Small Talk Saves Lives, Phase 8 and Phase 9

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Dates

5 March 2026 - 26 March 2026

Locations

National

Audience

All rail users
Rail staff

Media channels

Stations (OIS, Totems, D6)
Print
Social - film (20s and 30s)
Social - static and animated


Key contacts

Lucy Dixon – lucy.dixon@networkrail.co.uk

Small Talk Saves Lives is a campaign to empower the public to act to prevent suicide on the railways and other public settings. The campaign has been running since 2017 and is the rail industry’s award-winning flagship suicide prevention campaign delivered in partnership with Samaritans and British Transport Police.

Phase 8 ran from 4th March – 25th March 2025.

Phase 9 run from 5th March – 26th March 2026.

These campaigns are no longer live or being promoted to public and passengers. However, if you would like to use these resources please ask permission from Network Rail’s marketing team: marketing@networkrail.co.uk

Materials for ‘Small Talk Saves Lives, Phase 9’ campaign:

5 March 2026 - 26 March 2026

Media background and Q&A

Total: 171.89 KB

Campaign film

Total: 111.94 MB

Social media assets

Total: 180.81 MB

Web banners and email signatures

Total: 182.31 MB

Station assets

Total: 195.02 MB

Print assets

Total: 309.90 MB

Welsh assets

Total: 357.07 MB

Toolkit

Total: 361.15 MB

Make a Connection – phase 2

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Dates

10 October 2025 - 31 March 2026

Locations

National, but with elevated activity targeting 18 high priority locations.

Audience

All rail users, particular focus on 18-24 year olds

Media channels

Stations: digital and print
Digital display
Social (Snapchat and Twitch)
Organic social

Key contacts

Lucy Dixon – Lucy.Dixon@networkrail.co.uk

In partnership with Shout and the wider rail industry, Make a Connection encourages anyone feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed to text ‘Journey’ to 85258 for free, confidential support, 24/7.

This is part of our industry’s ongoing commitment to reduce suicides on the railway, particularly with mental health challenges among 18–24-year-olds at record levels.

By signposting to Shout’s service, we aim to turn moments of vulnerability into opportunities for connection. Updated for 2025 with fresh insights and materials, the campaign focuses on encouraging help-seeking behaviours and reminding people they’re not alone.

These campaigns are no longer live or being promoted to public and passengers. However, if you would like to use these resources please ask permission from Network Rail’s marketing team: marketing@networkrail.co.uk

There are 2 sets of creatives and messages which might be surfaced during different dates:

‘Make a Connection’ messaging:

10 October 2025 - 31 March 2026

View materials

‘Make a Connection - Welsh versions’ messaging:

10 October 2025 - 31 March 2026

View materials

Materials for ‘Make a Connection’ campaign:

10 October 2025 - 31 March 2026

Communications toolkit

Total: 11.41 MB

Campaign film

Total: 271.54 MB

Social media materials

Total: 374.77 MB

Station materials

Total: 381.05 MB

Print materials

Total: 387.41 MB

Digital materials

Total: 388.04 MB

Materials for ‘Make a Connection - Welsh versions’ campaign:

10 October 2025 - 31 March 2026

Campaign film

Total: 648.17 MB

Social media materials

Total: 651.58 MB

Print materials

Total: 657.97 MB

Hub of Hope

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Dates

25 September 2023 -

Locations

National

Audience

All rail users

Media channels

Stations
Online

Key contacts

Gemma Howe – gemma.howe@networkrail.co.uk

The Hub of Hope is the UK’s leading mental health support database. It is provided by national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, and brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place for the first time.

These campaigns are no longer live or being promoted to public and passengers. However, if you would like to use these resources please ask permission from Network Rail’s marketing team: marketing@networkrail.co.uk

There are 3 sets of creatives and messages which might be surfaced during different dates:

‘Hub of Hope’ messaging:

-

View materials

‘Welsh Assets’ messaging:

-

View materials

‘Walletcards’ messaging:

-

View materials

Materials for ‘Hub of Hope’ campaign:

-

Print Assets

Total: 23.31 MB

Social Assets

Total: 25.98 MB

Signage Guidance

Total: 26.52 MB

Animated Assets

Total: 36.12 MB

Materials for ‘Welsh Assets’ campaign:

-

Materials for ‘Walletcards’ campaign:

-

Small Talk Saves Lives, Phase 7

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Dates

22 February 2024 - 19 March 2024

Locations

National

Audience

All rail users

Media channels

Stations
Online display
Print display
Social media

Key contacts

Charlie Oven – Charlie.Oven@networkrail.co.uk

Small Talk Saves Lives is a campaign to empower the public to act to prevent suicide on the railways and other public settings. The campaign has been running since 2017 and is the rail industry’s award-winning flagship suicide prevention campaign delivered in partnership with Samaritans and British Transport Police.

These campaigns are no longer live or being promoted to public and passengers. However, if you would like to use these resources please ask permission from Network Rail’s marketing team: marketing@networkrail.co.uk

Materials for ‘’ campaign:

-

Media Backgrounder

Total: 151.40 KB

Campaign Film

Total: 65.07 MB

Social Media Assets

Total: 66.08 MB

Station Assets

Total: 69.90 MB

Print Assets

Total: 71.46 MB

Toolkit

Total: 72.15 MB

Make a Connection

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Dates

10 October 2023 - 31 March 2024

Locations

National

Audience

All rail users, particular focus on males and females aged 18-24.

