The UK’s largest Pride event is just over a week away and to celebrate the annual festival, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) – which runs train services in and out of Brighton – has unveiled ‘Words of Pride’ at stations for people to enjoy as they travel to the city.
With the weekend set to be sunny, the rail operator is urging people to plan their journeys ahead of time. As in previous years GTR has worked closely with Pride organisers alongside the local council, and has confirmed it will be running an enhanced service to transport people in and out of Brighton, with extra trains and increased capacity. More information can be found below and on the Southern and Thameslink websites.
Whilst Pride festivals and parades are a chance to have fun and celebrate, it’s important to remember why Pride exists and what people are still fighting for. This is why GTR has teamed up with writers, performers and artists from the LGBTQ+ community to share what Pride means to them.
The operator has unveiled ‘Words of Pride’, which are now on display at London Blackfriars, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport and Brighton train stations, helping to raise awareness amongst millions of rail travellers.
The quotes to look out for are:
‘Pride is a moment to celebrate the joy, love and culture of queer life whilst reminding people of the things we’re still fighting for.’ – Gemma Rolls-Bentley (she/her), curator and author of Queer Art: From Canvas to Club and the Spaces Between.
‘Pride reminds us we aren’t alone. We are part of something strong, beautiful and enduring.’ – Charlie Wood (she/they), artist, performer and writer.
‘I live a pretty bold and unapologetic life all year – but Pride is my way of proclaiming to the world, ‘we deserve equality and to take up space.’ – Livia Kojo Alour (she/her), Nigerian German-born poet, writer and musician.
In displaying the quotes at some of its busiest stations, GTR hopes that ‘Words of Pride’ will serve as inspiration to passengers to read on their journeys while feeling connected to the true meaning of Pride.
In addition to quotes at train stations, GTR is also utilising its Thameslink ‘Trainbow’, which was originally launched in 2019. Members from the company’s internal LGBT+ network have shared what Pride means to them and these words will be on display on the Trainbow until 1 September.
Chris Fowler, Head of Network Operations at Govia Thameslink Railway, comments: “Brighton Pride is the biggest event on our network, and the atmosphere it creates in the city each year is fantastic. With so many people making the journey from London down to Brighton, showcasing voices from the LGBTQ+ community to a wider audience will help educate and raise awareness of the reasons why Pride exists. We hope people enjoy reading Words of Pride on their journeys and have a fabulous time at the event.”
GTR’s ‘Words of Pride’ are available to view at London Blackfriars, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport and Brighton stations until Monday 5 August.
Paul Kemp, Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Pride, said: “We welcome the news of strengthened train services and the resilience planning. We are grateful to the whole team and all GTR staff for committing time and effort to plan the best possible services over this summer’s Pride weekend. Train services into our city are essential for tourism all year round, as well as for the future success of Pride. We are excited to work more collaboratively with GTR and this year is shaping up to be one of the best for Pride in the city.”
Travel information for Brighton Pride:
On the Brighton Main Line on Saturday 3 August, all Thameslink services between London Bridge and Brighton will be operated by 12 carriage trains.
This will be the same for all Gatwick Express services running between London Victoria and Brighton.
Additional trains will run on Saturday evening on the Brighton Main Line.
On the West Coastway, services that would normally run between Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton will instead terminate at Chichester. The revised service will help to focus capacity on areas where demand will be greatest. Those wishing to travel to Portsmouth and Southampton will be able to change at Barnham or Chichester for onward connections.
On the East Coastway, many services will be running with additional carriages throughout the day to boost capacity in and out of Brighton.
On Sunday 4 August, a regular timetable will be in place, however there will be a number of trains with extra carriages to help those travelling to and from Pride.
