'More to do' as rail firm captures staff diversity

There is "more work to be done" to encourage women and people from diverse backgrounds to join the rail industry, an operator has said.

TransPennine Express (TPE), which operates services in the north of England and southern Scotland, has launched a photography exhibition at two railway stations to celebrate its "inclusive" workforce.

Portraits of 15 members of staff are being displayed at Manchester Victoria and Hull Paragon until Sunday.

The company's Nicola Buckley said the exhibition aimed to encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for roles within the industry.

"We're incredibly proud to be making progress in making our business more inclusive," she said.

"It took the majority of the past 200 years to create change, but there's still more work to be done, both at TPE and within the industry, to inspire more women and more people from diverse backgrounds to join the rail sector."

The operator said that since April 2024, women represented 26% of the people it had hired and 33% of the people who had been promoted internally.

Over the past year, the percentage of applicants from ethnic groups has risen to 30%.

Meanwhile, people who identify as LGBTQ+ comprise 10% of the workforce, the company said.

The industry is marking the 200th anniversary of the world's first passenger train service this year.

Between March and November, a series of events will be staged to recognise the importance of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

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