Northern’s managing director wants more women to join the railway industry

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Northern’s managing director wants more women to join the railway industry

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Tricia Williams, managing director of Northern. // Credit: Northern
Tricia Williams, managing director of Northern. // Credit: Northern

Ahead of on Saturday, 8th March, Tricia Williams, managing director of train operator has said she is committed to “opening doors” for women in the railway industry.

The railway industry benefits from diversity, which is why Tricia is encouraging women to apply for a wide range of roles that offer good salaries, a clear purpose, and progression opportunities.

Talented individuals can benefit the industry as they are likely to come from different backgrounds and use their knowledge and experience to tackle complex problems and improve services.

This image shows two female Northern staff members at a station_cropped
Two female Northern staff members. // Credit: Northern

To improve diversity, Northern has introduced gender-balanced panels to make candidates more comfortable during job interviews and conducts retention interviews to discover what encourages women to continue working for the company and progress in their careers.

Of the 7,000 working for Northern 20% of the overall total and 9% of drivers are female.

Kate Towns (L) with a colleague at Neville Hill depot
Female staff at Northern’s Neville Hill depot // Credit: Northern

During March, Northern is running a campaign to highlight the contribution of its female workforce and help them feel more comfortable when discussing subjects like periods, breastfeeding, and menopause at work.

“I have worked for some amazing men, but it’s really difficult having a conversation with them about some of the issues you face as a woman. There are more women joining organisations and following great career paths but there is still a lot more work to be done. I genuinely hope that in 30 years’ time there are woman who have had more balance in their careers, so it hasn’t been as difficult for them. It’s had some tough times, but I want people to be proud to work for and travel with Northern because we are delivering amazing customer service. That’s all underpinned by performance.”

Tricia Williams

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