Logistics Stories

“Continuing to challenge all forms of bias, discrimination and gender stereotyping is making the railway a more inclusive place to work. There’s still a long way to go but I hope that my role as an Apprentice On-track Machine (OTM) Driver can go some way to inspiring other women to consider careers in engineering and maintenance.”

Sam shows there are no barriers to a new career path.

After more than a decade serving her country, there are few challenges that would phase Sam Roper. Having left the Royal Navy in 2019, a role as stores person in Supply Chain Operations (SCO) for Network Rail proved a good opportunity. But it was clear she didn’t want to stop there. Sam has now set her sights on training for a role that will see her achieve a significant first for Network Rail.

Sam has started an apprenticeship to become a train driver. While that’s not remarkable in itself – there are many female drivers working for train operators – Sam would become the only female driver operating Network Rail’s tamper trains.

Tampers are used in track maintenance to make sure the track is correctly aligned and has a smooth level along the rail. “I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m excited to get on board and do it” she says.

Sam joined the Navy from school, and spent 14 years working as a survival equipment specialist. It’s a role she said developed her confidence and sense of discipline as well as an understanding of safety critical activity and the importance of following procedures.

“It’s a bit different to your normal day-to-day job,” she says. “You have to be ready for anything.”

Following the birth of her two children, Sam then decided it was time for a career change and joined Network Rail in September 2019. She explains: “it was a role quite close to home, which suited me at the time. I hadn’t really thought about a railway career before but after I joined, I realised there were a lot of opportunities. I had the chance to interact with other drivers and this got me thinking about becoming one myself.”

Conor is currently on his secondment with GBRTT: he works in the Rail freight Team which has been tasked with delivering industry reform for rail freight. His area of focus is developing strategic advice to inform decision-making across the sector, most notably the industry’s long-term rail freight growth target. This involves understanding the needs and priorities of a wide range of stakeholders, including the Department for Transport, Freight Operating Companies, and end customers who use rail as part of their business operating model.

There are not any specific qualifications needed, but of course an understanding of the freight and logistics sector is important. In particular, the role of rail freight and how rail integrates with other transport modes. I would say that report writing, effective communication, and relationship management skills are essential for the role.

Conor started his career at Network Rail in Train Planning which he found on a local job website. He was responsible for planning passenger services for operators on the London North Eastern and East Midlands route. His favourite thing about his role is the exposure to both the private and public sector elements of the freight and logistics sector. Conor also loves how passionate people are about the sector and how willing they are to share their knowledge.

Without a doubt, the highlight of Conor’s career so far has been the Government announcing the Rail Freight Growth Target. He is proud to have led this work for GBRTT and grateful for the opportunities it created: it led to his nomination for the RFG Young Rail Professional Award!

Simon is the Regional Freight Manager for Network Rail’s Southern Freight Team, one of the five teams that cover freight operations across the national network. Working alongside operators and customers, his focus is on safety, operations, performance and business development.

For Simon, every day in his role is different: “I could be invited to the Houses of Parliament one day, dressed in full PPE at a freight terminal in the driving rain the next, and then visiting a signalling centre the following day.”

He found the role through searching Network Rail’s jobs portal in 2020, when the freight industry was rebounding from the first COVID-19 lockdown. At a time of such uncertainty, working in a growth area of the rail industry was appealing, and something he felt excited about.

“I’m also passionate about tackling climate change and rail’s role in doing that, so this job, working on encouraging a shift to rail as a more sustainable form of freight transport, looked absolutely ideal.”

Having worked in rail operations, infrastructure planning and the tourism industry before, Simon has found that his experience has given him a huge breadth of knowledge and skills, many of which help him every day to understand and draw together multiple stakeholders to work towards their shared common goals.

And recently, Simon got to complete his career highlight to date, in helping a customer to open a new freight terminal on a long dormant section of rail infrastructure that was last used before he was born!