Women in Rail South Regional Group

A proud Mancunian with a heart of gold, Tracey joined rail in 2013 and has held senior roles within various areas of the industry before joining LNER in 2023. Throughout her time in rail Tracey has championed equality, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging whilst being a vocal supporter for STEM and mental health.

In her current role of Senior EDI Business Partner at LNER, she is an advocate for underrepresented groups in the business including gender imbalance, leading on empowering LNER’s people and employee networks to be gents of meaningful change and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard, using her own lived experiences to encourage conversation and growth.

Married with 2 daughters Georgia 24 and Grace 18, Tracey in her own words says “glass ceilings are made to be smashed, sometimes a little helping hand is all that is needed.  As Mum to 2 amazing young women, I have unfortunately witnessed unnecessary hurdles being placed in their paths, as their role model it is my job to show them ways to remove those hurdles to reach their goals. Unfortunately, in many industries and particularly those with gender imbalance, those glass ceilings get lower and the role models less visible.  I am delighted to work with WiR in eradicating those hurdles and continuing to be a force of nature driving change for equity.

Yorkshire loud and proud, Alicia is a Business Development Manager at Nextec Engineering, where she works to build strong client relationships and drive innovative projects forward. Over the past 7 years, she has been working close to the rail industry, starting as an external recruiter and now working directly for a rail consultancy in a Business Development Manager position – facing in

Passionate about breaking barriers to entry, fuelled personally by her frustrations regarding the lack of education provided to women when choosing career paths, she is driven to ensure others feel a sense of belonging in rail, regardless of their background, and she strongly supports Women in Rail’s mission to create a more gender-balanced and inclusive industry.

She believes in building a safe and supportive space where every thought, concern, hurdle, and achievement is met with both compassion and practical solutions.

For her, Women in Rail is more than a network — it’s a platform to amplify voices, foster connection, and ensure that everyone feels valued and heard.

Clare has been on the railway for nearly 12 years. She progressed from an on-board host to a Train Manager, and as of 5 years ago, a Train Driver. Clare also currently Chairs LNER’s women’s network, Empower. She is an advocate for women and frontline staff and works tirelessly to effect change within LNER and the industry alike. Clare is an avid reader of feminist literature and a keen learner. She is Mental Health First Aid Trained, and has a CIM Level 5 in Managing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, which she uses to support her colleagues and organisation to create an inclusive workplace.

Being able to work in EDI alongside my role as a Driver is an incredible opportunity. To be able to drive change (no pun intended) to achieve gender equity is a huge passion of mine. I have a particular interest in women’s health, both physical and mental, and challenge how the industry acknowledges and supports women in their roles in relation to the impact of health. I’m constantly looking at new ways to make women’s experiences better, and to leave the industry in significantly better shape than I found it!”

She is looking forward to working with Women in Rail for the South, to continue breaking barriers, shifting culture, and connecting women from across the region.

Catherine is a Development Lead on the Octavius CP7 Wales and Western Framework, overseeing the Buildings and Stations portfolios. Her current focus is on the renewals workback – enhancing station assets for passengers today and for future generations. She has also contributed to new station schemes at Wellington, Cullompton, Okehampton, and Charfield, as well as Access for All (AfA) programmes across the region. Catherine leads cross-functional teams spanning engineering, reporting, document control, and development, always with a collaborative spirit and a drive for innovation.

A Chartered Civil Engineer with the ICE, Catherine has made a significant impact since joining Octavius in July 2020. She consistently demonstrates initiative, technical excellence, and a deep commitment to building a more inclusive and supportive industry. Her earlier experience at Tony Gee and Partners, working on both rail and highways schemes, laid a strong foundation in consultancy and civil engineering.

Catherine is a passionate advocate for gender balance, mental health support, and STEM outreach. She actively mentors young professionals and champions visibility, equity, and inclusion across the sector. Her leadership and impact have earned her nominations in the Octavius Colleague Awards.

Outside of work, Catherine is a wife, mum to two primary school-aged boys, and an active member of the Woking netball community. She enjoys walking, spending time outdoors, and connecting with family and friends.

She believes that “progress is built on collaboration, and every voice deserves to be heard.” As a committee member for Women in Rail, Catherine is proud to help break down barriers, amplify underrepresented voices, and inspire the next generation of rail professionals.

Jacqui Kendall has worked in the Rail Industry for just over 3 years with over 15 years experience in the transport sector, specialising in leading and developing innovative projects and programmes. Jacqui currently leads the Rail Delivery Group’s Traincrew Programme as the Traincrew Programme Manager for the People Strategy team, where she is delivering the Industry’s Traincrew Programme, focussing on supporting the industry to deliver improvements in traincrew availability and productivity.

Throughout her career, Jacqui has demonstrated her ability to manage complex projects, consistently achieving significant improvements in efficiency and cost reduction. She has a strong interest in Sustainability, Society and Safety, reflecting her commitment to continuous improvement and sustainable practices across her work.  Jacqui is passionate about fostering collaboration among cross-functional teams and facilitating transformative change to meet project objectives. She holds a Masters degree in Environmental Strategy which further enhances her expertise and dedication to integrating environmental considerations throughout her work such as technology into transport solutions.

Jacqui is committed to the promotion of gender diversity and aims to lead with an inclusive mindset to encourage diverse perspectives and practices and champions the work of the Rail Delivery Group employee network Empower through her role as the Change Lead.

Nada began her rail journey with a year in industry in 2015, which sparked a lasting interest in rail and inspired her to return as a graduate after completing her engineering degree. She now works in the ERTMS team at GTR, helping to shape the future of digital signalling. Alongside her work, Nada has always been active in engineering and rail outreach.

Since becoming a mother, she is particularly interested in highlighting the challenges faced by parents and working towards a more inclusive and supportive industry.

Debbie is an Interface Manager for Structures at VolkerFitzpatrick, where they specialise in bridges and tunnels within the rail and construction sectors.

After making a bold career change from education just four years ago, Debbie has quickly established themselves in the industry, known for connecting teams, overcoming challenges, and driving complex projects forward. Passionate about problem-solving and collaboration, they bring a fresh perspective that bridges both people and projects.