Never Mind The Gap: Northern and TransPennine Express among rail operators teaming up to showcase opportunities for women after career breaks

Through a partnership with Women in Rail, ‘Never Mind The Gap’ provides training and work placements for women who want to ‘change track’ after a period away from the workplace.

Due to maternity, women take more career breaks than men do, and this is one of the main drivers of the persistent gender pay gap.

Over a two-week stint Northern and TransPennine Express, as well as Network Rail and London North Eastern Railway (LNER), will provide free training to show women how rewarding working in rail can be.

Lisa Leighton, people director at Northern, said: “As someone relatively new to the rail industry myself, I can vouch for what a great sector this is to be a part of. Changing people’s perceptions of what a career in rail in 2024 actually looks like is something I am passionate about and ‘Never Mind The Gap’ is a great initiative to help achieve that.”

Nicola Buckley, people director at TransPennine Express, said: "There are so many fantastic career opportunities in rail, and we are delighted to be able to showcase some of the roles available. ‘Never Mind The Gap’ offers a perfect opportunity for women who are returning from a career break, or who want to try something new.

"Currently, 24 per cent of TPE’s workforce is women but we want to continue to empower and inspire more to join us. It’s really important that women get into these roles so there is more representation which reflects the communities we serve."

Highlights will include a tour of Northern’s TrainCare Centre at Neville Hill, using a virtual reality simulator to experience what it's like to be a train driver as well as workshops on interview skills and CV writing.

Applications for Never Mind the Gap are open until Friday 16 August. Click here to apply.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with nearly 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.