We are a charity created to drive the UK rail industry forward, making it more diverse, more inclusive, and ultimately more productive.
How are we doing it? By empowering our members with networking opportunities and support, encouraging leaders to adopt diversity as a business strategy, and positioning rail as a ‘career of choice’ for young people.
It starts with women – but the next stop is an industry that’s fairer for all.
“Join us in our mission in being unapologetic in our pursuit of gender equity across the rail industry.”
Marie Daly, Chair of Women in Rail
What will drive progress for women in rail over the next few years?
Attracting talent
Engaging voices
Supporting development
Promoting leadership
At Women in Rail and SWiFT, the words “woman”, “women” and “female”, when used by the team, span the nine protected characteristics, including age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability and sexual orientation, as well as broader behavioural and background diversity, such as thinking and personality types, socio-economic background and life experience and include women who are transitioning and non-binary people.
With eight regional groups, one international group and 8,500 members, Women in Rail is open to people from every corner of the sector.
Our diverse membership includes industrial designers, project managers, administrators, HR professionals and driver-learning managers – making us a powerful and representative force for good.
members across all levels of the industry workforce
volunteers
Regional events held annually
The Women in Rail Board of Trustees is made up of passionate, experienced professionals from across the rail and transport sector who share a deep commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Women in Rail is powered by a vibrant and committed network of volunteers who give their time, energy and expertise to drive positive change across the rail industry.
Women in Rail operates through a network of dynamic regional groups, each led by a dedicated Chair and team of volunteers who understand the unique needs of their local rail communities.
While Women in Rail began as a UK-based initiative, its message of inclusion, equity and representation in the rail industry has found resonance across borders.
By Adeline Ginn MBE, Founder of Women in Rail
Whether you’re just starting out, returning to work, in a senior leadership role or simply want to help drive change – Women in Rail is here for you. This is a place where we lift each other up, where we challenge the status quo and where we work together to make rail a truly inclusive sector.
Thank you for being part of this journey. I look forward to welcoming you, hearing your story and building a brighter, more diverse future – together.
When I first started working in the rail industry, I was struck not only by the extraordinary people I met, but also by how few of them were women.
Rail is one of the most exciting, dynamic and vital sectors in the UK. It connects communities, enables economic growth and provides meaningful careers. But for too long, it has been male-dominated, and that imbalance has held us back – not just in terms of diversity, but in innovation, culture and the strength of our workforce.
I founded Women in Rail in 2012 because I believed passionately that we needed to do more to support women in this industry – to create visible role models, to open doors to give women a voice and a space to grow. But more than that, I wanted to build a community: one that empowers people of all genders, backgrounds and experiences to come together, share ideas and champion inclusion.
Women in Rail launched as a grassroots network to give women across the sector a place to connect and network, to find support and a community.
Becoming a registered charity that year allowed Women in Rail to expand formally, launching regional hubs (North‑West, Yorkshire, East & West Midlands) and enhancing reach and support.
The launch of the Awards provided a visible way to honour achievements, raise profiles and celebrate excellence, inspiring others with role models across the sector.
This industry-wide charter - backed by over 220 organisations - provided companies with a framework to measure, report on, and improve equality, diversity & inclusion practices across rail.
Despite decades of innovation and transformation, the UK rail industry remains starkly unbalanced in terms of gender representation. Today, just 18.9% (source NSAR Workforce Study 2025) of the workforce in rail are women – a figure that highlights the ongoing challenges of creating a truly inclusive and diverse sector. For an industry that prides itself on driving progress, the underrepresentation of women must be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Historically, the rail sector has been viewed – and often structured – as a male-dominated environment. From engineering and operations to leadership and infrastructure delivery, the traditional career pathways into rail have not always aligned with the lived experiences, expectations, or ambitions of women.
Societal perceptions, limited visibility of female role models and a lack of tailored development support have all played a part in maintaining a gender imbalance. But today, the tide is turning – and Women in Rail is at the forefront of that transformation.
The Women in Rail Business Plan is a strategic framework that sets out our ambitions, priorities and direction of travel as we work to shape a more inclusive and equitable UK rail industry. It is a dynamic and practical document, designed to guide our activities and ensure that everything we do contributes meaningfully to our overarching purpose: improving diversity and supporting women across the rail sector.
Developed in collaboration with our trustees, regional chairs, partners and wider stakeholders, the business plan provides clarity around our vision, mission, strategic pillars and values. It articulates where we want to be, the impact we want to make, and how we will measure success over time.
