Over 100 people experiencing homelessness on London’s railway network have secured safe and warm accommodation since St Mungo’s specialist Outreach team began working at London Victoria and Charing Cross stations one year ago.
The team’s regular presence at two of the capital’s busiest transport hubs has helped St Mungo’s reach people who were previously hidden or unknown to homelessness services, ensuring they can get the support they need to start rebuilding their lives.
Main railway stations in the capital can offer protection from the elements as well as access to sanitation in a well-lit and safer area. Given the high passenger numbers in stations, however, they can be transitory places, making it that much more challenging to find people who need support in accessing services.
Despite this, the specialist outreach team through this partnership with Network Rail has helped people to access emergency accommodation. It has also connected people rough sleeping with immediate medical support, specialist advice, and access to showers, hot meals, and warm clothes.
Between the start of the partnership and the end of 2025, public referrals to StreetLink London – a service that connects those rough sleeping to local support – rose by 140% at the stations, enabling St Mungo’s Outreach workers to locate and assist people who are sleeping rough as quickly as possible.
Network Rail staff have been equally instrumental in alerting the Outreach team to people rough sleeping, with direct referrals increasing by 160% between the start of the partnership, and the end of 2025.
The success of the partnership hinges on the Outreach team’s specialist knowledge combining with Network Rail’s significant presence, ensuring that passengers and railway staff are playing an active part in how homelessness is addressed.
Staff have also taken part in St Mungo’s specialist Homelesswise training to deepen their understanding of homelessness, and how to best support people rough sleeping in London and on the railway network.
People experiencing homelessness may have faced violence, trauma or abuse in their lives, and may find it hard to trust support services as a result. The more time a person spends on the streets, the more complex their situation becomes, and the harder that cycle becomes to escape.
A key part of the role of St Mungo’s outreach teams is to show up consistently for people who feel they have nowhere else to turn, supporting them in accessing emergency accommodation and – with the right support – a place they can call their own.
Melita Warwick, Service Manager of the Network Rail Outreach team at St Mungo’s said: “Now that we have a regular presence at Victoria and Charing Cross, we have been able to build trust and engagement with people who were previously hidden or unknown to our teams, to connect them to further support and accommodation.
Our partnership with Network Rail also means that railway staff now have improved awareness of the complexity of homelessness and know exactly how to signpost people in need of support to our Outreach teams. We’re hugely grateful to Network Rail for working with us to help end homelessness and rebuild lives.”
Valerijs, 58, is a St Mungo’s client who has spent a number of years sleeping rough in London. He says: “I first met the St Mungo’s Network Rail Outreach team when I was sleeping rough near Charing Cross station. They got to know me so that they could understand what I needed right away, as well as what I hoped for in the future. They helped me get my ID and a bank account, and they also referred me into emergency accommodation so I could get off the streets.
After that, I was able to move into long?term supported housing. Having somewhere safe and stable to live has made such a big difference to both my mental and physical health. It’s also meant I can focus on my goal of getting back into work, with support from St Mungo’s Learning, Training and Employment team.”
Kathleen O’Malley, Social Value Manager at Network Rail said: “Dedicated outreach at our stations is making a real and lasting difference. Through our partnership with St Mungo’s, we’re able to offer trusted, long?term support to people who might otherwise go unseen. It also gives our colleagues the knowledge and confidence to better understand homelessness and help connect people with the right support. By working together, we’re helping to create safer, more welcoming spaces for everyone who uses our stations.”
This partnership with St Mungo’s forms part of Network Rail’s Routes Out of Homelessness Charter. The charter commits the railway industry to support people facing homelessness.
