Women make up just one in five workers in Welsh transport sector

Nation.Cymru Staff

Women make up just one in five workers in Wales’ transport and communications sector, with even fewer working as drivers and operators, research has revealed amid efforts to recruit more women.

Transport for Wales research has found women make up only 20% of Wales’ Transport and Communications workforce, falling to just 6.7% among transport and mobile machine drivers and operators, with particularly low representation among drivers, engineers and vehicle maintenance staff.

Within the Transport for Wales Group, women make up 31.5% of employees in the highest-paid quartile, compared with 41.6% in the lowest-paid quartile, according to its 2025 reporting.

In TFW rail, the figures are more stark, with women accounting for just 10.1% of employees in the highest-paid quartile, versus 37.2% in the lowest-paid quartile. The median gender pay gap is 16.9%, meaning women earn around 83p in median hourly pay for every £1 earned by men.

However, efforts are being made to address the imbalance, with Transport for Wales working to recruit more women into traditionally male-dominated roles within the sector.

The Welsh Government helped establish the Women in Transport Wales Hub in 2022 to support women already working in the sector, attract more women into the industry, and build a network for sharing good practice and professional development.

Additionally, Transport for Wales is working with trade unions to get more women into train driving and engineering, running recruitment events tailored to women, offering secondments with the Welsh Government, Network Rail and other operators and taking measures to make workplaces more inclusive.

Progress

Between 2022 and 2023, the number of female Transport for Wales train drivers rose from 54 to 76, taking women’s representation among drivers from 7.4% to 9.3%.

The proportion of women among new Transport for Wales apprentices also rose from 14.3% to 42.9% over the same period.

Chloe Thomas joined Transport for Wales over 11 years ago, starting her career as a maintenance apprentice, before achieving a first-class honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

Chloe progressed from maintenance technician to fleet support engineer, and now works as an Assurance Engineer primarily looking after the Class 398 Fleet.

Throughout her career, Chloe has led the trial of a new signalling system on the Heart of Wales Line, has been supporting, from an engineering and assurance perspective, the introduction of new trains across the network, and became the first female apprentice ever to work at Transport for Wales’s Canton depot in Cardiff.

In 2022, Chloe was named Rail Engineer of the Year at the Rail Staff Awards and, more recently, established Women in Fleet group, an initiative designed to bring women from across the fleet sector together.

Chloe said: “Over the last 11 years, I’ve been part of a huge amount of change at Transport for Wales. That hasn’t just been reflected in my own career progression, but also in the culture of the business.

“Since starting Women in Fleet group just last year, the group has grown to more than 30 women. We’ve already helped deliver a significant overhaul of the facilities at Canton Depot, with improvements to the female facilities at Machynlleth depot also underway. We’ve also been working closely with the policy team to review and improve several workplace policies.

“It’s fantastic to see what we’ve achieved in such a short time, and I’m excited to see how the group continues to grow and make a positive difference for colleagues across the business.”

Leadership 

The Deputy Minister for Transport, Mark Hooper, met Marie Daly, Chief Operating Officer at Transport for Wales earlier this month to hear about the progress being made to recruit and retain women in the sector.

Marie also chairs Women in Rail, an organisation working to improve diversity in the UK rail industry. She said: “It was great to meet with the Deputy Minister to showcase the work we are doing to boost female representation across our workforce.

“While we are seeing real progress, women still account for just 20% of Wales’s transport and communications workforce.

“At Transport for Wales and through Women in Rail, we remain fully committed to breaking down barriers, inspiring the next generation, attracting diverse talent, and ensuring women see transport as a rewarding, long-term career.”

Other women holding senior roles in the sector include Natalie Britton, Operations Director at Milford Haven Port Authority, and Sarah West, Managing Director of Stena Line UK & Ireland Ports, who became the first woman to command a major UK warship during her 20-year career in the Royal Navy.

Natalie Britton said: “What I value most about working at the Port is the diversity and scope of the role. Every day presents new opportunities to collaborate with different customers and teams, solve complex challenges and contribute to projects that support the organisation’s continued success.

“I am particularly proud of the positive impact the Port has on the local community, supporting jobs, businesses and future opportunities across the region.

“Being part of an organisation that plays such an important role in the area’s growth and prosperity is both rewarding and inspiring.”

Opportunities

The Deputy Minister, Mark Hooper, added: “I’m pleased to hear about the progress Transport for Wales are making in actively recruiting and retaining women into traditionally male jobs. I’m keen to understand what more we can do to support that progress.

“As we continue to develop and improve transport across Wales, inclusion, opportunity and culture change must be integral to that development, not an afterthought.”