A mother and daughter duo have spoken out about what it's like working on the railways in Edinburgh.
As we celebrate International Women's Day, Mum Gail Bruno and daughter Gabriella told Edinburgh Live what the day means to them while they work as onboard customer experience hosts in the railway industry. This comes as new research from the train operator found that one in 100 said that driving trains would be their dream job, with a fifth admitting they would love a career in the industry.
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One in two (47 percent) Gen Z women would consider a role on the railway, but there is a gap between the appetite to pursue a career and the knowledge about some industries.
Gail, 53, is no stranger to dealing with customers who are on their travels. She worked with Thomas Cook as a cabin manager for 25 years before it went into administration in 2019, then Covid hit and there wasn’t that much employment opportunities but then my friend suggested I go to LNER and landed the job as a customer host.
Meanwhile her 20-year-old daughter Gabriella first had dreams of becoming a PE teacher after studying at university. But after the covid pandemic hit, she found a new passion.
She said: “After the pandemic, I heard from mum how good LNER was and a job came up and I went for it. I was quite hesitant because it was the railways, I didn’t know what to expect. But I got the job and I’ve loved it ever since.”
While some may shudder at the thought of working with their mum, Gabriella admits that she finds it fun and Gail says she can show her the ropes.
Speaking about challenging instances she might come across, Gabriella said: "I think this job has really brought out the confidence in me to deal with it. And the team pulls together so you’re never alone either.”
"I'm very passionate about people's welfare", Gail added, "Speaking to them, making sure they are okay and make a difference to people's day and make it better."
Speaking of the team, the former PE student noticed how many women were in managerial roles on the railways and says it inspired her career path to progress in the industry.
With women making up 45 per cent of LNER’s workforce, Gabriella said: "International's women’s day is so important to me because it really celebrates women’s achievements in the workplace and encourages them to go for jobs they might not have initially went for. It really encourages and empowers women.”
Claire Ansley, customer experience and people team director at LNER, said “We are proud that 43 percent of our workforce at LNER are women and they bring with them a wide range of diverse experience.
"Our latest research shows 74 per cent of the younger generation think jobs like doctors, lawyers and train drivers are “cool again”, so we want to encourage as many women as possible to consider rail as an exciting and rewarding career choice bursting with opportunities.”
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