GENDER DIVERSITY:

SCS value relationships and celebrate diversity of all types. Our partner companies with cultures from the UK, Sweden, Austria and Germany, already bring a diverse team together. We know people are at their best when they can be themselves so creating an inclusive culture is vital to us. Driving diversity and inclusion by bringing people together through events such as the Big Rail Diversity Challenge as well as internal networking groups, is how we share best practice across the industry.

Plus, we enjoy a little competition now and then! Together we aim to attract people from diverse backgrounds, creating environments where are people feel valued, able to contribute and reach their potential. The Big Rail Diversity Challenge gives us an opportunity to show how successful our equal male / female teams can be, all whilst supporting the Railway Children Charitable Foundation. We are certainly looking forward to taking part!

Arup is creating an inclusive working environment based on merit, fairness and respect. One that encourages talented people of any background to produce their best work of the highest quality. As a humane organisation, we embrace the skills, abilities and knowledge that only a diverse and inclusive workforce can provide, to create solutions, and give advice, that improves society as a whole.

We’ve made it our mission to shape a better world, and it is our people’s diverse range of skills and experiences that enables us to do this.

VolkerFitzpatrick is part of VolkerWessels UK, a multidisciplinary construction and civil engineering group operating across the UK, in six operating companies.

VolkerFitzpatrick is one of the leading engineering and construction companies in the UK and provide specialist building, civil engineering and rail expertise to a range of markets to provide a truly integrated service to clients. We possess proven experience and deliver successful projects in a wide range of industries, including commercial, industrial, education, rail infrastructure and depots, airports, waste and energy.

Our teams of skilled and dedicated staff work closely with our clients to understand their requirements and objectives to deliver quality projects that are innovative, sustainable and exceed expectations.

Of upmost importance on all our sites and projects is the safety of our 850+ employees, our subcontractors and the communities in which we work.

We believe in pushing boundaries in the pursuit of equality, diversity and inclusion. So, our teams can be comfortable that, whatever their background, VolkerFitzpatrick is a place where they can be themselves and thrive.

It is important to us that inclusion is a key part of our culture, and that everyone feels welcome and valued. We want all of our workplaces to be environments where everyone has the opportunity to participate and fulfil their potential.

We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce, and to creating a diverse and inclusive environment that supports our people, our supply chain and partners, our clients and all of our stakeholders.

At Faithful+Gould, our ambition is to create and maintain an inclusive culture where everyone belongs, can be their true self, and can reach their full potential. We are devoted to growing the diversity of our people by providing everyone with an equal voice because it’s the right thing to do. Attending The Big Rail Diversity Event is part of this engagement and we are excited to be a part of it.

Our commitment to social value is more important than ever. We work to make a positive impact and identify social value outcomes that benefit both our employees, the local communities, and clients we work with. We are leading the way in ensuring social value isn’t just a ‘bidding tool’ but it is about actual delivery and a long-term approach that responds to the economic, social, and environmental needs of society. Social value is at the heart of what we do at Faithful+Gould.

As a team we are passionate about driving diversity and social value with our clients in the rail sector. We know that through collaboration we can change the industry for the better – together.

We believe passionately that we need the right people with the right skills to help us serve our customers in the best possible way. Gender, race, creed and orientation are immaterial to this – and we are working hard to make sure that we live up to this. Our team will be drawn from across our organisation and we will field the best colleagues we can to achieve success in each of the challenges!

Our YRP team members are both eager and excited to participate in WR’s BIG Rail Diversity Challenge. This action-packed day is sure to be great fun for everyone involved, but it represents much more.

The vision of this team building, networking and fundraising event extends far beyond the gender-balanced teams tackling the challenges. This day is raising awareness of the benefits of gender diversity and advocating for a more representative rail industry. Women in Rail see a future railway industry which has more than just 16% women across the board and more than 4% female engineers. YRP are proud to support WR as they work to make this future a reality. For the first time in our history, YRP has gender balanced executive committee.

At MTR Crossrail, we realise that people are our biggest asset and creating a positive, inclusive culture free of any bias or discrimination is integral to ensuring we provide a great place to work.

quality and diversity is at the forefront of everything we do and as a company, we promote and encourage employees from both genders and varied backgrounds to pursue personal development opportunities and support them in continually improving within the business. We regularly attend events promoting diversity with organisations such as ENEI & Stonewall.

As an example, in our most-recent recruitment drive for trainee drivers, a targeted campaign saw the number of female applicants increase from 7% to 11%. We have also rolled out a training course on the importance of Equality & Diversity in the workplace which was positively received by all staff.

MTR Crossrail is proud to support the promotion of gender diversity and raising awareness of Women in Rail through entering the Big Rail Diversity Challenge. It is a great way to promote these initiatives and network with different companies to share best practice.

We look forward to the day and giving our continued support.

At LNER we are committed to creating a truly inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their true selves to work and reach their full potential, as well as ensuring the attraction, development, and retention of a diverse colleague base, reflecting the communities we serve.
We understand the importance of creating an environment that values and embraces the contributions of all individuals, regardless of background.

Supporting initiatives like The Big Rail Diversity Challenge allows us to encourage and celebrate the inclusion of all in the rail sector. Women, LGBTQIA+ people, and ethnic minority groups have historically been underrepresented in the industry, and we recognise the need for change. By participating in events that promote diversity, we aim to inspire more people to consider careers in rail, break down barriers, and provide equal opportunities for everyone.

We believe that a diverse workforce fosters innovation, creativity, and collaboration. By attracting a wider range of perspectives, experiences, and skills, we can better meet the needs of our diverse customers and communities. Through our partnership with Women in Rail, we strive to support the advancement and development of women in the rail industry, enabling them to thrive and contribute to the sector’s growth.

At Arcadis, diversity is more than a word – it is a commitment underpinned by our core values. We believe that, by working together, people with diverse experiences conceive the most innovative ideas. To deliver on this promise, Arcadis creates an environment where each individual has the same opportunity to achieve his or her full potential, where human differences are valued, and where individuals feel respected and empowered. So ultimately, having diversity within our people hones our competitive edge and contributes to our company’s strength.

Taking part in the Big Rail Diversity challenge is a way for us to celebrate the diversity in our workforce.

KH Engineering Services form part of M Group Services’ Rail & Aviation Division and we passionately believe in the value and importance of diversity in the workplace which is why we are proud to be taking part in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and supporting Women in Rail.

Realising the unique potential of each person and empowering them to use their skills and experiences is what makes our business truly successful. Investing in our people is one of our core values. We are committed to supporting people of different ages, sexualities, neurodiversity, social and cultural backgrounds. Together, we embody the Women in Rail key message – better for people, better for business and better for rail.

Offering specialist engineering services to the UK’s Transport Network across Aviation, Rail and Adjacent Markets, our team will showcase some of our skilled and dedicated workforce, diverse skill sets and the strong teamwork across all our operating businesses within the M Group Services Rail & Aviation Division – Dyer & Butler, KH Engineering Services and Antagrade Electrical.

While there is always more to be done, we have embedded the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our company culture because we believe it’s key to paving the way to an even more progressive, innovative and successful future.

Porterbrook is committed to providing equal opportunities throughout employment, including recruitment, training and promotion of employees.  We recognise and actively promote the benefits of a diverse workforce and are committed to treating all individuals with dignity and respect.

First Rail Consultancy is excited to be Headline Sponsors for the Big Rail Diversity Challenge. Set up in 2019, our Consultancy delivers transport industry expertise to support our clients’ projects or programmes. We are a dedicated group of professionals with a wide range of specialisms including Project Management, Analytics, Writing, Customer Experience, Operations and Engineering.

One of the reasons our colleagues thrive here is because we provide an inclusive environment, valuing differences including age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion and disability.

Our workforce is 34% female, and we support and provide flexible working options.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive. We were proud to have three shortlisted nominees in the Young Rail Professional category at the recent SPOTLIGHT Rail Awards, with one of our nominees Highly Commended.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group champions EDI within our business and creates awareness of important topics for our colleagues, including Black History Month, National Inclusion Week and World Menopause Day.

