Women In Rail group offers support as Greater Anglia celebrates International Women’s Day

Published on: Thursday, 8 March 2018
Last updated: Thursday, 8 March 2018

Staff at train operator Greater Anglia have formed a group to focus on gender equality issues, with over 100 colleagues joining up, as the train operator celebrates International Women’s Day.

Initially starting as just a group of friends from across various departments, the group was a way of supporting and inspiring each other and sharing motivational reading, such as Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In. The founders – Chloe Hinder, Engineering Systems Project Manager, Danielle Neutgens, Asset Management Project Administrator, Karen McCann, Internal Communications Manager, Philippa Southwood, Compensation & Benefits Manager, Sophie Williams, Business Analyst and Catherine Horrocks, Assistant Area Customer Service Manager – Chelmsford Area - felt that other employees across the business could benefit from being part of a supportive group that focused on issues of gender equality and officially launched it to the whole company in January.

Now called ‘Up!’, over 100 Greater Anglia employees, both women and men, signed up to hear more, become mentors or coaches or to attend networking events.

Karen McCann commented: “Greater Anglia is a great place to work and the railway is much more welcoming to women today across all roles. But there is more to do to attract more women to work in rail and support their career progression so we’re delighted that this group has been made official, demonstrating the company’s commitment to continually improving in this area.”

Currently just 22% of Greater Anglia employees are female, something the company is working to address along with the rest of the industry.

Greater Anglia’s Managing Director, Jamie Burles, said, “Greater Anglia is committed to diversity, equality and reducing barriers to progression, so myself and HR Director, Katy Bucknell, were delighted to give our full endorsement to making the group official so that everyone across the company can benefit. As an industry we are focused on attracting more women to the railway as a diverse workforce is a better workforce.”

Celebrating its female colleagues for International Women’s Day, Greater Anglia has released a video on social media showing women working on the railway in different roles. Featured are: the company’s newest apprentice, Natasha Engledow, Natasha Grandison, the new Head of Customer Experience, Asta Abbas, Andreea Pomirleanu, Nicoleta Curelaru and Ionela Trandafir from the Train Presentation Team, Nicola Garwood from Norwich station and Nicola Albury from Cambridge station.