All aboard the Flying Scotswoman
Last updated 6th Mar 2020
The famous Flying Scotsman train is being remamed the Flying Scotswoman, and being run entirely by female staff, to mark International Women's Day this weekend.
The LNER train from Edinburgh to London King's Cross will have all six of its onboard roles filled by women, including driver, train manager and chef in a bid to encourage more women to consider a career in the rail industry.
A poll of 890 women commissioned by LNER indicated that 85% of women have never considered a career in rail.
The firm's people director Karen Lewis said the rail industry needs to work harder to promote itself to women.
She went on: "There is a clear need for the industry to work together to demonstrate the unique opportunities on offer with a career in rail, and by doing so to help drive an increase in the number of women in the workplace.
"LNER bucks the trend with women making up 42% of our workforce, compared to an industry average of 16%.
"Our diverse workforce is something we're extremely proud of at LNER and we're working hard to inspire and attract even more talented women to join the industry.''
Loraine Martins, director of diversity and inclusion at Network Rail, said: "We've made positive strides in the last five years, such as introducing maternity buddying and introducing a women in leadership programme to ensure that more women are being considered for senior positions.
"We also need to get the basics right, which is why we are committed to improving facilities for women working on the front line.''
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