We strongly believe in improving diversity and inclusion within the rail sector. Our workforce should be as diverse as the communities we serve. Not only is improving the gender balance in rail the right thing to do, it is also fundamental for performing successfully as a company. We were one of the first FTSE 250 companies to have a 50% representation of women on our Board, and our rail companies (Southeastern and GTR) have campaigns aimed at recruiting and retain women in rail.

We are setting clear targets to recruit women into roles across the business – especially in train driving positions. GTR’s overarching target is for 40% of applicants for train driver roles to be female by 2021. Southeastern and GTR both have women’s networks aimed at empowering female colleagues from across the business to tackle relevant issues.

We have been a long-term supporter of Women in Rail as we recognise the importance of highlighting the contribution of women in the rail industry to the broader public. The event helps to raise awareness of women across the business and showcases role models.

As one of the biggest rail upgrade programmes in the North we are dedicated to bringing equality, diversity and inclusion to our workplace, whether that is our support functions, design teams or the people making the work on the track itself happen. We are proud to be part of the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and our enthusiastic team of men and women, from across a range of diverse roles on our programme, are raring to go and to give their all to every challenge whilst having lots of fun!

Angel Trains is wholly committed to supporting the diversification of the rail industry’s workforce and is dedicated to encouraging more women to view UK rail as a long-lasting career option. As a proud signatory of the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Charter established by Women in Rail and the Railway Industry Association, we are delighted to sponsor Women in Rail. Founded by former General Counsel, Adeline Ginn, with the support of Malcolm Brown, CEO at Angel Trains, the group now in its ninth year encourages women to take up a career in rail, providing networking opportunities and support for all women in the rail industry. The group encourages key stakeholders to adopt diversity as a business strategy and actioning initiatives aimed at positioning rail as an attractive career choice for young people.

The Big Rail Diversity Challenge is a hugely important step for Women in Rail’s agenda, allowing companies from across the industry to demonstrate their commitment to diversity alongside the business benefits of a gender diverse workforce. While Women in Rail has long provided women in the industry a platform with which to interact and support one another, this initiative seeks to encourage greater collaborative working.

Angel Trains recognises that drawing on talent from a wide variety of backgrounds enables the industry to create competitive advantage and drive innovative solutions. By engaging a diverse pool of talent, the industry can tackle inequality head on, creating a more productive and successful industry in the process.

The Department for Transport is delighted to support the Women in Rail Big Rail Diversity Challenge. We are passionate about getting more women into the transport sector and clear on the vital role women can play right across the industry.

SNC-Lavalin is supporting the Women in Rail Big Rail Diversity Challenge because we believe that a diverse workforce is an essential factor in making a company successful.

Our core values of respect, ethics and compliance, and teamwork and excellence support diversity in the workplace. These values are put into practice every day by our employees across the globe.

Through our sponsorship of Young Rail Professionals (YRP), we are reaching out to young professionals and students of all backgrounds to promote gender diversity. We are also dedicated to making a positive impact within the rail community, and are proud to take part in the Three Peaks by Rail Challenge each year.

Our team is excited to promote diversity in the workplace and is looking forward to competing against other companies in a series of fun challenges at this great event.

At MTR Elizabeth line, we know that the people are our biggest asset and creating a positive, inclusive culture free of any bias or discrimination is integral to ensuring we provide a good place to work. MTR Elizabeth line is an organisation that values its workforce, offering career progression and providing the platform for people to grow and develop.

As an equal opportunities’ employer, we promote fairness and equality in the workplace. Diversity is fundamental to our employees and to the way in which we deliver our services. We aim to promote diversity, providing services equitably that meet the needs of all groups within the community. We are committed to equality or opportunity in all areas of employment, which includes recruitment, development and promotion.

As an example, our most recent train driver figures show that 12.6% of MTR Elizabeth drivers are female – with the industry standard currently at just under 7%. We have also rolled out a training course on the importance of Equality and Diversity in the workplace, which is received positively by all colleagues.

MTR Elizabeth line is proud to support the promotion of gender diversity and raising awareness of Women in Rail through entering the Big Rail Diversity Challenge. It is a great way to promote these initiatives and network with different companies to share best practice.

At Colas Rail we are fully committed to bringing more women into the rail industry and actively seek, engage, develop and promote women from all socio and economic backgrounds from engineering, ex-military to refugees in the hopes of readdressing the balance. The “Women in Rail, Big Rail Diversity Challenge” provides us with the opportunity to demonstrate our support for promoting diversity within the rail industry and is a key part of our growth strategy within Colas Rail. Events such as this provide invaluable networking opportunities for women in our sector.

Our commitment to equality and diversity within the workplace plays a major role in ensuring we recruit and develop the right people for our business. As a multinational company our people come from all over the world, proactively supporting women in rail creates a workplace culture that celebrates our differences, allows for fresh thinking and new perspectives and enhances the quality of our delivery to all of our customers.

Loram UK are supporting The Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail because we believe that a commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is essential to build a balanced and ever-growing industry. To show this we have recently signed the EDI charter and we will be sharing our progress made over the coming months..

The Big Rail Diversity Challenge allows employees to feel respected and engaged which contributes to the motivation and levels of high-quality work. At Loram we are keen to create a sense of belonging for employees, and we believe that we can make this happen by shaping our culture and sharing the positive difference diversity brings to the workplace. We are committed to promoting EDI within the UK Rail Industry.

Our overall aim is to add value to the succession of creating a railway fit for the future.

Loram UK are really excited to play a part in this!

We are delighted to be supporting this year’s Women in Rail, Big Rail Diversity Challenge which certainly lives up to its billing as being ‘a fun event with a serious message’. The event provided a perfect opportunity for people to work together and showcase the very best results diversity can bring – whether that be gender; ethnicity, faith, disability or age. It was also a great chance colleagues for colleagues, partners and competitors form across the industry to meet and discuss some of the challenges we face.

As an organisation, our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) runs throughout the company, helping us to define our mix of people and focus on how we embed and develop a culture which enables us to perform at our best and work together seamlessly.

We’re very much looking forward to competing in the 2022 Challenge and continuing to support this fantastic event.

McCulloch Group is known for innovation, transformation and seeing things differently within the rail infrastructure industry with that in mind we’re delighted to be a part of the Diversity Challenge this year. We’re on a mission to increase diversity across our team and are proud to have a diverse workforce of women and those who identify as part of the LGTBQIA+ community – we believe people should love themselves and lead lives they’re proud of.

As a company established by a third-generation female engineer, we are passionate about promoting diversity, demonstrating gender has no boundaries and we are all equal. Led by a woman with a boots on ballast to boardroom career path and made up of a diverse workforce, Motion encapsulates gender balance in the railway and we are proud to be supporting The Big Rail Diversity Challenge.

“NSAR is delighted to be involved in “Women in Rail: Big Rail Diversity Challenge” and coordinate industry efforts in attracting and promoting new talent to enable the rail sector to be competitively positioned with other industries.

We are committed to diversity, equality and inclusion and aim to transform rail into a sector where each individual is able to succeed based on their dreams, skills and talent.”

Why is RSSB supporting the Women in Rail, Big Rail Diversity Challenge?

For a number of years, we have been engaged with the Women in Rail mentoring scheme as part of our wider strategy to support gender diversity, so when we were offered the opportunity to take part we couldn’t refuse.

The essential ethos of RSSB is to encourage and facilitate collaboration between rail companies of all types, therefore we feel this event provides a great opportunity for cross-industry teams to network, socialise and celebrate the railways embracing the diversity agenda.

The chance of entering a team has also enabled us to further raise the profile of diversity internally, and has presented us with our own challenge of mobilising a mixed gender team of voluntary champions. In addition, this will help us build on our own diversity agenda plans.

Bring on the challenge!

Carmichael UK are delighted to be sponsoring the Big Rail Diversity Challenge. We continue to advance our commitment in respecting and valuing diversity. We actively promote a workplace for our contractors and internal staff, where people of all identities and experiences are understood, valued and fully included.

We believe that the construction industry is making positive strides in being a fully inclusive sector. In supporting the Big Rail Diversity challenge we hope to increase the presence of women and all genders through this initiative, inspiring people to see the construction industry as a viable pathway to a successful career.

Our commitment to gender equality in the construction industry is strongly represented through our staff, where 50% of our senior management and director positions are held by women.

As a company we foster a culture where diversity is celebrated and an environment that is welcome to all is maintained.

We hope you enjoy the day!

