Earlier this month fifteen women from across the transport industry headed to Neasden service control to experience what it’s like to work in trains and service control on the Jubilee line.

The Women in Transport event saw attendees operating a train in the Tube cab simulator, take a real cab journey down the Jubilee line from Wembley Park to Stanmore and tour the service control centre at Neasden.

Jubilee line Instructor Operator Maria McFarlane who helped out at the event said: “Our visitors thoroughly enjoyed hearing about our experiences as women in transport, having a go on the cab simulator and hearing all about the operation of the signalling system on the Jubilee line. They were amazed at the level of knowledge and responsibility we have both as train/instructor operators and service controllers. Without a doubt, the cab rides were the highlight of the afternoon.”

Head of line Operations (Jubilee line) Kerri Rogan said: “This was a great opportunity for some of our fantastic women on the Jubilee line to showcase the critical roles they perform on a daily basis to provide an excellent service to our customers. We received great feedback about this event and it was an excellent opportunity to put the spotlight on diversity which is something that needs to be front and centre of how we run the railway going forward. Thanks to everyone involved who went above and beyond to make this event possible, they are a real credit to the Jubilee line - Mike Reid, Olivia Bartlett, Neil Pepper, Maria McFarlane, Lara Balogun, Jackie McPake, Martina Jones and Natalie Tucker.”

This event was part of an initiative to help promote gender diversity across London Underground and is part of a wider diversity plan for the network, with similar initiatives planned for other lines.

Here's some feedback from the attendees:

“It was great to meet the people behind the scenes making sure the tube runs, and the small margins for error that a busy line has. I enjoyed talking to the staff and understanding how small changes to the way they operate have potentially big implications. Trying the tube train simulator was particularly good fun!” Sonia Duarte, Accoustic Consultant, Arup

“It was a great experience. I think more than learning how to drive a tube train, and understanding the technical aspects and skills of the job, I really liked the discussions with women drivers and also that we could discuss how they personally manage their jobs. It is a job that is so invisible but at the same time so essential and it was great to see the faces behind the tube trains we go in and out of every day.” Amelie Cosse, Principal Consultant, Momentum Transport Planning

“The whole event was fascinating and enlightening. It was such a breath of fresh air to spend time with such technically literate women who could pilot a train whilst casually relating their own very human stories of working on the tube. I appreciated both the technical insight and also their ability to relate their everyday experiences. It felt like a real privilege to be allowed access to the heart of the control centre as well as the driving cab.” Becki Cox, Principal Technical Advisor, Living Streets

“'It was great to see behind the scenes of how the tube is run and controlled. Really enjoyed meeting the range of TfL people and hearing them describe their roles. Being in the driver's cab on a real, moving tube train was fantastic.”
Stephanie McGibbon, Director, Arup

“ Was great to meet the train operators and find out about their experiences. Good to see the control room and ask lots of questions. Everyone was really friendly and open to talk to us. The TfL staff were so engaging and went above/beyond to make the event a really enjoyable experience for everyone who attended.”
Samantha Avis, Senior Marketing Manager, WSP

Thank you to Kerri Rogan, Head of the Jubilee Line and everyone at Transport for London for organising this really interesting and enjoyable event.

Thank you also to TfL for allowing us to use the photographs and this piece based on an article that appeared in the London Underground News