Rail Industry celebrates International Women in Engineering Day

Traditionally a male-dominated industry, rail is seeing a surge in female representation, with companies like TransPennine Express (TPE), Northern and Greater Anglia leading the charge.

TPE boasts a significant presence of women in its workforce, with 22% of its team being female – exceeding the national average of 16.5% in the rail industry. Bushra Khan, TPE's Head of Engineering, emphasises their commitment to attracting more women. "We want to continue to empower and inspire more women to join us," she says, highlighting the importance of reflecting the communities they serve through diverse representation.

TPE employee Caitlin Gent, originally aiming for a career in the Royal Navy, found her calling as an assistant commercial engineer through an apprenticeship. She encourages other women to explore engineering, emphasising the variety of roles available, from working in depots to data analysis.

This year's International Women in Engineering Day which was celebrated on June 23 saw Greater Anglia showcasing Erika Dileo, their Yard Movement Controller. Having previously worked as a dispatcher, Erika is thriving in her new role, overseeing the safe arrival and departure of trains at Cambridge sidings.

Erika compared her job to a complex Tetris puzzle, but with real trains and immense responsibility. “The Yard Movement Controller role is all about organising trains to be in the right place, ready to go out the next morning, after they’ve been refuelled and had a top-up of sand for the brakes,” she explains. Erika is now responsible for the 30 train arrivals and departures to and from the sidings every night. She also oversees the safety of everyone within the team during her 12-hour shifts.

Northern has also been celebrating Internation Women in Engineering Day with Rebecca Prendergast, a senior production manager at Northern's TrainCare Centre, stressing that women shouldn't wait for encouragement to enter engineering.  "Engineering offers excellent career progression and the chance to work on exciting projects," she says.

Prendergast herself has climbed the engineering ladder at Northern, starting as a train conductor in 2013 and progressing to her current role. Her story highlights the rewarding career paths and supportive environment engineering offers women.

International Women in Engineering Day is organised by the Women's Engineering Society (WES) and celebrates the achievements of women in engineering by encouraging more to join the field. The WES, founded over a century ago, continues to advocate for equality and inclusivity in engineering.