Vauxhall selfie (L to R) Joe Silke, Kristian Jackson, Cllr Donatus Anyanwu, Alan Palmer, Son Of A Tutu and Florence Eshalomi MP
South Western Railway (SWR) today (Thursday, October 24) celebrated the ‘adoption’ of Vauxhall station by its Pride Network of LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies and the charity LGBT HERO, the national LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing charity, based in South West London.
Station adoption is part of a growing community rail movement, which sees local groups volunteer to take more active roles in their stations, helping them to better reflect and serve the community.
Florence Eshalomi MP, SWR’s Managing Director, Stuart Meek, and LGBT HERO’s Chair, Alan Palmer, unveiled a commemorative plaque and pieces by local LGBTQ+ artists at the station’s waiting room, where they also cut a rainbow ribbon.
Florence Eshalomi, MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, commented: “Vauxhall is a melting point for our vibrant LGBTQ+ community and it is great to see LGBT HERO and SWR jointly adopting Vauxhall station.
“As we celebrate this launch, we must remember that sadly people from the LGBTQ+ community continue to face discrimination and abuse, simply for who they are. Initiatives like this help us to ensure that our LGBTQ+ communities feel safe in public spaces.
“I am proud to stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community and show that in Vauxhall we will continue to work with a range of partners to build an inclusive society that embraces diversity.”
Vauxhall is one of London’s busiest stations, with over 13 million entries and exits annually, and is the first major station in the UK adopted by an LGBTQ+ group.
The area is well known for its strong links to the LGBTQ+ community. Almost one in ten residents identify as LGBTQ+ and South London’s oldest gay venue, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, is among the many destinations just moments from the station.
The adoption of Vauxhall is part of SWR’s All Aboard campaign, which aims to end all discrimination and abuse against customers and colleagues on the railway and encourage anyone who experiences such behaviour to report it to the British Transport Police.
A 2023 report by London TravelWatch on the experiences of LGBTQ+ people travelling in the capital revealed that 82% change their behaviour or appearance to avoid abuse.
It also found that one in five experienced hate crimes on the transport network in the past year, echoing a survey by LGBT HERO in Lambeth, with 84% not reporting the incidents.
Among its 12 recommendations, the watchdog called for greater collaboration between transport operators, decision-makers and police authorities, including working with trusted third parties in the LGBTQ+ community.
Stuart Meek, Interim Managing Director of SWR, commented: “Stations aren’t simply about getting from A to B; they should involve, reflect and serve their local community — and celebrate everything that makes a community special.
“We’re incredibly excited to have LGBT HERO and our own Pride Network colleagues adopting Vauxhall, a station that could not be more appropriate with the area’s thriving and longstanding links to the LGBTQ+ community.
“We launched our All Aboard campaign because everyone should feel safe and respected while travelling on the transport network, and no one should ever face discrimination or abuse.
“By working together in partnerships such as this, we can make a real difference for customers, colleagues and communities across our region.”
Ian Howley, Chief Executive of LGBT HERO, added: “We’re incredibly excited to partner with SWR. Lambeth is a vibrant and diverse borough, but we need to address rising anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime. Our partnership is about more than symbolic gestures — it’s about real action and creating spaces where everyone, especially LGBTQ+ people, feel safe and valued.
“In addition to our presence in Vauxhall station, SWR is joining Lambeth Allies to ensure the highest level of service and security for LGBTQ+ people on the network. Together with SWR, we’re making Lambeth a place where diversity is celebrated, and no one faces hate or discrimination.”
The adoption will allow the SWR Pride Network and LGBT HERO, which supports over 100,000 individuals every month, to apply for funding from the national Community Rail Network for projects in and around the station.
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