CPC Project Services (CPC) is celebrating a double win at the ninth annual Women in Rail Awards.

The event was held at the Roundhouse in Camden, London, on Wednesday 13 May.

CPC won both the Best Networking Group category for its staff-led Women in CPC group, and the Best EDI Team category, collecting these awards in front of 740 rail industry professionals.

Hosted this year by Gail Porter, the awards recognise individuals and organisations making outstanding contributions to improving gender balance, diversity and inclusion across the UK rail sector. CPC said its double win reflected two years of focused, people-led initiatives to embed equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into every part of its business – and to influence positive change for the wider industry.

Established two years ago, Women in CPC is a staff-led network, founded and led predominantly by women but intentionally open to all genders. CPC said it was proud to be the first SME to sign the Women in Rail EDI Charter, and the group’s impact is already showing results, with significant improvements in new staff representation and the introduction of inclusive leadership training.

Standout initiatives include a bespoke, staff-built Mentoring App that uses algorithm-based matching to pair senior leaders with junior colleagues; the CPC People in Rail community, supported by the Rail Hub app, which connects operators, infrastructure teams, suppliers and clients across the sector; and a schools outreach programme inspiring girls and underrepresented students into rail and infrastructure careers.

Judges praised the Best Networking Group entry as “a great example that goes beyond the immediate organisation and has a positive impact more widely across the rail industry, with tangible outcomes evidenced,” while the Best EDI Team submission was commended for evidencing “long-term commitment, accountability and industry leadership consistent with Charter principles.”

Holly Fisher, Co-Chair of Women in CPC, said: “To win not one but two awards at the Women in Rail Awards is an incredibly proud moment for everyone at CPC. Women in CPC began as a staff-led group with a big ambition: to make our business, and our industry, more inclusive, more representative and more welcoming for everyone. Two years on, we can point to real, measurable change.”

“With women still making up just 18.9 per cent of the UK rail workforce, our work is far from done. But tonight reminds us of what we can achieve when leadership, allyship and purpose come together. We’re hugely grateful to Women in Rail, the judges, and our leadership team for backing us, and we can’t wait to keep going.”

A total of 13 awards were presented on the night, with judges noting a record number of over 430 entries across the categories. The event was opened by Marie Daly, Chair of Women in Rail and Chief Operations Officer at Transport for Wales, followed by a keynote address from Lucy D’Orsi, Chief Constable of the British Transport Police.