Train operator reveals top advice for women looking for railway careers

Railway staff members have spoken about their advice to women applying for roles in the industry on the latest edition of West Midlands Railway’s (WMR) “On the Rails” podcast.

The podcast has been released in time for National Inclusion Week, which runs from 15 – 21 September and inspires companies to take action to create inclusive workforces.

The rail industry is traditionally thought of as a male dominated sector, with women reported to make up less than 20% of the UK rail workforce, with half taking up non-operational roles such as marketing, finance and HR.

WMR - which carries millions of passengers every month along with sister company London Northwestern Railway (LNR) - is working to encourage more women into operational roles.

This year more than 20% of those starting driver or engineering apprenticeships with WMR and LNR were female – surpassing the companies’ target.

Kate Taylor is joint project manager for the delivery of WMR and LNR’s new electric Class 730 fleets which are now in service on Birmingham’s Cross City Line and routes to and from London Euston.

Kate told the podcast: “I have generally navigated the gender imbalance by just being as good as I can be and not paying too much attention to the fact that, on many occasions, I've been the only woman in the room. Women can be engineers, women can be directors, women can be administrators, women can be project managers. Women can be any of the things that men can.

“I know that, for women going into engineering, it can be quite daunting because it is particularly male dominated. You have to be quite brave. But once you’re in the room, you can demonstrate your abilities on merit. And there are other female engineers, so if you're just starting out, you should go and have a conversation with them and find a mentor if you can. There's lots of opportunity and women should grasp it with both hands.”

Adebisi Hassan, customer experience manager at London Euston, added: “In this industry, your progression is in your hands. You just need to work hard and help wherever you can be flexible. When I started my career as a retail travel advisor, my managers saw where my strengths lie, and I was open about wanting to progress. If they see things or hear that there's a role coming up in any areas of the business that they think you will be good at, they'll support you in applying for that role.”

Amanda Webster-Uz, head of station operations at London Euston for Network Rail, advised: “If you’re new to the rail industry, make networking a priority. Take time to reflect on the direction you’d like your career to take and identify the roles that genuinely interest you. Curiosity is key here, explore different areas of the business and see where your strengths lie. Once you’ve pinpointed what drives you, start having meaningful conversations with your line manager and colleagues. From there, you can create a personal development plan that outlines the steps you should take to reach where you want to be.”

Throughout National Inclusion Week, WMR will be sharing more advice and career stories from women across the business via its social media channels, including train service managers, its head of performance and a member of the company’s graduate scheme.

The full podcast episode, which also features interviews with White Ribbon UK, WMR’s head of drivers and the company’s EDI lead, is available to stream and download via www.wmr.uk/podcast.

For more information about careers at WMR, visit www.wmr.uk/careers.