In honour of World Cup footballer Jude Bellingham, all this week, West Midlands Railway (WMR) is offering free train travel on the Stourbridge shuttle service in Worcestershire to any passenger named Jude.

The offer has been prompted by Jude Bellingham having his roots in the town, where he started his steps to football stardom playing for Stourbridge Juniors, and runs from today, Monday, 13th July, until the day of the World Cup Final next Sunday, 19th July.

Jude, who has played more than 50 times for England, grew up in Hagley, 2 miles from Stourbridge. He joined his first major team, Birmingham City, at under-8s level and made his senior debut aged 16, becoming the club’s youngest first-team player. He is now a star at one of the world’s most famous teams, Real Madrid.

The Stourbridge shuttle service between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town is just 0.8 miles long and is notable as one of Europe’s shortest branch lines. Stourbridge Junction station also has a station cat, George, who has over 100,000 followers across social media, including on X, Instagram, and Facebook. George is looked after by the team at Stourbridge Junction station.

To take advantage of the offer, passengers must have the forename Jude and present a valid ID when purchasing a ticket.

“Along with the rest of the country, we’re backing England all the way. Jude’s performances have been outstanding, and we’re delighted to celebrate his hometown of Stourbridge with this limited-time offer. We look forward to inviting Judes from across the region for a free ride on the Stourbridge Shuttle as the tournament reaches its final stages. We’re sure all our customers – Judes and non-Judes alike – will join us in cheering on the Three Lions in the semi-final on Wednesday and hopefully the final too.”

Jonny Wiseman, Customer Experience Director, West Midlands Railway