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EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
Apeksha Naik, Odis Palmer and Dante Frederick are industry inclusion and belonging leads and are on the leadership team of Rail Unites for Inclusion (RUI). They discuss how the industry is coming together to improve equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
Taking ownership of EDI
Images: GBRTT
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he rail industry is committed to becoming more open, diverse, and inclusive for customers, colleagues and communities, something that is being accelerated through rail reform, including through the work of RUI. RUI was created in summer 2021 by equity, diversity and inclusion leads from across the rail industry, recognising that collaborating can have more of an impact in creating an inclusive industry, a workforce that is representative of the communities the railways serve and offering customers an accessible environment that meets their travel needs. “I don’t think you can underestimate what an impact RUI has had,” reflected Dante Frederick, Deputy Chair of RUI. “As we continue with industry collaboration and industry integration RUI has been a model that people can look to.
“For so long we’ve all operated in our own areas, and what started out as an EDI network group, has grown to become a place where there is cross-industry sharing of ideas, experiences, best practice, and also an opportunity to address any challenges in a collective way that might not be getting addressed by individuals. “It has been an extraordinary success and continues to be, and the more it grows and grows, the more links are made. At every event we have more people coming and joining us from more corners of the sector, getting excited about the chance to have those conversations and it really is influencing where the industry is moving.” The RUI group is made of anyone passionate about making the rail industry inclusive, and includes members from regulators, train operating companies, freight operating companies, trade
March 2025
union representatives and parts of the supply chain including external industries keen on sharing inclusion best practice. It promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion across the rail industry, highlighting and addressing issues faced by customers, colleagues and communities. In addition to this, RUI continues to build relationships with industry employee network groups and industry EDI support groups. Apeksha Naik, Co-Chair of RUI added: “We’re trying to make the industry more diverse and inclusive and ensuring it is a safe space for people. It is a case of no matter who you are, you can still feel part of something. You don’t have to be an EDI lead, you don’t have to be a network group lead, you can just be someone who wants to do the right thing. You are all welcome to be part of our family. “When I first took on Chairing RUI after the