We wholeheartedly support the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail initiatives because they are steps towards creating a more diverse and inclusive rail industry. Embracing a diverse range of talents, backgrounds, and perspectives promote innovation, improves decision making and enhances the industry’s ability to accommodate a broader range of clients.

The Big Rail Diversity Challenge provides a platform to showcase the industry’s commitment to breaking down barriers and promoting diversity in all aspects of the Rail industry. By participating, we demonstrate our dedication to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve, inspiring more individuals regardless of gender or background to consider a career in Rail.

By encouraging more women to join and thrive in the rail industry we help create a more balanced and dynamic workforce. Through these initiatives we are helping to promote positive change, driving progress, and ensuring a positive future for the rail industry.

At East Midlands Trains we embrace diversity and are committed to providing an equal, diverse and inclusive workplace for all. We want to reflect the customers and communities that we serve across all areas of our business; not just because it is the right thing to do, but because gender balance and diversity more broadly will help us to carry on delivering great performance.

We’re pleased to be partnering with Women in Rail in support of the Big Diversity Challenge and continue to encourage our colleagues to take part in these events. It’s a great way to show how focused and passionate we are about diversity and an opportunity to meet like-minded companies who share this level of commitment and enthusiasm.

The Rail Consulting business at Atkins is excited to be supporting the Big Rail Diversity Challenge this year. As an organisation that embraces and encourages diversity, this is an amazing platform to get across a serious message, whilst also being a fun and engaging way to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to diversity in the UK Rail Industry. We recognise that as an organisation, a diverse and inclusive workforce enables us to perform at our best and work together seamlessly. By supporting this event, we hope to shine a light on the need for gender equality within the rail industry (and further afield) and make rail a more attractive prospect for women and all other under-represented groups. It’s also a great opportunity to meet other likeminded people within the industry at the event, and to support some great charities.

Gender diversity is much more than a statistic, it brings innovation, creativity and balance to the workplace. More often than not gender diversity is considered as an afterthought and box ticking exercise.

CAF is delighted to be participating in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and supporting such a worthwhile cause. CAF is an advocate of gender diversity and wants to be a part of sharing that message within the rail industry.

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive culture, with a focus on celebrating diversity at its core. The Big Rail Diversity Challenge unites our employees, not just from various teams within the organisation, but also from diverse walks of life, backgrounds, genders, and cultures.

Our goal at CAF is to eliminate barriers, and The Big Rail Diversity Challenge underscores the significance of diversity in the workplace, showcasing the potential when diverse teams collaborate. The essence of BRDC is a message we aim to permeate throughout our organisation, sparking positive cultural change in all directions.

Acknowledging the male-dominated nature of our industry, we support Women in Rail to provide a platform for women to connect, network, and relate to others in the field. Our collaboration with Women in Rail is vital in demonstrating our commitment to inclusivity, bridging the gender gap for current and future female employees.

Our success depends on challenging convention and introducing better ways of working, so building a truly diverse workforce that bring a wide range of ideas and perspectives is really important to us.
We’re excited to be taking part in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge to help to raise awareness of the importance of diversity and attract more women into our industry.

Here at Worldline, we pride ourselves on building a strong and diverse team of experts that can offer our customers the best experience. We believe it is hugely important for our workforce to reflect the diverse society around us.

Traditionally, the Rail Sector is a very male dominated industry and one of the biggest issues facing the rail industry today is how we approach diversifying our workforce. As a company, we are prioritising bringing new talent into our business via our apprentice scheme. We hope to diversify our workforce with enthusiastic apprentices from all walks of life. It is hugely important for us to promote inclusion and ensure everyone feels welcomed and accepted.

We are very excited to be supporting The Big Rail Diversity Challenge again this year. The event is not only a brilliant day of fun activities, but a hugely important networking opportunity for all young women within the rail sector. We look forward to supporting such a worthwhile event and helping to promote the business benefits attained by establishing a gender diverse workforce.

At Linbrooke, we rise by lifting others. Inclusion is in our DNA and our people are the architects of our culture. By participating in events like the Big Rail Diversity Challenge, we demonstrate our commitment to continuously building a diverse, compassionate, and inclusive culture that reflects our collective values and aspirations.

The Big Rail Diversity Challenge is an incredible and fully immersive experience that encourages genuine self-expression and personal growth through open and warm discussions, fun, and competitiveness. Linbrooke took part in both the 2022 and 2023 events, and the experience had such a positive impact on our business that we are excited to join the 2024 challenge.

The challenge presented us with valuable opportunities for networking and brought pure enjoyment of engaging with our industry peers. We are sincerely grateful to Women in Rail & event organisers nimble media for its positive impact on our team. We can’t wait to see what this year has in store for us!

At Rail Technology Magazine, we are passionate about sharing examples from across industry of best practice, inclusivity and the rich, diverse rail workforce. But, how could we stand there and preach if we didn’t embody those same ideals ourselves?

That is why we’ve always put the goal of driving meaningful cultural change, and opening new doors into the rail industry, at the heart of all that we do.

We’re proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail to share their work, empower it and help drive the message of gender equality.

We get a lot of things rights as a rail sector, and we have many more to continue to improve on. Throughout it all, we’re pleased to be there alongside our partners, shouting our successes from the rooftops and supporting us all to keep moving forward.

Participating in the ‘Big Rail Diversity Challenge’, alongside such a wide range of companies and customers in the UK rail industry, is a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved. Will both genders in each team perform roles perceived as “non-traditional” or will the challenges highlight particular abilities? What a way to find out!

I’m excited that GTR is taking part in The Big Rail Diversity Challenge along with the wider industry. I’m passionate about creating diversity of thought, and this event is a fantastic way to break down barriers and work collaboratively to tackle challenges head on.

We all have a responsibility to foster an inclusive workforce that is truly reflective of the world we live in, and as the UK’s largest rail operator, I want us to lead by example. To make rail fit for the future, we need diverse thinking, fresh ideas, creativity and teamwork – all of which will be put to the test at this event! I’m looking forward to the inspiration this will bring to our business.

-Angie Doll, CEO of Govia Thameslink Railway

Here at Southeastern, we recognise the importance of diversity in the workplace and are committed to shaping a workplace environment which supports inclusivity.

Our diversity monitoring, amongst other measures, shows that women are underrepresented in our workforce, especially where we consider roles that may reflect societal views of which jobs are traditionally male or female i.e. train drivers. We are therefore investing time and effort to encourage women to join Southeastern, especially in underrepresented roles by setting a target to boost the number of female applicants to train driver roles from 14% to 40% by 2021. This is in addition to ensuring there are not barriers to progression for the women who currently work with us.

As part of our commitment to promote and enhance gender diversity, we have decided to once again participate in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge with gender balanced teams as part of our drive to appreciate and celebrate diversity.

We fully support the work of Women in Rail. A number of our women and men are individual members and we are proud to participate in the cross-company Women in Rail mentoring scheme with 10 mentoring pairs. Additionally, we are exploring opportunities to further collaborate with Women in Rail across our network in new and innovative ways.

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are core values for us at 3Squared, and we know that they are essential building blocks for the future of the industry.

As the Challenges’ motto reiterates, EDI is better for everyone across the board – our people, our businesses and the wider rail industry. With a range of voices represented in your organisation, you have access to a wider range of viewpoints, which helps to facilitate innovative, problem-solving ideas.

We have worked diligently to embed EDI into our processes, our company culture and decision-making here at 3Squared. From day-to-day software development, to the hiring process, we place a huge focus on creating an inclusive culture. Taking on board a myriad of experiences and perspectives is key in software development, and ultimately results in better solution development for everyone.

We strive to ‘Make.Change.Work’ in the industry, and this is not only in creating pioneering solutions, but also advocating for positive change.

We’re proud to support The Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail, and help bring more awareness to this key subject. We can’t wait to get stuck into the challenge, and we call on others in our industry to champion EDI!

c2c supports Women in Rail and The Big Rail Diversity Challenge as it is events like these that help promote EDI and the importance of having a diverse and inclusive workforce

Historically there has been a skills gap and lack of diversity in the rail industry which is why we want to remove barriers by promoting the benefits of a more diverse and inclusive workforce and tackling the under-represented areas.

