Celebrating International Women's Day 2026

The stars honouring a range of incredible women - many of whom have never had their stories told - now take pride of place in York and London King’s Cross Station, highlighting their incredible contributions to the rail industry, both past and present.

Supporting data reveals 97% of Brits have no idea over 35,000 women currently work in the UK railway industry today and a further 72% have no knowledge of the stories of women who have made the railway what it is today.

The campaign aims to give these women the recognition they truly deserve and raise awareness of their unwavering passion and commitment, while inspiring the next generation of women and girls to consider a career in rail.

Elizabeth Holman - c. 1830s–unknown

Elizabeth Holman was one of the earliest known women to work on Britain’s railways. In the 1850s, reports began to emerge about a young woman who was working on the railways in the West Country, which turned out to be Elizabeth. She worked as a railway labourer in Cornwall, securing the role of a navvy by disguising herself as man to take on dangerous and physically demanding railway construction work, defying strict social limits.

At the time, women’s railway work was often low-paid and linked to traditional admin or housekeeping duties. But Elizabeth was determined to enter better-paid, labour-intensive roles. Her story reflects the largely undocumented but vital contribution of women in the early railway system, which paved the way for the thousands of women in rail today.

Nellie Nelson - c. 1910s-unknown

Nellie Nelson worked as a porter for LNER at York station during the Second World War - a time when railways were central to civilian life and military logistics.

During this period, thousands of women were recruited into railway roles to replace men serving in the armed forces. Within a year Nellie became one of 80,000 women working on the railways as porters, guards, ticket collectors and mechanics. Nellie joined LNER in 1940, supporting passengers and keeping services moving through air raids, blackouts, including helping to get injured passengers off a bombed train at York station in 1942. Her story is a true reflection of the strength and resilience of women on the wartime railways, representing the many women whose labour ensured that the railway continued to function during a time of conflict and social transition.

Betty Chalmers - c.1920s-unknown

Betty Chalmers grew up in a railway family in York and joined LNER at the age of 16 in 1937 to work in the telegraph office, working at the same time as Nellie Nelson.

She was working on the switchboard when York train station was bombed in 1942. After the bombing, she recalled being relocated to work in an underground shelter for the next two years in hot, unventilated conditions. She possessed an unwavering commitment to continue fulfilling her role, contributing to essential day-to-day operations.

Betty’s story is another of a dedicated female railway worker whose career reflected the determination of the many women to help sustain rail transport operations during the mid-20th century.

Gladys Garlick - c.1922-2024

Gladys Garlick was born in 1922 into a railway family and joined the railway in 1940 as a porter for LNER at Bowes Park Station. She became a senior porter in 1942 at the age of 20 moving on to become one of the first female guards for LNER during the Second World War.

She carried out operational and safety-critical duties normally performed by men, contributing to wartime railway resilience, and was on duty as a guard when a V2 rocket hit the tracks before her train in October 1994.

Elsie Deacon - 1897-1984

Elsie began her career in rail at the age of 24, when she began working as a tracer and draughtswoman in the Great Western Railway Signal Department in Reading. Her role included creating wiring diagrams of electronic railway signalling appliances - contributing directly to railway safety. In 1923, she became the first woman admitted to the UK’s Institution of Railway Signal Engineers. Through her work on the railway, she met her husband and gave up her job to raise her family, but when her husband sadly passed away, she rejoined GWR as a draughtswoman until her retirement in 1962.

Working in the rail industry was integral to her family with her sister Ella also working for GWR and enjoying a long career as a draughtswoman in Reading and later in Paddington, as well as her other sister Doris working at Paddington station as a tracer.

Rajinder Pryor MBE - Head of Business Partnering (Southern), Network Rail

Rajinder celebrated 20 years in the rail industry in 2025. In 2021 she was honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for promoting diversity and inclusion across the rail industry and raising awareness around domestic abuse.

In addition to a successful career at Network Rail, her work and passion extend far beyond her day job. Rajinder is a Women in Rail Board Trustee, leading the cross-industry mentoring programme. She has actively promoted the Rail to Refuge scheme which provides travel assistance to victims of domestic abuse and led the rollout of Online Safe Spaces within the industry. She is intentional and determined to be a visible role model - something she believes matters deeply - and she wholeheartedly supports the industry’s growing emphasis on representation which she is also a driving force behind.

Ellie Burrows - Eastern Region Managing Director, Network Rail

Ellie Burrows is one of the most influential figures and leaders in Britain’s railway industry today. With her wealth of experience, commitment to safety and vision for the modern railway she continues to shape the present and future of the network - driving forward transformation that impacts passengers, businesses, communities and the environment.

With over two decades of experience across multiple roles in the sector, she represents a new generation of leaders committed to modernisation, safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Her career mirrors the evolution of the railway industry itself: from traditional operations rooted in long-established systems to a modern, technology-driven network focused on efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Ellie has also been recognised for her achievements and was named ‘Inspirational Woman of the Year’ in the 2025 Women in Rail awards, highlighting her influence as a role model for women in transport and leadership.

Rezwana Rahman - Train Driver, LNER

Rezwana joined LNER in 2022 as an Apprentice Train Driver and progressed to a Qualified Train Driver after approximately three months in training school and 300 hours manual handling. She is the first female LNER train driver to wear a hijab, citing it as an important part of her identity and her religion, which she wears with confidence at work. She represents both gender and ethnic diversity in modern railway operations and serves as a visible role model for younger generations and is a strong advocate for inclusion within the railway, where difference is not just accepted but appreciated too.

