Safety on the railway

Arrive safe with West Midlands Railway.

We understand that travelling, especially alone or at night, can be a little daunting. That is why we are here to provide you with top tips on helping you travel with confidence, as well as information on the tools and services available for those of you who are trying to get to safety.

Our top travel safety tips

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Save 61016 into your phone

If you ever feel unsafe, worried, anxious, or spot something suspicious when travelling on any form of public transport, you can discreetly text the British Transport Police on 61016 who will help deal with your concern.

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Register with the 999 emergency services

Did you know you can text the 999 emergency services? To register, all you need to do is text ‘register’ to 999 who will reply with instructions for you to follow.

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Speak to a conductor

Did you know there is a conductor on every one of our trains? If you are travelling alone and want to feel more comfortable (or need help), you can locate where the conductor is at every stop. Just look out for the staff member standing on the platform and you can get on the same carriage as them to take a seat or to talk.

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Use a help point

At every station there is a help point. They are easy to locate and will connect you with a member of staff who will be able to assist you to ensure you make your journey home safely.

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Sound the alarm (in an emergency)

In the event of an emergency, there is an alarm on board our trains you can pull if you feel unsafe. But it is only to be used in an emergency.

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Download Hollie Guard

Hollie Guard is a great app that provides enhanced levels of protection to the user. Its different options allow you to choose a mode that works best for you based on your current situation. For example, it can send notifications to your emergency contacts when an alert has been raised.

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Give Strut Safe a ring

Once you’ve completed your journey you may need to walk to your next destination. To help make you feel more at ease, you can call Strut Safe (available Friday – Saturday 7pm – 3am) on 0333 335 0026 and a volunteer on the other line will stay and chat with you until you’ve reached your destination.

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Keep an eye on your battery

Running low on phone battery? On most public transport you will be able to top up your phone’s battery with on board USB ports. It’s a great idea to keep a USB cable with you just in case you need it, but if you’ve left it at home and you’re running low, maybe keep those selfies down to a minimum to preserve your battery life.

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Plan your journey

It may sound simple but planning your journey and your connections will help make your journey a lot smoother. You can also aim to catch the train before the last - just in case you get held up.

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We have Revenue Protection & Security Officers

Not only do our Revenue Protection and Security Officers check tickets, but they’re also there to help keep you safe. They’re out and about on the network every day and liaise with the British Transport Police to help keep things running smoothly.

Other tools and services

Rail to Refuge is a joint initiative between rail companies and Women’s Aid in which train operators cover the cost of train tickets for women, men and children escaping domestic abuse travelling to refuge accommodation.

Find out more

We are supporting the UK SAYS NO MORE campaign to raise awareness and to help end domestic abuse and sexual violence across the UK.

Our Online Safe Spaces widget can be found at the bottom of every page on our website and can be used whilst shopping for train tickets or researching a route. Victims of domestic abuse can safely access help via this tool and still be seen carrying out these online tasks.

Learn more