More free period products on offer at Birmingham stations

Vending machines will provide tampons and sanitary pads at three railway stations, Network Rail said

A trial scheme offering free period products to train passengers is being expanded in Birmingham.

A vending machine providing tampons and sanitary pads was installed at New Street station in 2022.

The scheme will also run at Snow Hill and Moor Street stations, said Network Rail, which will fund the project.

The products will be sustainable as they are made from bamboo and use chemical-free materials, free of toxins and bleach, it added.

The move would help women and girls facing period poverty, Lucy Wootton, from the industry group Grand Railway Collaboration, said.

"Ensuring free access to sanitary products for people out and about on the rail network is the right thing to do," she said.

Lucy Wootton said giving free access to period products at the stations was "the right thing to do"

Period poverty is when those on low incomes cannot afford, or access, suitable period products.

With average periods lasting about five days, it can cost up to £8 a month for tampons and pads, and some women struggle to afford the cost.

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