Northern rail boss encourages women to join the industry

Northern rail boss says she is committed to opening doors for women in the industry ahead of International Women’s Day on Saturday (March 8).

Tricia Williams is encouraging women to apply for a wide range of roles which offer “good salaries, a clear purpose and opportunities for progression”. 

She said the industry benefits from diversity, as talented individuals from different backgrounds can use their knowledge and experience to tackle complex problems and improve services for passengers. 

Tricia joined Northern as the chief operating officer in 2020 and then became managing director four years later, meaning she is now only one of three women who run a train operating company in the UK. 

“I still find myself counting the number of women in the room because there are so few of us, but hopefully I can show there is a place for women to be successful in business and you can progress and make a difference,” she said. “It’s a massive motivator for me.” 

Tricia is now firmly focused on delivering Northern’s ambitious plan to improve performance. 

“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,” she said. 

“Northern has been dealt a poor hand in the past in terms of investment, but we’re now investing in new trains, facilities and our people. We’re also engaging with our colleagues and customers, to build trust and a sense of pride.” 

Northern employs more than 7,000 people who work across the North of England. Around 20 per cent of that workforce and 9 per cent of the drivers are female. 

Tricia said most of the female conductors, drivers and engineers she speaks to were encouraged to apply after speaking to a friend or family member who has worked in the rail industry. 

“It’s male dominated and that puts some women off applying,” she said. “People also see it as old fashioned and I’ve even heard some people say it’s ‘dirty’ as you’ll just be working with diesel trains. 

“We have to promote the benefits – like the good salaries, a clear purpose and opportunities for progression – to overcome some of these perceptions. 

“As women, we also have to keep getting our stories out there and showing people we’re working in a positive, dynamic and modern environment. 

“One of my biggest motivators is to help open doors for women and other people who are underrepresented in the industry.” 

Northern has introduced a range of measures in a bid to improve diversity, with gender-balanced panels to make candidates more comfortable during job interviews and retention interviews to find out how woman can be encouraged to continue working for the operator and progress in their careers.  

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

It comes as the operator has been working to ensure male employees do not feel excluded and delivering an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy that was designed to ensure they always feel welcome and have a sense of belonging. 

Tricia said she did not have her heart set on a particular career when she was growing up in Liverpool but knew she wanted to be a leader.  

After studying Geography at Salford University, she joined North West Water and enrolled in a management training programme.  

She worked as an operations manager for the company for 11 years and then rose through the ranks at United Utilities, before she held a number of executive roles at Manchester Airports Group. 

“In the last 34 years, I haven’t had a female boss since my graduate programme," she said.  

“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.” 

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.