All female rail team completes shift in male dominated field to mark International Women's Day

An all-female team has completed a shift at a major railway control room to celebrate International Women's Day and highlight those working in a traditionally male-dominated field.

A group of 10 women  from TransPennine Express' (TPE's) control room in Manchester worked a shift together on Thursday, March 6. 

They are the team that makes sure trains run on time, safely, with the right crew, and keeps customers and colleagues informed during disruption. 

Women make up around 30 per cent of TPE’s control team, and those that took part were Eleanor Mintram, Chloe Ferguson, Lyndsey Welsh, Elaine Moss, Emma Hill, Paige Jones, Ann Smith, Jenny Thompson, Elaine Howarth, and Shannon Pilkington. 

Shannon, Customer Operations Manager at TPE, said: “Taking part was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the incredible women who look after the day-to-day operations of the railway. 

“Working alongside these talented and hardworking women is truly inspiring—they are fantastic role models.” 

She added: “While we are well ahead of the curve, we want to continue to empower and inspire more women to join us in the rail industry. 

“It’s really important that women get into these roles so there is more representation that reflects the communities we serve.” 

Ann, TPE’s Customer Delivery and Information Lead, who has worked for TPE for more than two decades, said that she is ‘proud’ of how much the railway has changed over the years. 

She said: “It’s truly wonderful to see so many women now working in the control room. When I first started with TPE over 20 years ago, I was the only female on the operational side of control, so to witness this positive change is incredibly rewarding and inspiring. It’s a proud moment to see the growth in diversity and inclusion over the years.” 

While the rail industry has been historically dominated by men, 22 per cent of TPE’s engineering team is women – above the UK average of 16.5 per cent. 

TPE also has a strong track record of developing careers for women within the rail industry. 

Since 2019, TPE has offered development programmes aimed at women working for the train operator – which have had huge success. 

In the past two years, 28 per cent of all internal promotions have gone to women. 

For the latest job vacancies at TPE, visit the train operator’s website.