Rezwana is extremely passionate about her work within the rail industry and is committed to maintaining the highest standard of safety for her passengers and being a driver they can trust. She also aspires to become a driver trainer so she can impart her knowledge and experience to inspire the next generation of female train drivers.

Trish Bromley - On Train Experience Manager, LNER

Trish joined the railway in 2014 after spending 25 years in the aviation industry. She first worked as a Station Duty Manager based at Durham where she was responsible for managing the station and travel centre teams - ensuring the station was a safe and welcoming environment for passengers. She also built relationships within the local community, fostering partnerships with business and Durham University.

She then progressed to the role of a Regional Travel Centre Manager, overseeing the centre in Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, and York and now has transitioned into the role of On Train Experience Manager for the North East. Her focus is on delivering exceptional customer service, driving performance, and helping her team to achieve their full potential. For Trish, the most rewarding aspect is leading her teams to excel and support them to progress into new, exciting opportunities within the railway.

Keelie Hall - Safety and Operations Apprentice, LNER

Keelie only joined LNER in 2024 following her father’s footsteps as a train driver on the East Coast Main Line for 40 years and has already been recognised with the industry for her exceptional passion, drive and commitment to safety and performance in the rail industry.

Witnessing her father’s career inspired her to join the railway and contribute meaningfully to operations. She’s already exemplified an unwavering commitment to helping her colleagues, understanding their role in delivering a safe and punctual railway - and most importantly, why it matters. Keelie is also incredibly passionate about spreading important messages of railway safety within the wider community - particularly to children - to prevent harm before it happens.

Her journey is a reflection of the increasing number of young women today that are inspired and committed to pursue a career in rail. She recognised the railway as an industry that is full of opportunity and a diverse range of jobs, with something for everyone which is a message she continues to spread.

Antonia Bailey - Head of Strategic Planning & Controls (Work Delivery), Network Rail Eastern route

Antonia Bailey has worked at Network Rail since 2012, gaining over 14 years’ experience across a range of operational, technical and leadership roles in the rail industry. Her current strategic leadership role in Works Delivery shapes long term planning, investment priorities and performance across rail systems. She also undertook an 18-month secondment as a Senior Programme Manager, managing a complex, multi-disciplinary rail systems programme and is widely recognised by colleagues for her leadership impact and strategic capability, reflected in her selection for multiple talent and development programmes.

Antonia was part of the first East Coast Talent Cohort in 2023 and a member of the first East Coast cohort of the Women in Track programme, supporting the development and progression of women into leadership and technical roles across the route.

Philippa Whelan - Project Manager, Network Rail

Philippa joined Network Rail in 2018 as a Section Planner before moving into a more technical role in 2022. Throughout her career she has been consistently committed to developing her technical skills and attended a degree course to ensure she could hold her own in the signalling discipline. Over the last couple of years, she has been nominated for two East Coast maintenance awards winning both – one as part of a team and one as individual recognition.

She has been highlighted to take part in the East Coast Women In Track project, developing her potential to take up a senior position within the business in the future. Her engagement in that project, alongside her technical skills resulted in her being asked to lead a project to improve safety on the railway - an area she is dedicated to driving change within.

Gill McKay - Customer Experience Engagement Manager, LNER

Gill joined LNER six years ago and has excelled in roles that put people and customers first and at the heart of her work. She has since progressed into her role as Customer Experience Engagement Manager, which she is extremely proud of as it allows her to be the voice of the frontline staff working for LNER in the rail industry.

She is deeply committed to listening to the experiences of her colleagues within the rail workforce, championing their insights and ensuring their voices are heard so they have the power to influence decision making across every level. Gill masterminded and helped to deliver the ‘Package for a Friend Scheme’ which saw LNER become the first UK train operator to free period care products offered on trains, as well across all its stations and offices.

She consistently aspires to challenge the norm, drive improvements and make a real difference for the passengers and people of the rail industry - what she calls a passion as much as a responsibility. She is an advocate for women joining the rail, encouraging them to bring their skills, creativity and confidence to help, grow, lead and shape its future.

Helen Donagher - Train Driver, LNER

Helen joined LNER as an Apprentice Driver in 2023 after 12 years working as airline Cabin Crew and qualified as a Train Driver in 2024. Helen recently received an award for her contributions to helping save a person’s life in an incident in early 2025.

Helen was driving the train when she spotted a person in close proximity to the tracks, and on the sighting, she made an immediate emergency brake application and made an emergency call to the signaller. Sadly, the person made contact with the side of the train, so she swiftly ensured all lines in the area were blocked, called emergency services, disembarked the train and administered crucial first aid, before continuing to wait with the injured person and make sure they were comfortable until emergency services arrived.

Her bravery, compassion and composure meant that the person thankfully recovered. A true testament to her continued commitment to going above and beyond in her role.

Katey Ellen - Digital Engagement Manager, LNER

Katey joined LNER as a young graduate in 2007, with her first role on the frontline delivering the catering service. From there she progressed through a number of different Customer Experience positions including Host, Travel Consultant, Crew Leader and Crew Manager and now works in Digital Engagement.

She takes pride in embracing and encouraging innovative change within the rail industry by driving forward digital transformation initiatives. Katey champions that engagement is vital to the success of any digital transformation and firmly believes that people and rail passengers need to be at the heart of everything. She has balanced the juggle which many women will relate to of balancing her career progression with raising a young family, recently returning to work following her third maternity leave.

She credits the experiences gained in her frontline days for teaching her the value of incredible customer service and resilience in the face of challenges.