Railway 200 team
This year’s theme for South Asian Heritage Month is Roots to Routes, exploring the rich journey of growth, and the evolving connections made through generations. With 2025 being the 200th anniversary of the modern railway, it is timely to look back and explore the evolution of those from South Asian Heritage working in the railway today.
Today, the rail industry has many colleagues from South Asian Heritage in a range of diverse roles at various levels, from the frontline to leadership roles, which symbolise the progression that has happened over the last 200 years . It’s important to recognise this to enable us to build meaningful relationships that work more effectively across the industry, making it a welcoming place of work.
Below are a collection of stories from colleagues at Network Rail to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month as we also look forward to the next 200 years of rail.
Gurjot’s story
10 months in I’m proud to reflect on my journey to get here, both personally and professionally, while celebrating my first South Asian Heritage Month in the rail industry.
My story goes across continents. My grandparents grew up in Afghanistan but moved to Germany. This was due to the conflict that occurred which shaped much of their early lives. Hence my roots are in Afghanistan where my dad was raised. Later, he married my mum – a proud Punjabi woman from the beautiful city of Amritsar in the Punjab of India – and together they eventually moved to the UK after I was born in Germany at 4 months old. I was raised in the UK.
Their journey was built on hard work, sacrifice, and resilience. This is because my dad set up businesses in the UK and worked tirelessly to give our family a better life. Thanks to his efforts, I’ve grown up with a lot of stability, opportunity, and a deep appreciation for the freedoms I enjoy today. I am able to live comfortably due to the hard work my family had put in.
200 years of the railway means something personal to me.
Since joining Network Rail as an engineering apprentice in November, I have been able to experience how this industry gives people like me the platform to grow, belong, and express who we are.
As a proud Sikh, I wear my turban to work with pride and without any restriction. I’ve been welcomed with open arms, made strong friendships, and found a workplace where diversity and equality are lived.
The railway has given me the chance to be myself – not just as an engineer, but as someone whose identity, culture, and values are respected at all times.
Rajinder’s story
It’s been more than 20 years in the railway, since I joined on 24 January 2004, and I still love it. One thing I don’t take for granted is being able to come into work and feeling that you actually belong, which is something to feel blessed about. In those 20 years I have worked in various roles and across different parts of Network Rail. It’s not always been easy, and I’ve had my fair share of challenges, but driving change is what I have always felt compelled to do. I’ve seen change happen across the organisation and the industry at large. It is perpetual. It never stops and so it shouldn’t.
For me Women in Rail also changed my life. From tough challenging times and low points (personally and professionally) to being the first woman from an ethnic background to win Inspirational Woman of the Year at the inaugural Woman in Rail Awards 2018. It has helped me achieve, grow and help others. This gave me confidence to inspire others to talk about a taboo topic, spurring me on in becoming an Ambassador with Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA) and I have been successfully driving how organisations in the rail industry embed a domestic abuse response which is part of their workplace culture as a safety net for those who need it. When you think about it, vehicles for change like Women in Rail need to exist, partnering with others in order for us to empower and improve each other’s situations in organisations across rail.
Jasmine’s story
The railway holds a special place in my family’s history. When my mum’s family migrated from Gujarat, India, to the UK in the 1960s, trains became their way of exploring their new home – travelling across Britain to visit family, see the sights, and build memories. My grandad even worked at Paddington Station for a time. One of our fondest stories is of the day he accidentally left his briefcase on a train, prompting an evacuation – only for it to be found containing nothing but his glasses and sandwiches for lunch! We still have that same briefcase today with his glasses inside as a reminder of the laughter and love railways brought into our lives. To me, the railway is about connection, bringing people together and creating memories that last for generations. My hope for the future is that it continues to unite communities and open opportunities for everyone. Keeping connected is so important.
Kanta’s story
As we mark 200 years of the British railways, I find myself thinking back to my own cultural roots, especially the Anglo-Sikh period and the story of Maharajah Duleep Singh (1838-1893). He lived at Elveden Hall, near Thetford in Norfolk, right on the border with Suffolk. During my research into the movements of the Sikh Empire and his family, I discovered how much they travelled, both in India and across the UK using the railway network. That connection to trains became a personal link for me, connecting my heritage with the history of travel. It’s a fitting theme for South Asian Heritage 2025: Roots to Routes.
One figure who stands out is the Maharaja’s daughter, Princess Sophia Duleep Singh (1876–1948). She was a remarkable woman, a suffragette, a Red Cross nurse, and a vocal critic of British rule in India. She lived between two worlds, using her royal status to support the fight for women’s voting rights. Today, she’s honoured with a blue plaque, Faraday House on Hampton Court Road, where she lived for over 50 years. She and her sisters also travelled widely by the railway system.
Recently, while working as part of the Railway 200 events team whilst the Inspiration Exhibition Train was at the Severn Valley Railway heritage station, I noticed a train headboard named ‘Princess Sofia in the café area (see image). It brought a big smile to my face. In that moment, I felt the deep connection between my Sikh heritage and the long history of railway travel.
Tahibur’s story
200 years of railway means a lot to me because the railway serves and has been serving many people across the country. As a third generation British Bangladeshi in the UK, I am the first person in my family to work in the railway and to me this is a milestone, because working in railway was unheard of before I joined Network Rail. Only after joining I realised the vast career paths the railway offers, and I hope I can inspire others to consider careers in railway.
Like Jasmine, Kanta, Gurjot and Tahibur, you can have a meaningful career in rail. You can explore the different roles on offer within rail via the Careers page on the Railway 200 website