Our vision is that ‘we will be chosen by customers, and valued by our stakeholders’ and our mission is to ‘serve our community by providing a safe, dependable and affordable railway’. In meeting this vision, we know that our business and the service we provide to our customers is driven by our people. We simply couldn’t deliver what we do without the commitment and dedication of our staff.

We will continue to develop a diverse workforce who bring a range of experiences and perspectives and promote a culture of inclusivity – where every employee feels able to bring their best self to work.

Jacobs participation in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge is a great opportunity for the team to network both within the company and other firms of the rail industry. But also to prove diverse teams work better and how everyone can contribute to the team in different ways, no matter their gender/age/experience.

We look forward to spending the day at this fun event with our industry peers.

At Fusion we are committed to evolving are methods in order to attract women into rail. Breaking away from conventional, restrictive methods which for too long have limited access to industry opportunities.

Fusion are delighted to be involved in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge for the second year. To help accelerate the message of gender diversity and inclusion; the Fusion team will be made up of members from Fusion, strategic partners and the supply chain.

For Fusion being involved in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge represents the ideal opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to change, exploring new methods that reach and consult with a potentially untapped and skilled, female resource pool.

Attracting a diverse and inclusive workforce is just the first step, we also look to harness a culture that is progressive and dynamic, nurturing the talent of our people.

Fusion are proud to be supporting the Big Rail Diversity challenge and the efforts of leading organisations such as Women in Rail.

At Quinn Infrastructure, we know our industry is facing real challenges with skills shortages and confronted with a lack diversity which can inhibit growth in our sector. Quinn Infrastructure are extremely proud of our gender balanced teams and are committed to promotion and retention of both sexes. We are particularly mindful of working mothers and returnee woman to the workplace. This is echoed in our inclusion and diversity policy and strengthened by our company values. In addition, we offer flexible working arrangements such as reduced hours contracts and remote access where possible. Being part of the big rail great diversity challenge and supporting Woman in Rail reinforces this commitment to attracting and retaining the best, most diverse talent.

Having a transparent inclusion culture within Quinn Infrastructure encourages our staff to be part of the conversation and brings the team together from each discipline to bond and participate.

We are proud to be involved with Women in Rail and The Big Rail Diversity Challenge. As a diverse employer, we want to demonstrate that anyone can work in the rail industry  and support this fantastic initiative which promotes this message. We are looking forward to this event and showcasing how some of the diverse talent that works for Ganymede can work together alongside the wider industry.

PLASSER UK Limited recognises that people are our key resource, and we believe that excellent health and safety and well-being standards contribute towards their development and lead to excellent business performance. We therefore follow effective and inclusive procedures for recruitment, placement and ongoing training along with the provision of adequate support to all. We look forward to supporting WR and supporting positive change in the industry.

NCB is looking forward to taking part in the Diversity to challenge to celebrate the diversity in our business and to actively support increasing the diversity of the rail industry. We believe that a gender balanced business offers significant value and we look forward to competing with equally minded organisations and their teams.

We are delighted to be involved in such a great event. A day of pure fun and amazing teamwork to promote and reinforce the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace in our industry.

Rail is a vibrant and exciting industry that offers enormous opportunities for fulfilling careers where individuals get to make a real, tangible difference to others. Why would we want to restrict those opportunities to only one group of people? Our best chance of success as an industry is through encouraging everyone, regardless of their gender or background to see the rail sector as their chance for an exciting future. Finding innovative and fun ways to get people thinking about how to achieve this and how to break down the barriers to rail diversity is vital – the Big Rail Diversity Challenge is a brilliant example of just that.

As one of the biggest rail upgrade programmes in the North we are dedicated to bringing equality, diversity and inclusion to our workplace, whether that is our support functions, design teams or the people making the work on the track itself happen. We are proud to be part of the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and our enthusiastic team, from across a range of diverse roles on our programme, are raring to go and to give their all to every challenge whilst having lots of fun!

We are clear about what makes us different – it is our people, united by a set of shared values that will guide us through this period of unprecedented change. It’s the way we do things.

To realise our transformation and achieve our purpose of revaluing rail in the hearts and minds of the travelling public, we know that we need a strong, diverse workforce.

We’re renewing our focus on gender diversity, putting in plans to attract, support and develop women that will help us become a better, more inclusive business.

With the support of our Executive Team, the newly-formed GWR Women In Rail Forum – represented by men and women from across our network – will drive action to improve our gender balance and help get people talking about key issues.

At ScotRail we’re committed to creating a culture that embraces diversity, inclusion and belonging for everyone.

We take Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging seriously, because we recognise that in order to serve our customers and passengers effectively, we need to represent the communities we serve and our colleagues need to feel valued for who they are and comfortable brining their full, authentic selves to work.  An inclusive and diverse work environment in which we all feel a sense of belonging helps us do the best work of our lives.

Our mission is to make inclusion and diversity our way of doing business, so that it becomes effortless.  We want everyone working at ScotRail to feel included and accepted for who they are, whatever their background or belief – Everyone is welcome at ScotRail.

TSP Projects is participating in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge because it represents our core beliefs. TSP Projects is a people-orientated business that understands and values the contributions all our employees make, not only to improve our workplace, but the engineering industry as a whole.  We recognise and value the differences in our employee’s backgrounds and skills and aim to provide equality of opportunity regardless of gender, sexual orientation, part-time or fixed term status, parental responsibilities, marital status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, disability, religion, political views or age.

Attending the Challenge allows us to continue to support and encourage the diversity we currently have in our workplace as well as shining a spotlight on our aspirations for the diverse workplace of the future. We believe that the variety of experience and skill sets we enjoy at TSP Projects benefits us internally and externally, providing our clients with fresh ideas and new perspectives.

AEGIS is delighted to be supporting the Women in Rail Big Diversity Challenge because the initiative fits squarely with our core values.

Currently, 26% of our employees are women and we can only see that percentage rising in the future as our company increases in size.
We are committed to the principle of equality of opportunity in employment and recognise our obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the related codes of practice.

AEGIS works hard to ensure that all our employees are given equal access to training and development opportunities irrespective of gender, disability, age, race, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation and strive to empower our people by respecting and appreciating what makes them different.

Our main aim is to encourage a respectful, safe, positive, nurturing and equal working environment for all.

We are very much looking forward to competing for the first time in this fantastic event.

Good luck to all teams involved in the challenge!

Taylor Airey is delighted to be supporting Women in Rail (WIR) and The Big Rail Diversity Challenge 2022.  As an organisation dedicated to providing an inclusive and equitable work environment for all our employees, we have been proud signatories of the WIR and Railway Industry Association’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion charter since 2021, and fully support its mission to promote further positive change in the rail industry.  We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce provides benefits at every level, from the individual, to the organisation, to the industry as a whole, and plays a crucial role in building the best performing transport sector possible.

Antagrade Electrical form part of M Group Services’ Rail & Aviation Division and we passionately believe in the value and importance of diversity in the workplace which is why we are proud to be taking part in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and supporting Women in Rail.

Realising the unique potential of each person and empowering them to use their skills and experiences is what makes our business truly successful. We are focused on bringing together our people to create the most inclusive and diverse workforce to promote productivity and positive mental wellbeing and are committed to supporting people of different ages, sexualities, neurodiversity, social and cultural backgrounds.

Offering specialist engineering services to the UK’s Transport Network across Aviation, Rail and Adjacent Markets, our team will showcase some of our skilled and dedicated workforce, diverse skill sets and the strong teamwork across all our operating businesses within the M Group Services Rail & Aviation Division – Dyer & Butler, KH Engineering Services and Antagrade Electrical. Together, we embody the Women in Rail key message – better for people, better for business and better for rail.

While there is always more to be done, we have embedded the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our company culture because we believe it’s key to paving the way to an even more progressive, innovative and successful future.

TfL is an equal opportunities employer promoting and valuing people through fairness and inclusion. We provide a world-class transport network and we want to be an employer of choice for Londoners. We aim to have a workforce that is as diverse as the city we serve, led by inclusive leaders. We would also like our people managers to be highly trained and effective, to manage people positively and confidently, and our staff to feel engaged, supported and included within the workplace.

