Women in Engineering Day at Great Western Railway: Meet the women bucking the trend

International Women in Engineering Day is celebrated on June 23 every year to recognise the amazing work of women in the engineering field. WesternLines visited Reading Engineering Depot to meet some of our women who are bucking the trend.

In a GWR vocation that is 92% male-dominated, the engineering team at Reading is working hard to buck that trend with more than 11% of roles at the depot now held by women. But in a business with a 75% male majority, and a function even lighter on female representation, what’s life really like in a depot when you’re in that minority?

“Male-dominated? It’s never crossed my mind,” admitted Operations Interface Manager Fatma Fraser. She joined the depot team back in 2015 after two years as a duty station manager at Paddington, having previously been a dispatcher at Maidenhead.

“I think it comes down to personalities really. I’ve always felt supported here, and I’m comfortable within this environment and on the railway as a whole, so it’s never been a problem.”

 

 

Fatma links colleagues, operations and processes at the depot with the wider delay attribution team – exploring the reasons behind delays and the knock-on effects this has on our customers.

“This is the perfect job for me. I’m a bit of a perfectionist and won’t leave any stone unturned when looking for the root causes of these delays. 

“Investigating or identifying patterns in our delays, and working with colleagues at the depot to reduce or eliminate those issues, is rewarding – and I can see where I make a difference for us,” Fatma added.

 

Diversity, performance – and perseverance

“It’s important to get the message across that it’s not just swinging spanners; engineering is for everyone,” said LTV Fleet Manager Gareth Storton.

“We already know that more diverse workplaces produce better results, but we’ve found that diversity is really improving our culture and making for a better working environment,” he added.

A 2020 Harvard Business Review looked at 100 studies on diversity in the workplace and found that 85% showed a positive correlation between diversity and performance.

Contracts Manager Sutopa Paul has been at Reading for nine years and took a different route to depot life.

“It wasn’t always going to be engineering. During my A levels, I was studying physics, math’s and biology – so my options were teaching, finance and accounting, or engineering. 

“I chose engineering because if I didn’t like it, I could still become a teacher or work in finance. But I did like it. Engineering broadens you as a person and I don’t regret that decision at all.”

After completing her aerospace engineering degree, Sutopa joined the FirstGroup graduate programme, which included stints at Old Oak Common, Swindon, as well as Reading.

“How does a woman become successful in engineering? Perseverance,” she added.

“When I first started in engineering, I felt I was walking into an environment where I knew I was different – but that didn’t matter. I persevered with my choice and I would recommend it to anyone.”

 

It’s never too late to make the switch

Fleet Admin Manager Gurpreet 'Preeti’ Kaur has a degree in accounting and finance and a master's in international finance. At first, she wasn't sold on engineering – or the railway in general.

“I was doing accounts for a small firm after university and I needed to take a break before deciding what to do next,” Preeti admitted.

“My husband is a train driver and suggested starting on the railway, but initially, I dismissed that idea entirely.”

Fast forward almost a decade and after a short stint at South Western Railway, followed by the Paddington gateline and Slough ticket office, Preeti joined the team at Reading Traincare Depot.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d fit in or if the job was for me, but after fighting my own battles, I came to the depot and I’ve not looked back.”

A self-confessed workaholic, Preeti is allowed the flexibility to fit work around raising a young family – something encouraged at the depot. “It’s the modern way of working,” added Gareth.

“To get the best people we need to be flexible in how we treat them and get that work-life balance right.” 

Engineering Technician Laura Griffiths leads on non-technical training for colleagues and looks after the CCTV that’s captured on board. She has been at the depot for 13 years. 

“I started temping at the old depot when I was in university, then I took an admin role doing around 20 hours a week,” Laura explained. 

“I was able to go to college to study electrical engineering while working here. I got the job as a technician and have been here ever since! 

“I think the place has changed a lot in that time. It’s certainly nicer having more women around, many with young families, so we already have a lot in common,” she added. 

“Culturally, it’s not like it was 20 or even 10 years ago – and I think we’re much better for it. Operationally, we’re as good as we’ve ever been – and it’s in no small part to the people you’ve met today,” Gareth added.

 

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