Women make up over 50% of rail passengers but only about 20% of the rail workforce in the EU. In recognition of female talent and the efforts to attract more women to the sector, the European Commission’s Women in Transport platform, Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking (EU-Rail), the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), the European Rail Supply Industry Association (UNIFE), European Rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM) and the Federation of European Train Drivers´ Unions (ALE) have united to launch the Women in Rail Award 2025.
First held in 2021, the Women in Rail Award aims to celebrate the outstanding achievements of inspiring women in the rail sector and showcase best practices in building gender balance into corporate culture. The initiative builds upon the European Social Partner Agreement on Women in Rail, furthering its mission to promote fairness, gender diversity, and equality within the rail sector.
Divided into four categories, the award recognises the work of a woman or a group of people led by a woman having demonstrated achievements bringing the EU railway sector forward and/or overcoming obstacles for other women to thrive in the railway sector, or a company/organisation’s outstanding efforts in this regard. (....)