We know that our workforce does not currently reflect the diversity of the Capital’s population. Fifty-one per cent of the population of London are women and 45 per cent of economically active Londoners are women whereas just fewer than 24 per cent of our workforce are women. TfL pledges to address this imbalance by encouraging future female engineers into the industry and taking part in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge will be a huge boost.

Skanska is extremely proud to be supporting The Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail.

We believe that to be truly diverse we must be an inclusive organisation – one that mirrors the societies in which we work. The challenge is to take a different look at how to create an environment where women can thrive through their careers. During the last couple of years, Skanska has progressed in gender representation, supporting flexible working and in creating a more inclusive environment.

However, we also recognise that there is much more work to do.

We must think every day about what the barriers are, and what needs to change in order to make the rail industry, and Skanska, an attractive place where women, and all under-represented groups, want to develop their careers.

DRS is thrilled to be taking part in The Big Rail Diversity Challenge for another year.

Promoting equality, diversity and inclusion is central to DRS’s core values and we are working hard across the entire organisation to ensure we have the best colleagues, from all backgrounds, and actively promoting underrepresented groups within our workforce.

The culture is being led from the very top of the organisation by Managing Director Debbie Francis and Business Service Director Natasha Hanson. Acting as strong role models for women within the rail industry they have been the driving force behind increasing the number of women who work for DRS and also encouraging women within DRS to seek opportunities across the business including driving, fitting and engineering.

Team DRS can’t wait to get stuck into the challenges and to meet other like-minded individuals from across the industry.

Network Rail is committed to focusing on Diversity and Inclusion. That way we can create a high-performing culture, where safety and performance go hand in hand.

We are a team who belong to the Infrastructure Track community who work to deliver maintenance and renewals projects on the UK railway tracks. We work throughout the UK and are made up on teams from diverse backgrounds who unite to achieve our aims.

We are delighted to support the Women In Rail Diversity Challenge and showcase some of our hidden talents. We are looking to celebrate our diversity and challenge each other to be the best that we can be, and support our industry. We are a committed team who are looking to unite and have a lot of fun.

We want Network Rail to be seen as an employer of choice who welcomes everyone no matter who they are.

Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems (UK) Ltd. is delighted to be supporting The Big Rail Diversity Challenge again. We believe that diversity, equality and inclusion are all crucial to networking, teamwork and success. We look forward to demonstrating this at the fun day of gender-balanced team games with our rail industry colleagues!

Our people sit at the heart of our business ensuring we maintain our culture, character, and capability whilst enabling us to deliver service excellence. We are on a continuous journey to develop a diverse and inclusive workplace for our employees and by supporting the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail, shows our commitment to promoting the importance of creating a diverse and inclusive workforce within the rail industry, where everyone can succeed and showcase their amazing talents.

We believe in pushing boundaries in the pursuit of equality, diversity and inclusion. So, our teams can be comfortable that, whatever their background, VolkerRail is a place where employees can be themselves and thrive.

Our goal is to ensure that our business is thoroughly inclusive of people from all lifestyles and enriched by a diversity of perspectives, cultures and backgrounds, characterised by fairness and equality of opportunity. “It is important to us that inclusion is a key part of our culture, and that everyone feels welcome and valued. We want all of our workplaces to be environments where everyone has the opportunity to participate and fulfil their potential.

Events such as this help to promote gender engagement, not only across teams, but by the industry as a whole. This – and the fact it is a truly brilliant day – is why VolkerRail has supported the Big Rail Diversity Challenge, and have done, since the first event back in 2016.

British Transport Police has been supporting the Big Rail Diversity Challenge since 2018, as we believe in Women in Rail’s assertion that diverse gender teams are “Better for People”, “Better for Business” and “Better for Rail”.  Whilst the BRDC is a fun event and we see each year how teams from across the rail and associated industries enjoy the vast array of challenges they face, it has a serious message – that the rail industry should be accessible to all and that under represented groups can be huge assets to all teams.

BTP use our engagement with the BRDC to set challenges that highlight our campaigns in a fun, educational manner. Previously, we have asked teams to complete giant buzz wires to educate about the risk of electricity on the rail network as part of our You Vs Train campaign and last year we challenged teams to find station names hidden in a giant mural to “Look Beyond the Obvious” as part of our campaign to encourage rail staff to use their professional curiosity to safeguard people upon the rail network.

BTP is proud to work with Women in Rail supporting the BRDC and we look forward to setting a new challenge!

NTS seek to attract people from diverse backgrounds to build on our inclusive culture. We have appointed an executive level sponsor who is the driving force of our diversity action plans, raising the awareness of diversity and inclusion across NTS, and supporting the HR team to transform diversity across the business.

NTS are committed to inclusivity and will consider requests for flexible working from applicants including part time and job shares.

Supporting initiatives like the Women in Rail and the Big Rail Diversity Challenge helps us to stay connected to industry-wide networks and ensure that we remain at the forefront of diversity and inclusion. Our Rail Director, Julie Nerney, is committed to using her leadership position in the rail industry to support and advocate for more opportunities for women in rail.

Egis is delighted to join the Big Rail Diversity Challenge 2023, the only all-inclusive event in the UK rail industry calendar that brings together a cross section of our sector’s workforce and showcases the amazing diversity fostered by our industry.

As a truly equal, diverse and inclusive organisation, Egis is committed to advocating gender balance and workforce diversity throughout all grades and roles. Our UK rail business unit was one of the first signatories of the Women in Rail and The Railway Industry Association joint ‘EDI Charter’.

We have a solid UK EDI strategy which is in line with the core values advocated by the Charter and is implemented through EDI Action Plans. One of the many initiatives undertaken by Egis to promote EDI, was the setting-up of Egis EDI Focus team which is very active in the promotion of fairness, inclusion, and respect throughout the business, and making the leadership team responsible and accountable for driving the EDI agenda throughout all grades and roles in Egis.

Our YRP team members are both eager and excited to participate in WR’s BIG Rail Diversity Challenge. This action-packed day is sure to be great fun for everyone involved, but it represents much more.

The vision of this team building, networking and fundraising event extends far beyond the gender-balanced teams tackling the challenges. This day is raising awareness of the benefits of gender diversity and advocating for a more representative rail industry. Women in Rail see a future railway industry which has more than just 16% women across the board and more than 4% female engineers. YRP are proud to support WR as they work to make this future a reality. For the first time in our history, YRP has gender balanced executive committee led by a woman.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are the guiding principles that have governed RSS Infrastructure (RSSI) Limited’s business strategy from the very beginning. The company is committed to acquiring a diverse range of talent to help foster an environment of creativity and innovation, ensuring that the organisation remains one of the UK’s leading providers of infrastructure services.

If the UK economy is to meet both its productivity and infrastructure targets over the course of the next five years, then it is fantastic initiatives like the Women In Rail ‘Big Rail Diversity Challenge’ that will help change perceptions within the industry of what is deemed ‘traditional’ tasks for men and women. This diversification of roles will help to improve business processes, inspire a new generation of industry leaders who in turn will help to formulate a lasting legacy that is built on a foundation of respect and appreciation of difference.

‘Everyone is Different. Everyone is precisely right’

Risktec is an independent and specialist provider of risk management consulting, resourcing, learning and inspection services, helping to manage safety, asset integrity and environmental risk and is part of the global TÜV Rheinland Group with whom we share the above Diversity Statement, not just words but a set of values.

We are in a position to hire and promote based on attitude and aptitude because we can provide industry specific training and experience.

Joining Risktec offers the opportunity to work on interesting and influential projects for the rail industry and we are rightly proud about the diversity in our workforce. We recognise that as consultants, we send a strong message to our clients that diversity works.

Taking part in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge is not only great fun but an opportunity to network with other organisations sharing our values.

Kelly Rail’s brand values represent the importance of culture, inclusion, equal opportunities, and diversification within the company. Kelly Rail is harnessing the power of gender equality and we recognise the need to advocate equal opportunities within our industry. We are delighted to see a growing number of females joining our workforce on a regular basis. It is important that each of us carry on with the conversation around career opportunities and inspire the future generation of young female talent to join the rail industry.

The Kelly Rail team has always shown support for gender equality as we operate in a predominantly male industry and find that The Big Rail Diversity Challenge is the perfect opportunity to amplify the important message of equal opportunities. Kelly Rail is delighted to support The Big Rail Diversity Challenge and the Women in Rail charity, remaining at the forefront of diversity and inclusion while celebrating our diverse nationwide workforce from different cultures and backgrounds.

