Trailblazers Elizabeth Holman, Gladys Garlick, and Betty Chalmers are among the women honoured in LNER Hollywood Walk of Fame-style installations unveiled at stations. The new campaign launched ahead of International Women’s Day (8 March 2026) to highlight the incredible contributions of women within the rail industry – both past and present.

This comes as new data reveals that 97% of Brits have no idea that over 35,000 women currently work in the UK railway industry, with almost half (42%) incorrectly believing the figure is between 5,000 and 10,000. 72% of people don't know the stories of women who made the railway what it is.

Stars honouring a range of incredible women are now present at York and London King’s Cross stations, many of whom have never had their stories told. Women celebrated include Elizabeth Holman, who was one of the earliest known women to work on the British railway.

In the 1850s she defied social limits by disguising herself as a man to take on dangerous and physically demanding railway construction work.

While Nellie Nelson – who worked as a porter for LNER at York station during the Second World War – supported passengers and kept services moving through air raids and blackouts, and Gladys Garlick served as one of the first LNER female guards at this time, both showing true strength and resilience.

Gladys’ daughter, Lesley Cook, who was at London King’s Cross station to see her mum's star unveiled, said: “Seeing my mother’s legacy live on for her unwavering dedication to the British railway is such a special moment for our family. The railway is part of our roots, with my mum working as a guard, which she was so passionate about and took a huge amount of pride in, and my father being a train driver. It’s truly incredible to see a light shone on her story and all the other women who are receiving the recognition they deserve with this installation.”

Modern-day women honoured include inspirational female LNER train drivers too. Helen Donagher heroically helped save someone’s life by swiftly stopping her train and disembarking to administer crucial first aid, while Rezwana Rahman became the first LNER female train driver to wear a hijab.

The stars will be in place at London King’s Cross until after International Women’s Day on 8 March, when they will then move into the Family Lounge and York railway station. People can scan the QR code on the installation, which takes them to LNER.co.uk to read more about the incredible stories of these women.