the award and we will be continuing our work and striving for Gold. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported at South Western Railway and to our National Account Manager Sam Berkson

Congratulations again to all the Silver ERS awardees! 🥈 We had a wonderful time at our National Employer Recognition Scheme Silver award ceremony last night at the The Union Jack Club! Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Civil Aviation Authority Cummins Inc. Defence Medical Services Ferrovial Construction Graham HelloFresh Impellam Group Iron Mountain Johnson Matthey L3Harris Technologies Lorne Stewart Group Ministry of Defence Police Neuberger Berman NHS Confederation Octopus Energy Palo Alto Networks Philips Quantexa Ramboll Rathbones Group Plc South Western Railway College of Policing Xero Tony Blaney Maria Kaya Philip Marks Ben Onions Sam Berkson Nat Haynes Tony Matthews QVRM VR #SilverERS24

It’s semi-finals day in the World Cup of Stations and SWR is represented by two stations, Axminster and Shawford 🏆 Voting is open until midnight and we’re looking for your support again to see if we can make it through to the final 🗳 Axminster in East Devon was the winner of Monday’s South West group, receiving more than 3,000 votes for The Ale Way micropub and Railway Kitchen café. You can vote for it in semi-final number one today. Shawford was our second winner, coming through yesterday’s Community Rail bonus round with more than 50% of the votes cast. The Hampshire station is home to an award-winning café, Platform 1, which serves specialty coffee, Italian gelato and homemade bakes. It will be looking for your support in semi-final number three ☕ 🍨 🍰 Thank you for your support during the group stages - let’s see if we can make it through to tomorrow’s final! Cast your vote now at https://lnkd.in/eeiyyiTf

Voting is open in the World Cup of Stations' bonus round, with Shawford and Petersfield representing SWR! 🗳 Shawford has been nominated for its award-winning café, Platform 1, which serves specialty coffee, Italian gelato and homemade bakes ☕ 🍨 🍰 Petersfield is home to the Free Shop, which aims to reduce unnecessary waste. It provides surplus foods and seasonal goods to anyone who can make good use of them ♻ We're looking for our second winner following Axminster's success on Monday in the South West round. Nominated for its micropub, The Ale Way, and café, The Railway Kitchen, it received more than 3,000 votes - thank you for your support! 🏆 Cast your vote now at https://lnkd.in/eXKRw2Dd

My absolute favourite time of the year is when I host our Community Rail conference with all our Community Rail family at South Western Railway. Last week was no exception. Excellent venue and speakers and to top it off, our own awards ceremony. We were delighted by the amount of entries received and it certainly gave the judges lots to think about. At SWR we have the best CR family and we can't wait to celebrate Railway 200 next year with you all.

Your station needs you! Voting is now open in the 2024 World Cup of Stations and we need your votes for Richmond in the London category and either Axminster or Portsmouth & Southsea in the South West 🏆 All three stations have been nominated on the strength of their local businesses. Richmond boasts a nearby bakery, Flavourtown, plus two independent book shops, The Alligator's Mouth and Books on the Rise 🍰 📚 Axminster has its own micropub, The Ale Way, plus a cafe, The Railway Kitchen. Portsmouth & Southsea is just a short walk from the wonderful Hilborne's Sweets 🍻 ☕ 🍬 Vote now at https://lnkd.in/eXKRw2Dd ✅

We are marking Baby Loss Awareness Week, an important opportunity to remember much-loved and much-missed babies, raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss and campaign for greater support for those affected.   Earlier this year, we signed the Miscarriage Association’s Pregnancy Loss Pledge, committing to creating a workplace environment that supports women and men who have experienced pregnancy and baby loss. We know how difficult such an experience can be for colleagues. Last year, we adopted a pregnancy loss policy, which includes time off and help when returning to work. This week, we have also run awareness training for managers. The Forget Me Not Fund, part of the Hampshire Hospitals Charity, is one of our official charity partners for 2024-5. The charity provides bereavement services, among other support, for families who have lost babies. Until Wednesday next week, London Waterloo will be lit up in pink and blue and the Forget Me Not Fund will be at the station tomorrow (Friday) to talk to customers and colleagues about pregnancy and baby loss and the help that is available. They will also be hosting a charity ball on Friday 25 October.