McGinley Support Services fully supports the Women in Rail Big Diversity Challenge and is looking forward to the various challenges on the day.

As a business we are fully committed to diversity and inclusivity across the board and work hard to encourage new and exciting talent from all walks of life into the rail industry. We are audited by Equality Assured that confirms good practise and continual development in Equality and Diversity. We are also keen to learn from other businesses to see if we can improve our approach in any way. There are huge benefits to operating a diverse workforce and we need to do all we can to ensure that the rail industry is a viable choice for talented women to further their careers.

As a member of Women in Rail and a committed supporter and advocate of the benefits a diverse and inclusive team brings, we’re delighted to be taking part in this year’s Big Rail Diversity Challenge. We’ve partnered with our colleagues at Network Rail to take on the challenge and are looking forward to a day of team building whilst raising funds for charity.

The Central Rail Systems Alliance (CRSA) is supporting The Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail because diversity and inclusion is extremely important to the organisation. We want people from all walks of life to have a long, rewarding and successful career in the rail industry and we know a diverse and inclusive work force is the key to unlocking potential. We also want more women and ethnic minorities to join the rail industry as well as encourage and develop the women that already work for us. We believe everyone should have equal opportunity so we want to ensure gender equality and encourage the next generation of women into rail.

Our vision is to create a workplace where everyone can be their authentic selves, can fulfil their potential and feel a sense of belonging. We are continuously exploring and challenging ourselves to improve diversity, promote equity and inclusivity. Supporting Women in Rail is an excellent way to provide networking opportunities for our female workforce, support their growth and promote the benefits of diversity. BRDC is a fun way to highlight a very important DEI message whilst fundraising and team building. Employees of all ages, genders and different roles within our organisation coming together as a team.

As a leading provider of specialist recruitment services to the rail industry, we have seen first-hand the benefits that diversity and inclusion can bring to businesses, including increased innovation, improved decision-making, and better customer satisfaction.

We believe that the rail industry must be reflective of the diverse society it serves, and we are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our work.

By supporting the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail, we can help to create a more inclusive and diverse industry that can better serve its customers and meet the challenges of the future, by breaking down barriers and providing more opportunities for underrepresented groups to succeed in the industry.

Organisations like Women In Rail, and events like the Big Rail Diversity Challenge help to highlight and bring to the forefront of everyone’s mind the importance of, and the benefits from, an equal, unbiased society and we are proud to be a part of that and to meet like-minded individuals and companies throughout the day.

At GB Railfreight, we strive to create an inclusive workplace that understands the value that our people bring to the company.

We have long pushed for greater diversity and inclusivity within the railway. We are dedicated to seeking and attracting diverse talent that will shape the rail industry for the next fifty years and beyond. Our efforts to attract more diversity as a business have included: reviewing our flexible working practices; provision of an ILM leadership programme to prepare future leaders for our business – with half of attendees being female; increasing the number of female Train Drivers we have hired over the past two years; targeted recruitment campaigns and career days for apprentices and Military forces; and the development of new pilot initiatives to attract more women into the industry.

We are also launching a People and Culture committee which will be represented by Inclusion Ambassadors across the business. The committee will promote inclusivity in the workplace where diverse thinking is encouraged, and all our people empowered to achieve their potential.

Redressing the gender balance will only increase the value of our sector, and GBRf are dedicated to continuing this work to support communities and be the continued a leader in the industry.

We put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our organisation, promoting fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We value the diversity of our staff and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment where everyone can bring their full selves to work. We know that diverse teams build creativity and that inclusive workplaces support innovation. We’re proud to have achieved the National Equality Standard (NES) and know the importance of continuing improvement and sharing best practice. This is why Mott MacDonald are, once again, proud to support the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail.

Diversity and inclusion are a priority for CPMS as our biggest asset is our people and with 55% of our workforce being women we have a shared goal with ‘Women in Rail’ to promote a shared and gender balanced working environment, looking to raise awareness and support for women within the rail industry. Our differences make us all unique and that is what underpins our diverse workforce, enabling us to offer different skills and expertise to businesses and our clients. This is reflected in our company culture where people are treated with respect, dignity and valued as individuals.

CPMS are supporting ‘The Big Rail Diversity Challenge’ not only to promote women in rail but to act as an advocate of SME’s. UK SME’s employ 60% of employees, with 51% of the total private sector turnover being produced by them. Only 19% of these SME’s employing more than 1 person are female led. And so, with the Government looking to increase it’s spending by 33% by 2020, CPMS would like to help increase the opportunity’s for SME’s within the sector whilst simultaneously increasing the opportunities for women.

Here at Thales Ground Transportation Systems we fully acknowledge both the importance and benefit of diversity in the work place whilst recognising that diversity is a serious topic that deserves continued and genuine focus

Our Social Value strategy includes activities that ultimately promote the diversity agenda within the UK Rail Industry help to position rail as an attractive career option for all regardless of gender, age or ethnicity.

Our support includes reaching out into the community, education and the workforce into areas such as mentoring; volunteering; STEM and other diversity promoting activities.

We are delighted to be supporting the Big Rail Diversity Challenge as it is perfectly aligned to the diversity elements of our social value strategy.

We are very proud to be both entering a team! We see this to be a fun and engaging way to support and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to diversity in the UK Rail Industry.

Our participation in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge is a great way of showcasing our organisations continued commitment towards diversity across GTS.

Rail is a vibrant and exciting industry that offers enormous opportunities for fulfilling careers where individuals get to make a real, tangible difference to others. Why would we want to restrict those opportunities to only one group of people? Our best chance of success as an industry is through encouraging everyone, regardless of their gender or background to see the rail sector as their chance for an exciting future. Finding innovative and fun ways to get people thinking about how to achieve this and how to break down the barriers to rail diversity is vital – the Big Rail Diversity Challenge is a brilliant example of just that.

We are supporting The Big Rail Diversity Challenge to demonstrate our commitment to making the rail industry a more inclusive and representative environment, thus better reflecting the make-up of the industry’s customer base. We truly connect with The Big Rail Diversity Challenge’s message that gender diversity is better for people, better for business and better for rail. RSL and Matchtech are highly motivated to be part of this change; spearheading a move towards greater gender diversity across all of our operations.

As an organisation dedicated to connecting quality talent with top employers, we understand the value a diverse workforce brings to every workplace and the part we play in this as a recruitment provider. Furthermore, as a supplier dedicated to the UK rail & recruitment market space, we understand the extent of this industry’s diversity challenges and know there is much more work to be done to promote equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion. We are excited to connect with companies across our industry as part of The Big Rail Diversity Challenge, to share best practice, learn from our peers to inform our own processes and ultimately make rail a more gender diverse industry.

Part female-owned with women in key positions throughout the group, it’s no wonder that we’re passionate about the furtherment of women in rail. But no matter how great the strides we make as a business, in such a traditionally male dominated environment, gender diversity remains an incredibly serious issue for the UK’s rail industry.

We don’t see parity as just a women’s issue but rather a matter of right and wrong. It’s also a business issue with gender equality and diversity being essential for organisations and economies to thrive.

By supporting The Big Rail Diversity Challenge, we’re hoping to shine a light on the overwhelming need for gender equality, not just in the UK, the rail industry and our community, but throughout the entire world, encouraging others to make diversity part of their strategy, making rail a far more attractive prospect for women and helping to address the industry’s chronic skills shortage in the process.

The Railway Industry Association has supported the Big Rail Diversity Challenge every year since 2017, because we believe it is a fun way to promote an important point. That for UK rail to be at its best, its workforce needs to be genuinely equal, diverse and inclusive.

Both existing railway professionals and future trailblazers need to work together, to ensure we have a talent pool which includes the widest mix of people and skills for rail employers to work with and choose from – which is represented at the BRDC. This agenda is not just a nice to have – rail faces a skills shortage, so we need to celebrate the opportunities rail offers and attract the next generation of talent. Rail offers a diverse range of careers, all over the country and globally – from customer service to engineering, technology and project delivery; and it is at the cutting edge of some of the most important agendas of our time including zero carbon travel, digital transformation, and customer service.

