Ground Control Sign Rail Industry EDI Charter

The Charter involves several key commitments, including to:

• Appoint a member of the senior leadership team as an ‘EDI Champion’;
• Agree an action plan, monitor and report on progress made;
• Provide opportunities for training and education of employees, support the progression of diverse individuals into senior roles to improve diverse representation at senior and executive level of the UK railway industry;
• Create a culture that fosters inclusion and provide a safe space for all employees to talk openly, including at industry events and in meetings; and
• Make recruitment and progression processes accessible and attractive to all to attract retain and develop people of all backgrounds, ages, genders and identities.

The Charter is open to all companies, clients and organisations working in the UK railway industry who wish to play a role in promoting positive change, and seeks to recognise and build upon the progress which has already taken place and encourage collaboration within the rail sector.

The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the voice of the UK rail supply community, helping to grow a sustainable, high-performing railway supply industry, and to export UK rail expertise and products. RIA has 300+ companies in membership in a sector that contributes £36 billion in economic growth and £11 billion in tax revenue each year, as well as employing 600,000 people.

Women in Rail, a charity founded in 2012, comprises men and women from the UK railway sector, working together alongside major stakeholders in the industry to support the development, promotion and attraction of women in the UK railway sector and, more broadly, improve gender balance, equality, diversity and inclusion in rail. Women in Rail holds regular networking events and development workshops across the UK through its 8 regional groups and runs a very successful cross-industry mentoring programme where both female and male mentees receive guidance from more senior industry professionals to support them in their professional development, personal growth and confidence.

RIA Chairman David Tonkin and Chief Executive Darren Caplan issued a joint statement, saying:

“We are delighted to announce the EDI Charter in partnership with Women in Rail. Whilst there has been plenty of progress in the rail supply sector which we should be proud of, there is still more to do to promote diversity and equal opportunity. The rail workforce should be representative of a modern UK, providing an attractive career path to people of all ages from all backgrounds, and ultimately increasing the talent pool from which the future leadership of the rail sector will be drawn. We hope the Charter will help encourage not just equality, diversity and inclusion in the rail supply sector, but also diversity of thought, unlocking new talent and building a positive culture throughout the railway industry. We look forward to working with organisations from across the sector to ensure that rail remains a fantastic area to work in during the years ahead.”

Women in Rail Founder and Director Adeline Ginn MBE, said:

“The rail industry has worked hard in the last few years to promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within its workforce.  In these challenging times, it is important we strengthen these EDI efforts to ensure we attract and harness the skills, knowledge and insight from everyone representing all parts of our society and our customers. This Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter represents our industry’s commitment to openly support this agenda and we are delighted to be partnering with the Railway Industry Association, and all the signatories, on this exciting initiative.”

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