Media channels

Stations
Online display
Print display
Social media

Key contacts

Charlie Oven – Charlie.Oven@networkrail.co.uk

Network Rail has joined digital Shout and the wider rail industry to remind the public that mental health support is just a text message away. Make a Connection, encourages people to text the bespoke keyword ‘Journey’ to 85258 to access the Shout service for free and confidential mental health support, 24/7.

It forms part of the rail industry’s efforts to help reduce suicides on the network by engaging with the public upstream and signposting them to mental health support services at the earliest opportunity. 

These campaigns are no longer live or being promoted to public and passengers. However, if you would like to use these resources please ask permission from Network Rail’s marketing team: marketing@networkrail.co.uk

Materials for ‘Make a Connection’ campaign:

-

Social Media Assets

Total: 5.26 MB

Station Assets

Total: 12.03 MB

Print Assets

Total: 151.65 MB

Welsh Assets

Total: 164.95 MB

Communications Toolkit

Total: 174.76 MB

Shout

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Dates

13 June 2023 -

Locations

National

Audience

All rail users

Media channels

Stations
Online display
Print display
Social media

Key contacts

Charlie Oven – Charlie.Oven@networkrail.co.uk

Powered by charity Mental Health Innovations, Shout is a free, confidential and 24/7 text support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling to cope. More than 2,100 trained volunteers offer anonymous, free support for anyone feeling alone, overwhelmed or suicidal. Through the Shout service, people can text the bespoke word ‘JOURNEY’ to 85258 to receive confidential mental health support at any time.

The rail industry has partnered with Shout as part of its wider efforts to signpost passengers to mental health support options.

These campaigns are no longer live or being promoted to public and passengers. However, if you would like to use these resources please ask permission from Network Rail’s marketing team: marketing@networkrail.co.uk

Every Mind Matters

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Dates

7 June 2023 -

Locations

National

Audience

All rail users

Media channels

Stations
Online display
Print display
Social media

Key contacts

Charlie Oven – Charlie.Oven@networkrail.co.uk

The Better Health-Every Mind Matters campaign, delivered by the Department of Health and Social Care, provides NHS approved practical tips and resources to help you look after your mental health. The rail industry is supporting this always-on campaign as part of its wider efforts to encourage help-seeking behaviour for anyone who may be struggling with their mental health in and around the railway before they reach crisis point.

These campaigns are no longer live or being promoted to public and passengers. However, if you would like to use these resources please ask permission from Network Rail’s marketing team: marketing@networkrail.co.uk

Small Talk Saves Lives (Phase 5)

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Dates

3 August 2021 - 31 August 2021

Locations

National

Audience

Passengers and wider public

Media channels



Key contacts

charlie.oven@networkrail.co.uk

Network Rail has joined Samaritans this summer to empower passengers and the wider public to prevent suicide on and around the railway with the relaunch of Small Talk Saves Lives.

The campaign – in partnership with Network Rail, British Transport Police and the wider rail industry – aims to give passengers and the wider public the confidence to trust their own instincts and act if they see someone who needs help, by starting a conversation.

These campaigns are no longer live or being promoted to public and passengers. However, if you would like to use these resources please ask permission from Network Rail’s marketing team: marketing@networkrail.co.uk

There is always hope

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Dates

11 March 2021 - 8 April 2021

Locations

National

Audience

Media channels



Key contacts

The ‘There Is Always hope’ campaign is a multichannel campaign by Network Rail in partnership with national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma. The campaign aims to amplify the charity’s mission to humanise and normalise mental health, remove stigma attached to it and signpost people to help, highlighting the support options available to vulnerable people before they reach crisis point. This includes the ‘Hub of Hope’, a free mental health application created by Chasing the Stigma, which lists the most relevant and readily available support near you when you need it.

The campaign forms part of the rail industry’s efforts to reduce suicides across the rail network –sadly an ongoing challenge faced by Network Rail, train operating companies and the British Transport Police.

These campaigns are no longer live or being promoted to public and passengers. However, if you would like to use these resources please ask permission from Network Rail’s marketing team: marketing@networkrail.co.uk

Materials for ‘There is always hope’ campaign:

11 March 2021 - 8 April 2021

Campaign toolkit

Total: 4.76 MB

Hero Films

Total: 449.07 MB

Posters and displays

Total: 571.11 MB

Social films

Total: 735.52 MB

Other supporting films

Total: 2.17 GB

Hub of hope posters

Total: 2.18 GB

Small Talk Saves Lives, Phase 6

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Dates

21 February 2023 - 12 March 2023

Locations

National

Audience

All rail users

Media channels

Stations
Online display
Print display
Social media

Key contacts

Charlie Oven – Charlie.Oven@networkrail.co.uk

Small Talk Saves Lives is a campaign to empower the public to act to prevent suicide on the railways and in other settings. The campaign has been running since 2017 and is the rail industry’s award-winning flagship suicide prevention campaign delivered in partnership with Samaritans and British Transport Police.

These campaigns are no longer live or being promoted to public and passengers. However, if you would like to use these resources please ask permission from Network Rail’s marketing team: marketing@networkrail.co.uk

Materials for ‘’ campaign:

-

Media Backgrounder

Total: 152.39 KB

Campaign Film

Total: 65.08 MB

Social Media Assets

Total: 67.85 MB

Station Assets

Total: 74.76 MB

Print Assets

Total: 84.68 MB

Toolkit

Total: 86.07 MB