This is more than a plan on paper. It is a live and evolving blueprint for action – used by the Women in Rail Board, our volunteers and regional teams to prioritise effort, align resources and drive measurable change. It brings transparency to our work and ensures accountability at all levels of the organisation.
Ultimately, the business plan will help us deliver:
Together, with the commitment and energy of our community, this plan will help ensure that the rail industry not only becomes more diverse – but stronger, more sustainable, and future-ready.
“Women in Rail was created to improve diversity in the UK rail industry by providing networking opportunities and support for all women within the sector, encourage businesses and stakeholders to adopt diversity as a business strategy and devise initiatives aimed at positioning rail as an attractive career choice for young people.”
“Be the collective voice of women in our industry to drive change to ensure women thrive at all levels and in every part of our industry.”
“Be unapologetic in our pursuit of gender equity in the rail industry.”
Women in Rail delivers on this mission through advocacy, awareness, professional development, networking, and actionable resources aimed at driving systemic change across the sector.
Women in Rail is focusing energy around four interconnected pillars, each supported by clear objectives and deliverables.
Raise awareness of rail careers, enhance the sector’s appeal and create clear pathways into rail roles for women.
Strengthen member and stakeholder engagement, including frontline workers, volunteers, and sponsors, while enhancing digital presence and volunteer support.
Empower women through structured mentoring, coaching, training, career development tools and services like counselling and the Gender Equity Ticklist (GET Initiative).
Advocate for gender balance and inclusion through events (e.g., the Annual Conference and Women in Rail Awards), data-led insight and a strong media and communications strategy.
Learn, connect and develop your skillset with our scalable mentoring programme, powered by Move Ahead.
Discover the Women in Rail Awards, celebrating organisations and individuals making our industry diverse.
Women in Rail’s regional events are designed to inspire and inform, bringing the community together.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news, and access exclusive insights from the women shaping rail.
Created by Women in Rail and Nimble Media, the Big Rail Diversity Challenge (BRDC) is a fun event with a serious aim: to highlight the importance of gender balance and diversity.
Since its launch in 2016, this annual team-building day has brought industry professionals together to network, connect, and take part in a range of mental and physical challenges. Working in gender-balanced teams, competitors discover the benefits of diversity first-hand.
A sustainable, scalable and transferrable cross-industry mentoring programme, delivered by Women in Rail in collaboration with Moving Ahead.
Our mentoring programme was designed to help people in rail go further. It serves as a support platform, encourages diverse thinking, and promotes cross-fertilisation of ideas and networks.
And empowered, open-minded professionals make for a stronger industry, full stop.
Whether you’re looking for help with career development planning, diversity and reporting goals, gender pay gap reporting or gender balance, our programme represents global best practice.
Build your skills, knowledge and confidence, connect with a global network of like-minded professionals, and take control of your career in rail.
Help to drive wider cultural change, gain insight into other rail organisations, and find meaning and fulfilment.
Women want to feel that they are making a difference; Women in Rail helps to create a connection.
Fantastic professional support from a like-minded community
Representation for all, from train drivers to executives in the Boardroom
Open the pipeline for new talent to come through and strengthen the industry
Further your success with opportunities to develop in this growing industry
As a member of Women in Rail, you’ll benefit from support, representation, and fantastic development opportunities. You’ll also have access to news alerts and exclusive events, helping you to grow your professional network.
Mentees are carefully matched with mentors from different companies. Both parties receive training and guidance, and are encouraged to attend Women in Rail learning and networking events, where they can connect with peers and access further support.
You’ll find details of upcoming Women in Rail events here.
Individual membership is free but there are costs involved with corporate membership and SWiFT membership. Find more information about membership here.
Where will a career in rail take you? Whatever your goals, we’ll help you reach them.
Conrad Bailey, Director General Rail Services and Strategy, DfT I will never be qualified to talk about women’s experience in the rail industry or the challenges women face in the
Abi Frost, Diversity & Inclusion Manager, WSP Creating inclusive workplaces is about more than attracting, developing and retaining the best talent; it’s about making a positive impact on the society
The Railway Industry Association (RIA) and Women in Rail (WR) Equality Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Charter Working Group are hosting their first physical event of the year, titled “PRIDE 2022”. Held in RIA’s Westminster
Email: wr@womeninrail.org
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