Women in rail: becoming a signatory of the EDI Charter

press release

Turner & Townsend has proudly become an official signatory of the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Charter which aims to encourage the diversification of the UK railway industry.

Supported by over 200 organisations, the Women in Rail and The Railway Industry Association have collaborated to launch the EDI Charter to encourage greater equality, diversity and inclusion in the railway sector.

According to The National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) 2023 Annual Report, rail remains a male-dominated industry with lower numbers of people from ethnic minority backgrounds than national averages.

In recent years the debate around the importance of making conscious efforts to diversify the UK railway sector has been amplified, and while significant progress has been made, recent data has highlighted that more needs to be done to establish a balanced workforce.

The need for change was highlighted in the 2023 NSAR Annual Rail Workforce Survey, which reported that only 16 percent of the entire railway workforce identified as women and that a mere 12.4 percent of the railway workforce were from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Signing this charter is a firm declaration that as a company Turner & Townsend understands the importance of encouraging, creating, and maintaining an inclusive workforce. As a signatory, the company has committed to:

• Appoint a member within the senior leadership team as ‘EDI Champion’
• Foster a culture which prides itself on inclusivity
• Provide a safe environment for employees to openly express themselves, including at industry events and in meetings
• Make recruitment programmes accessible and attractive to people of all backgrounds, ages, genders and identities.

Turner & Townsend are passionate about making partnerships with organisations that will support the company in its endeavour to become a more equal, diverse and inclusive company.

“We are delighted to partner with Women in Rail to encourage the diversification of the railway industry. This sector can only thrive and perform at its best when we have an equal and inclusive workforce.

Signing this charter acts as another means to ensure that as an organisation, we are being held accountable to play our part in actively making the difference.” 

Katie Hulland
Director, Infrastructure, UK
Turner & Townsend