We invest in our team to create a better railway for Britain.
A diverse and inclusive employer
We employ more than 40,000 people across the country – that’s more than the population of the town of Dover.
Engineers, drone pilots, ecologists, data analysts, graphic designers, and customer services: we invest in diverse and advanced skills to give you a better railway.
We’re proud of our workforce that’s made up of people from all backgrounds and communities across Britain. In fact, we’re working hard to increase diversity across our workforce.
A supportive workplace
This year we introduced new policies to support people experiencing the menopause and those who have suffered a miscarriage. Such support is crucial to helping make our railway a more inclusive environment for everyone.
In the last five years, we’ve increased our number of female employees by 19% and the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues by 18%. And we’ve been recognised in the Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality list for the fourth year running.
We were also included in the Ethnicity Awards Top 10 outstanding employers this year. And last year Stonewall charity included us in its list of Top 100 LGBT+ inclusive employers.
A safer environment
The safety of our workers is non-negotiable. That’s why we invested in new safety standards to protect trackside workers. It’s helped reduce the number of near misses of our colleagues by more than 70%.
Industry body Office for Rail and Road reports that we’ve run one of the safest railways in Europe for the last 15 years. And we continuously invest in the skills and safety of our colleagues.
Case study: Safety in the community
We regularly attend classrooms and community events across Britain to talk about railway safety. We also have educational resources available for everyone, which we’ve developed with the help of teachers and students.
We partner with organisations like English Football League Trust, StreetGames, Netball Scotland and the Scouts to further promote safety around the railway.
Case study: Supporting people with autism
We want to help neurodivergent people thrive at work. Our partnership with the charity Ambitious About Autism helps us place people with autism in work placements. We have focussed training for managers and peers on working with neurodivergent colleagues, and guide applicants through the interview and work placement.
Case study: Honouring the diversity of our past
We were honoured to commemorate Britain’s first black train driver, Wilston Samuel Jackson in October 2021 at London King’s Cross station. We held a ceremony that Jackson’s family attended where we unveiled a blue plaque. It was part of our wider celebrations for Black History Month.
Case study: a workplace for heroes
We launched our Armed Forces employee network in 2023 to support current and former members of the Armed Forces working with us.
Glen Conroy, an operations manager at Network Rail and a former member of the Armed Forces, said: “I think Network Rail is a fantastic place for those leaving the Armed Forces, and I found my move from the army into the organisation really smooth as everyone was so welcoming.”
