Yesterday evening, I spoke at the launch of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Charter for Rail Annual Report 2023. The report celebrates the very best work carried out in the industry by Charter signatories over the last year, with submissions from over 40 organisations.

EDI is a subject that I am very passionate about. It was really inspiring for me to be in a room filled with people who care about this subject and want to make a difference. The challenge is real. How do we create more inclusive and diverse workplaces within our industry? How do we enable our staff to be at their best, and to attract and retain a diverse range of talented people to join us?

Some people have a perception of rail that it is not dynamic, that rail cannot innovate or adapt. I know that this is not the case. As Chief Executive of RDG, I know we have some brilliant people working in the industry who are championing and driving change. We have the Rail Unites for Inclusion Group who bring together colleagues from across the industry; the Women in Rail and Rail Industry Association EDI Charter and many fantastic employee network groups within our organisations who continue to challenge where we can do better.

Many industries are struggling with the challenge of how to offer their people a more diverse and inclusive environment to work in. There are many barriers to confront, such as unconscious bias and the exclusionary way we communicate with one another. To face up to that challenge requires a commitment to create the right culture. Last year, I collaborated with other senior figures in the rail industry to develop a framework for rail sector culture – inclusion was at the heart of our approach.

With over 220 signatories, the Charter is a way that we can challenge the culture within our own organisations, learn from the progress, perspectives and experience of others and move forward together, as an industry. There are many things we can achieve collectively. Let’s challenge ourselves to make commitments at all levels of our businesses. When we bring talent into our organisations, let’s stop insisting on prior industry experience where it isn’t needed. Where there are societal issues where we can make a difference, such as tackling sexual harassment, let’s take a truly joined up approach.

At RDG, we have a wide range of staff networks who have been doing fantastic work in raising awareness of the issues minority groups face, engaging colleagues in becoming allies and working with other networks within the industry to take action. We have made progress in implementing inclusive policies internally. We now have Fertility Treatment Leave, supporting employees and their partners undergoing treatment and a Menopause Guidance document, providing information on how to ask for assistance and highlighting adjustments that can be made. Each RDG employee has an EDI performance priority and as part of my personal commitment to EDI, I have recently created a mentoring circle in conjunction with Empower, RDG’s network for women and non-binary people.

At RDG, and within the wider rail industry, there is much more that we need to do to make our workplaces, safe, inclusive spaces that encourage diversity of thought and welcome difference. But this change is not only needed for our people: we need it so we can better serve each and every one of our customers.

I am committed to continuing this journey with my industry colleagues and to further champion EDI, embed cultural changes and take the next step in bringing about change. I look forward to seeing what else we can achieve together.  

Jacqueline Starr, CEO of Rail Delivery Group