Britain has joined other European countries in offering free onward travel for Ukrainian refugees on its rail network.
A statement issued by the rail industry on Friday said the concession would allow Ukrainians to get “to a safe place”.
Under the scheme people will have to show a Ukrainian passport and boarding pass or ticket, and be given 48 hour to travel to their destination from their arrival in Britain.
It comes two weeks after Eurostar, the high-speed cross-channel operator, made a similar concession for people coming to the UK, provided they could produce a visa.
The German, French, Dutch, Polish, and Czech state rail operators, as well as high-speed service Thalys, are among national railways to have for weeks provided free travel for Ukrainian nationals crossing Europe.
“To help Ukrainian nationals travelling to the UK, we are offering free onward travel on National Rail services to get you to a safe place,” a statement posted on the National Rail Enquiries website said.
“To make use of this scheme, you will need to show your Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass or ticket showing your arrival into the UK.
“The offer is valid across all train operators in England, Scotland and Wales, and you will have 48 hours from arrival in the UK to complete your journey.
“You will be able to use London Underground/DLR services if your journey requires you to travel between London national rail stations.”
The Department for Transport said the scheme would begin on Sunday 20 March.
Around three million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion, but as of 15 March just 5,500 visas have been issued by British authorities.
EU countries are meanwhile allowing Ukrainians entry without a visa for up to three years. Poland, which borders Ukraine, has taken 1.1 million people, and the UK’s neighbour Ireland is already hosting nearly 7,000.
The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.
