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Title: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: grahame on March 06, 2020, 08:02:54 From ITV (https://www.itv.com/news/2020-03-06/three-trains-with-all-female-crews-to-mark-international-womens-day/)
Quote Three passenger trains will be entirely run by female staff on Friday to mark International Women’s Day. London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Southeastern and Great Western Railway (GWR) will operate the special services in a bid to encourage more women to consider a career in the rail industry. An 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. The Flying Scotsman service will be rebranded Flying Scotswoman for the month of March. A total of 15 women will be involved in running a Southeastern train from London Victoria to Faversham, Kent. They include driver, conductor and Network Rail signallers. A GWR train from Bristol to London Paddington will also have an all-female crew. Also ... https://newsroom.southeasternrailway.co.uk/news/britains-first-all-female-operated-train-service-runs-today Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: REVUpminster on March 06, 2020, 19:17:10 Strange you can have an International Women's Day when todays Women's World Day of Prayer has changed it's name to World day of Prayer for the last two years.
Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: Marlburian on March 06, 2020, 20:41:19 Flying Scotsman rebranded Flying Scotswoman for International Women's Day (https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2020-03-06/flying-scotsman-rebranded-flying-scotswoman-for-international-women-s-day/)
Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: Phil on March 06, 2020, 22:00:06 Also ... https://newsroom.southeasternrailway.co.uk/news/britains-first-all-female-operated-train-service-runs-today I'm absolutely certain I've travelled on a GW service between Swindon and Westbury with a female driver and guard several times - hard to remember really, simply because it's never struck me as being particularly noteworthy. I'm still not sure what makes it "news". Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: stuving on March 06, 2020, 22:44:45 Also ... https://newsroom.southeasternrailway.co.uk/news/britains-first-all-female-operated-train-service-runs-today I'm absolutely certain I've travelled on a GW service between Swindon and Westbury with a female driver and guard several times - hard to remember really, simply because it's never struck me as being particularly noteworthy. I'm still not sure what makes it "news". Yes, I was wondering if it's now time to stop exceptionalising things like this, in favour of seeing them (and if need be presenting them) as routine. Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: TaplowGreen on March 07, 2020, 07:46:23 Also ... https://newsroom.southeasternrailway.co.uk/news/britains-first-all-female-operated-train-service-runs-today I'm absolutely certain I've travelled on a GW service between Swindon and Westbury with a female driver and guard several times - hard to remember really, simply because it's never struck me as being particularly noteworthy. I'm still not sure what makes it "news". Yes, I was wondering if it's now time to stop exceptionalising things like this, in favour of seeing them (and if need be presenting them) as routine. Signalling of various types exists on the railways. Virtue signalling included. Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: grahame on March 07, 2020, 10:02:28 My understanding is that there are currently around 20% ladies and 80% gentlemen in day to day shift operation in the rail industry. It is no longer rare to see a woman as train manager or driver.
It is still worth the occasional reminder to all demographics underrepresented in the work force that if they are ready, willing and able they should consider a railway job / career. I can't help feeling that it might now even be counter-productive to promote it on the basis of being "unusual" or "pioneering". There are many people who would love a job in rail, but would like to do so quietly rather than as a trailblazer which stunts like "Flying Scotswoman" may imply. Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: TaplowGreen on March 07, 2020, 10:09:06 My understanding is that there are currently around 20% ladies and 80% gentlemen in day to day shift operation in the rail industry. It is no longer rare to see a woman as train manager or driver. It is still worth the occasional reminder to all demographics underrepresented in the work force that if they are ready, willing and able they should consider a railway job / career. I can't help feeling that it might now even be counter-productive to promote it on the basis of being "unusual" or "pioneering". There are many people who would love a job in rail, but would like to do so quietly rather than as a trailblazer which stunts like "Flying Scotswoman" may imply. ………...surely it can only be a matter of time before The Flying Scotsman/woman is renamed something more non binary to reflect our more progressive and enlightened times? Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: grahame on March 07, 2020, 11:03:12 ………...surely it can only be a matter of time before The Flying Scotsman/woman is renamed something more non binary to reflect our more progressive and enlightened times? The name "Flying Scotsman" was officially adopted for a train in 1924. In those days, I don't think there were any female drivers or firepeople. The term "Flying" didn't seem to promote another mainstream mode of internal but longer distance public transport in those days either. Perhaps multiple part of the name could do with modernisation? After all - the trains had been replaced I don't know how many times ... Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: bobm on March 07, 2020, 11:26:08 My understanding is that there are currently around 20% ladies and 80% gentlemen in day to day shift operation in the rail industry. It is no longer rare to see a woman as train manager or driver. It is still worth the occasional reminder to all demographics underrepresented in the work force that if they are ready, willing and able they should consider a railway job / career. I can't help feeling that it might now even be counter-productive to promote it on the basis of being "unusual" or "pioneering". There are many people who would love a job in rail, but would like to do so quietly rather than as a trailblazer which stunts like "Flying Scotswoman" may imply. ………...surely it can only be a matter of time before The Flying Scotsman/woman is renamed something more non binary to reflect our more progressive and enlightened times? What about Manchester United and Queen's Park Rangers? Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: Trowres on March 07, 2020, 22:20:58 ………...surely it can only be a matter of time before The Flying Scotsman/woman is renamed something more non binary to reflect our more progressive and enlightened times? I was going to suggest "The Teleworking Android"... but perhaps that still counts as binary? Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: TaplowGreen on March 08, 2020, 07:14:53 ………...surely it can only be a matter of time before The Flying Scotsman/woman is renamed something more non binary to reflect our more progressive and enlightened times? I was going to suggest "The Teleworking Android"... but perhaps that still counts as binary? .......well there's the "Trans" Siberian, and the Trans Wilts of course! 🙂 Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: SandTEngineer on March 08, 2020, 07:54:51 Lots of women in the 'back offices' as well, that you never see. When I ran one S&T drawing office in the past we had at least five women draughtpersons out of about twelve in total. My daughter is now one as well (must be the railway genes!).
Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: grahame on March 08, 2020, 17:52:38 I was out travelling by train today and got on and off no less than 9 services as I updated my picture library. 5 ticket checks by ladies and 4 by gentlemen. Perhaps the figures were skewed because it's a Sunday based on the old saying "A woman's work is never done".
I do sense that GWR are ahead of the game on this one, and to be congratulated for that. Title: Re: International Women’s Day - encouraging women to consider rail careers Post by: Bmblbzzz on March 14, 2020, 08:27:30 ………...surely it can only be a matter of time before The Flying Scotsman/woman is renamed something more non binary to reflect our more progressive and enlightened times? I was going to suggest "The Teleworking Android"... but perhaps that still counts as binary? .......well there's the "Trans" Siberian, and the Trans Wilts of course! 🙂 This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |