Supporting diversity in rail

Diverse teams drive performance, innovation and solutions that better meet the needs of the community. We recognise the importance of supporting greater participation and advancement of women in rail to support the industry's long-term success.

Women represent an increasing part of the rail industry’s workforce, but there remains work to do to achieve greater gender diversity.

Our Women in Rail Committee was established to spearhead the industry’s focus on this critical issue and create new opportunities for women to network, share information and access professional development designed for people forging their careers in rail.

Women in Rail Strategic Plan 2023 – 2026

The ARA has released its three-year Women in Rail strategy aimed at increasing female participation in the industry to help ensure its long-term sustainability. Female participation in the industry increased to 24 per cent in 2021-22, up from 17 per cent in 2014, according to ARA research, however more work is needed to increase gender diversity within the industry. The strategy aims to create a more sustainable, thriving rail workforce by empowering women at every level of industry and by equipping our members with the necessary tools for success. Read it here.

Join our Women in Rail Network

The Women in Rail Network was established to provide new networking opportunities for women working in rail.

If you are working for an ARA member organisation, you can join our Women in Rail LinkedIn group to stay up to date with all the latest information and industry updates.

You can also look out for our regular Women in Rail lunches and other events in our newsletter, so make sure you are subscribed if you would like to attend.

Be part of our mentoring program

The Women in Rail Mentoring Program is available to women working in ARA member organisations. To find out more, visit our mentoring hub.

Reporting on gender diversity

The ARA releases a Gender Diversity Report every two years to track the industry’s progress across Australia and New Zealand.

Our fourth report was released in March 2024, confirming that while more women are advancing their careers in rail, there remains more work to do to improve participation in the industry. Women currently make up 28 per cent of the rail workforce, with more women also taking on leadership roles.

We have also partnered with National Women in Transport to engage Diversity Partners to conduct qualitative research into gender diversity in our industry. The research included a survey, focus groups and written submissions, and will be released later this year. Read more here.

Gender Diversity Resources Guide

The ARA has developed a Gender Diversity Resources Guide for rail organisations who are seeking support and guidance around what steps to take and what resources are available to support a gender inclusive workplace.

The guide aims to inform and support organisations identify and address gender equality gaps in their organisations and is designed to help navigate where to start in implementing strategies and determine the right approach for your organisation’s aims and means.

The guide includes several best practice resources that are free and available online. Many have been developed by the Australian Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).

Diversity initiatives library

The ARA has compiled a range of case studies showcasing diversity initiatives in place across the industry. View our case studies here.

ARA Gender Diversity Survey Report Confirms..