Diversity and Inclusion
Removing the barriers to make the railways more inclusive LNER’s Charlie Woodhead on his role to drive forward the EDI Charter
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harlie Woodhead is a self-confessed ‘train geek’. Even from a young age it was something he always loved but a career he thought he’d never be able to pursue because he is visually impaired. That was before he found out about the wealth of opportunities available in the industry. Fast forward to the present and Charlie isn’t just working on the railway, but is playing a major role in creating positive change. As well as LNER’s Accessibility and Inclusion Manager, the 23-year-old is also embarking on a new journey as the Chair of the working group of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Charter. “As a disabled person, I know how easy it is for people to assume that the community I represent ‘can’t’ do things,” he said. 26 | May 2021
“I wanted to be part of the working group to help the industry understand that we ‘can’ and
It is an exciting opportunity to help influence a longterm change show how that barrier can be removed so the railway becomes more inclusive and gives all people the opportunities they want and need to help it thrive.”
Charlie’s passion epitomises the passion shown by the rail industry since the launch of the EDI Charter by the Railway Industry Association (RIA) and Women in Rail (WR) last November. On launching the Charter, WR’s Adeline Ginn and RIA’s Kate Jennings spoke of a commitment to work together to build a more balanced higher performing sector. Already it has been backed by more than 160 organisations, representing a broad spectrum of companies from across the railway and demonstrating the rail industry’s commitment to working together to accelerate changes to create a more diverse and inclusive sector. “The response from the industry really shows the strength in feeling of organisations wanting to change things,” he said. railbusinessdaily.com