So RIA and Women in Rail – now celebrating over 10 years – launched a joint EDI Charter for rail in November 2020, as a positive campaign to increase the diversity of the talent and skills pipeline, and to promote an inclusive culture within organisations. The EDI Charter is not prescriptive: it focuses on what signatories can do rather than what they are not doing.

We now have over 200 organisations committed to the Charter, and there are more coming on board regularly. If anyone reading this wants to discuss signing their organisation up to the Charter, please do get in touch, at info@edicharter.co.uk. In the meantime, let battle commence at the BRDC!

The RSG fully supports this event as part of its commitment to see a more diverse workforce. The ‘Big Rail Diversity Challenge’ will deliver the Women in Rail undertaking by showing that gender diverse teams raise awareness for women working across the rail industry and the business benefit attained when companies improve gender balance.

The rail industry is struggling to recruit sufficient numbers into critical roles, such as systems engineers, signal designers, project managers, commercial managers and trainers. The sector particularly fails to attract women into engineering-related roles; gender diversity figures are unacceptable, with women numbering a mere 4% of railway engineers compared to 6% of the current UK engineering workforce and 12% across science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related sectors.

This is part of a broader challenge across engineering sectors. It is prevalent in every aspect of the skills pipeline; from attracting students to enrol in STEM subjects at school, to encouraging engineering graduates and apprenticeships to come into the sector, to creating potential future industry leaders and front-line supervisors

Participating in the ‘Big Rail Diversity Challenge’, alongside such a wide range of companies and customers in the UK rail industry, is a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved. Will both genders in each team perform roles perceived as “non-traditional” or will the challenges highlight particular abilities? What a way to find out!

The Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail showcases the proactive work being done towards creating a culture of accessible and visible opportunities for all – something we’re incredibly proud to be supporting and importantly championing. We need to create a diverse and inclusive workplace if we are to succeed as individuals, as teams, as companies and within industry. At Morson we are proud to work with so many inspiring, committed, intelligent and ambitious individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds. By supporting the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail, Morson celebrates the significant contributions of people and organisations who have improved workforce diversity within the rail industry.

Arriva TrainCare is passionate in promoting Diversity in the rail industry, diversity is at the heart of recruitment decisions and we are keen to incorporate a diverse workforce wherever possible. We embrace continuous improvement and welcome ideas from everyone. Arriva TrainCare are proud to be taking part in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge, this is a great opportunity to promote our commitment and support for a welcomed campaign.

KeolisAmey Docklands (KAD) is excited to support The BRDC. It’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the diversity of our people and highlight how well all areas of our business come together to work as one team. We are a multi-disciplinary light rail business and enjoy finding ways to strengthen inter-departmental relationships, sharing our learning to support innovation. Events like The BRDC enables us to network and relationship-build across the industry as a whole. And it’s for a worthwhile cause, raising money for the Women in Rail charity who promote inclusion and equality of opportunity in an ever-evolving industry. At KeolisAmey Docklands we are proud that our people have always reflected the diversity of the communities we serve, this has enabled us to provide a service that meets a variety of needs. Events like the BRDC are a fun way for us to say to our people ‘you’re doing great, we couldn’t do it without you, let’s celebrate you!’

CIRO proudly supports initiatives such as Big Rail Diversity because a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential to the future of the rail industry. These organisations work tirelessly to break down barriers, promote equality, and inspire more individuals from underrepresented groups to build fulfilling careers in rail. CIRO believes that by embracing diversity, the industry can draw on a broader range of skills, experiences, and perspectives, which are crucial for innovation and progress.

As the professional institution for rail operations, CIRO is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all members feel valued, respected, and supported throughout their careers. By collaborating with Big Rail Diversity, CIRO helps empower individuals and organisations across the rail sector to build workplaces where everyone can thrive. This commitment aligns with our values of inclusivity, collaboration, and professionalism, reinforcing CIRO’s dedication to a rail industry that reflects and serves the diverse communities it operates within.

As a forward-thinking employer that places diversity at the heart of our business we believe that the future of rail must be inclusive to provide the invaluable skills needed to continue to drive the economy forward.

That is why we fully support the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail.

TXM Consult is an innovative, forward-thinking business that challenges industry norms in everything we do and at the heart of our mission lies a commitment to service excellence.

We are passionate about diversity & inclusivity and what better way to celebrate and promote this than getting involved in The Big Rail Diversity Challenge which is aimed at improving teamwork, camaraderie and understanding among colleagues from different backgrounds, fostering a culture of inclusivity and collaboration. We are proud to stand behind The Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail, as we help pave the way to a more diverse and inclusive future within the industry and beyond.

Although the day is aimed at being good fun, let’s not forget this is a competition and TXM Consult will be turning up to win. Good luck to the rest of you … you’ll need it!

CAF recognises that creating a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued, respected and can be their authentic self, fosters productivity, creativity, and innovation. CAF Rolling Stock are supporting BRDC for the 4^th consecutive year as we believe it’s a great platform to show our commitment to collaborating with likeminded individuals to help improve diversity in the UK rail industry. Each year we come away with great ideas to enhance our EDI strategy through networking and sharing best practices. CAF has already taken significant steps on the organisation’s EDI journey by becoming a member of WIR, and we continue to attract a high-calibre of employees by removing barriers and eliminating unconscious bias to improve diversity.

We passionately believe in the value and importance of diversity in the workplace which is why we are proud to be taking part in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and supporting Women in Rail. We are focused on bringing together our people to create the most inclusive and diverse workforce we can to promote productivity and positive mental wellbeing.

Realising the unique potential of each person and empowering them to use their skills and experiences is what makes our business truly successful. Investing in our people is one of our core values.

Offering specialist engineering services to the UK’s Transport Network across Aviation, Rail and Adjacent Markets, our team will showcase some of our dedicated workforce, their diverse skill sets and strong teamwork across all of our operating businesses within the M Group Services Rail & Aviation Division – Dyer & Butler, KH Engineering Services and Antagrade Electrical.

We are committed to supporting people of different ages, sexualities, neurodiversity, social and cultural backgrounds. Together, we embody the Women in Rail key message – better for people, better for business and better for rail.

While there is always more to be done, we have embedded the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our company culture because we believe its key to paving the way to an even more progressive, innovative and successful future.

At AmcoGiffen, we take great pride in being a people first company. Placing our colleague’s front and centre of all that we do, we understand the value and importance of nurturing a collaborative place of work, welcoming thoughts and actions from all walks of life.

We also recognise however, that we can do far more when it comes to attracting diverse talent across, and indeed into, our industry. 

Working with Women in Rail and embracing the Big Rail Diversity Challenge, provides key opportunities to learn, engage and develop relationships with colleagues across the rail industry. It is an occasion to recognise and celebrate the strength of women, and the value, experience and perspective they bring to our collective place of work.

At EMR, we embrace diversity and are committed to providing an equal, diverse and inclusive workplace for all. We’re pleased to be partnering with Women in Rail in support of the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and continue to encourage our colleagues to take part in these events. It’s a great way to show how focused and passionate we are about diversity and an opportunity to showcase the diverse talents and experience of our workforce.

We are an Engineering Group, and as such are interested in the qualifications and Experience that people will bring into our Organisation. We need people who are forward thinking, able to work under pressure, possibly overseas in area’s without the technology that would be expected in the UK, and able to establish good teamwork with Locally Employed Nationals. We are supporting the Women in Rail event as we are wanting to communicate the need for engineers within the Military, and the role that women can have within the Engineering establishments, and show them how they can realise their potential.

We are supporting the Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail because: We have a very diverse workforce… 49% of our employees are women, 60% exec team are female. High level of ethnicity. We reflect our customers and we believe in the concept that the Big Rail Diversity Challenge promotes.

Freightliner, as part of G&W UK/Europe Region, supports The Big Rail Diversity Challenge because it allows us to demonstrate that there is categorically a place for women in rail. Despite underrepresentation of women in the rail industry, Freightliner actively encourages the recruitment and promotion of women at all levels within the business. We believe that the event showcases a key principal of rail, which is that teamwork and diversity is not only beneficial, but also essential to the productivity and success of a business. We want the rail industry to reflect the society that it serves, a society comprised of both men and women performing essential jobs within their everyday lives. To not support inclusion, of whatever kind, would significantly limit our talent pool, thereby inhibiting opportunities for future growth and innovation in our industry.

