Visitors and commuters travelling through King’s Cross today may have temporarily thought themselves to be in Los Angeles while looking at the floor. That’s because a new ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ style trail was recently unveiled by LNER at the station, commemorating an under-explored part of rail history. Coinciding with the upcoming International Women’s Day (March 8), the stars celebrate women in rail.
Altogether, the 10 stars tell the stories of some of the trailblazers from the industry. Many of the names have never had their story told before – until now. And they range from historic figures who paved the way for the industry to important figures from the present.
Stars celebrating women in rail
The new sight comes in the wake of research* that revealed that “97% of Brits have no idea how many women currently work in the UK railway industry and 72% have no knowledge of stories of women who have helped shape the railway.” Whilst over 35,000 women currently work in the UK railway industry, almost half of the people surveyed incorrectly thought the figure was between 5,000 and 10,000.
Among the names being celebrated are:
- Elizabeth Holman – disguised herself as a man to work on the railway in the 1850s
- Willie Nelson – a LNER porter at York station during the Second World War who “supported passengers and kept services moving through air raids and blackouts”
- Gladys Garlick – one of the first LNER female guards, during the Second World War
- Helen Donagher – “helped save someone’s life by swiftly stopping her train and disembarking to administer crucial first aid”
- Rezwana Rahman – the first LNER female train driver to wear a hijab
Each star has a QR code, which takes people to the LNER website to read more about the incredible stories of the women represented.
The stars will be visible in King’s Cross until March 8. After that date, they will be visible in the Family Lounge and at York railway station.
*Research: Censuswide polled 2,000 UK adults between 23rd February and 25th February 2026.