HS2 is delighted to take part in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge. We believe attracting more women into rail, and engineering generally, is crucial in addressing the skills gap issues currently affecting the sector. HS2 strives to be an exemplar of EDI practice and is pleased to have the opportunity to highlight the import issue of diversity in rail through this fantastic event. We wish all the teams entering the best of luck.

Our vision at CrossCountry is to deliver Great Journeys across Great Britain and we believe it is the investment we make in our people that is the key to delivering this. As a business we are committed to attracting talent who will not only make a difference to our business but also to the rail industry.

Having the opportunity to support Women in Rail’s Big Diversity Challenge demonstrates how important we feel it is to highlight the benefits of diversity in our industry.

This year, we are delighted to have two teams participating in this unique event which will truly exhibit the importance of diversity in pursuit of achievement. We wish the greatest of luck to all those involved.

“NSAR is delighted to be involved in “Women in Rail: Big Rail Diversity Challenge” and coordinate industry efforts in attracting and promoting new talent to enable the rail sector to be competitively positioned with other industries.

We are committed to diversity, equality and inclusion and aim to transform rail into a sector where each individual is able to succeed based on their dreams, skills and talent.”

Serco Rail Technical Services are participating in and supporting the Big Rail Diversity Challenge as we understand the importance of creating and improving awareness of gender diversity. We’ve pulled together a team of women and men to work together going head to head against other rail organisation’s teams.

We recognise that diversity is good for the business environment as it drives inclusion and team work, it helps to increase productivity, knowledge sharing and encourages an entrepreneurial and innovative culture for the creation of new ideas.

It’s a good opportunity for us as an organisation to take part in TBRDC, for our team to bring back new ideas and implement these in the office/working environment, with diversity in mind, with the benefits it can bring to our business.

Amey is proud to be supporting Women in Rail and the Big Rail Diversity Challenge.

We are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace that empowers individuals to thrive and excel.

We are proud to have a workforce with rich cultural backgrounds. We understand that having a diverse team makes us perform better, excel further, innovate harder and improves team morale across our business.

By embracing difference, we can better support each other, our clients and the communities we serve.

We’re looking forward to the event to demonstrate our commitment to diversity, network with like-minded individuals and companies, and recognise and celebrate all the women working at Amey now and in the future

NTAR are excited to be involved in the ‘Big Rail Diversity Challenge 2020’ promoting the varied and rewarding opportunities the rail industry has to offer.

The Big Rail Diversity Challenge catalyses support for nre ideas through networking and team building to produce a successful and inclusive workforce.

Diversity, Equality and inclusion are driving factors within our strategy and it is only through a cohesive effort across the industry that we can create and implement an attractive and welcoming environment for future generations.

We are delighted to support the Big Rail Diversity Challenge. The Rail Forum is proud to have a gender balanced team which we believe helps demonstrate our commitment to gender diversity within the industry. We also work, with the help of our members, to support the industry’s wider efforts on the skills agenda to attract and promote new talent to the rail sector. This includes attracting young people from different backgrounds to those from which we traditionally recruit.

At South Western Railway, we recognise that the people who work for us are our greatest asset and when they feel supported and happy in work this positivity reaches those very people we are here for – our customers. We are committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive organisation and ensuring that we harness the potential of all our staff fully, whilst also attracting the best talent.

We have a number of staff networks that aim to give people the opportunity to meet and network with other employees in a confidential space and share their own lived experiences and/or challenges.  Each network has great potential to shape the cultures and behaviours of the organisation and we want to tap into the ideas, passion and knowledge of our own employees to create change, challenge mindsets and support our leaders in implementing it.

South Western Railway and our Gender Equality Network (Inspire) supports many initiatives around gender and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment for all.  The Big Rail Diversity Challenge is a great opportunity for us to promote the work that we, and the rail industry as a whole are doing around gender equality and diversity.  What a great way to bring people together and celebrate our industry and the people within it!

At BTTC, we recognise that our industry is not yet where it should be regarding diversity, and we want to be part of improving this! We want to help promote rail as an attractive career choice for young people and think one of the best ways to do this is to ensure there is diverse representation across the sector.

The Big Rail Diversity Challenge and Women in Rail promote and share the values that are engrained in our business, making it an event we really wanted to sponsor and attend.

We really look forward to the event, networking with our fellow rail colleagues and participating in the day’s fun challenges, whilst making sure we celebrate and promote diversity across our industry.

At VGC Group, we are working hard to increase the diversity of our workforce. We know that diverse teams outperform those which are less diverse, and we are committed to fairness, inclusion and respect in everything we do.

The industry skills shortage, exacerbated by Brexit and an ageing workforce, is no secret. And while women make up more than half the UK population, women make up just 13% of the total 3 million construction industry workforce. Women aren’t being attracted into the industry – for every female apprentice in construction there are 56 males.

So we have set up programmes to attract, recruit and retain talented women. VGC is a member of NAWIC, a supporter of ‘Inspire Me’, and a silver member of Women into Construction. We have signed the FIR ‘Better for Everyone’ Commitment, and we are the first labour supply company in the UK to achieve the new Ethical Labour Sourcing Standard.

Taking part in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge is another way for us to promote gender equality across the industry, and help us to to increase women’s participation in our workforce.

Balfour Beatty is proud to support Women in Rail and the Big Rail Diversity Challenge; engaging with colleagues from across our industry in an exciting and rewarding day of teamwork and raising awareness of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.  

We are committed to improving gender balance and broadening talent pools by embedding an inclusive culture in which all employees feel confident, empowered, supported, valued and where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential.

We look forward to taking part in a day of open discussions with our industry colleagues promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce and collectively encouraging more women and girls to take up engineering careers now and in the future.

Pandrol have taken a number of steps that signal their intent to develop a more inclusive and diverse workplace across all of our UK sites.  Signing up to Women in Rails Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter and our involvement in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge reflects Pandrol’s commitment to working alongside our colleagues in the wider rail community, to build a better balanced and fair rail industry.

Participation in the Big Rail Diversity Challenge is a fun way to involve our employees in an event that allows us to build a shared commitment to diversity, not only in Pandrol but also with other companies from the sector. 

We are looking forward to sharing an enjoyable day, working together as a team but also to networking and competing with other industry sector colleagues, to raise the profile of Women in Rail and also promote the benefits of creating a gender diverse workforce.

Team Simply the HEx is entering the Big Rail Diversity Challenge to test our mettle against fellow rail professionals and celebrate the diverse people keeping our industry moving. As the gateway to London for people from all over the world we’re proud our colleagues are as diverse as our passengers.

This challenge is a great chance to show the benefits of a diverse team and as the fastest way between London and Heathrow, speed is everything for us!

At Frauscher UK, we recognize the importance of creating an environment that encourages everyone to feel like they belong.

From the outset, diversity and inclusion have been integral to our work culture. We are proud to say that our team is made up of people from a variety of different cultures and backgrounds working together and supporting one another.

We believe that creating an inspiring and challenging workplace is essential to our success. By offering hybrid working, wellbeing and teambuilding initiatives, we enable our employees to enjoy flexibility and collaboration at work.

Besides, Frauscher UK has always tried to support more women within the sector, which is in line with Women in Rail’s objectives. We have seen a steady increase in our number of female employees over the years. Our leadership team has ensured that we include diverse voices, and it is noteworthy that more than 50% of our management team is female.

As a result, Frauscher UK is fully in line with the primary objective of The Big Rail Diversity Challenge, which is to showcase how diversity can positively impact the rail industry. Our participation further shows our commitment to taking meaningful steps towards normalising diversity in the workplace and the industry at large.

VolkerRail, Laing O’Rourke and AtkinsRéalis, the three companies that form the VLA Alliance, are extremely proud to be jointly supporting Women in Rail and The Big Rail Diversity Challenge for the 2024 event.

Our businesses are passionate about fairness, inclusion and respect throughout everything that we do. We are committed to creating environments where every individual feels that they can be their true authentic self through the creation of diverse and inclusive workforces. We are looking forward to taking part in the challenge to promote the positive messages that the event creates, and the positive effect Women in Rail has had within the rail sector since its creation.