I’ve always been curious about how things work, not just the big picture, but the details too. Engineering felt like the right path for someone who wanted to turn that curiosity into something tangible.

I began my journey in 2007 as an Assistant Design Engineer, where I worked on signalling logic for railways in India and Malaysia. From there, I moved into roles supporting rail projects in Australia and the UK, including Network Rail. It was a fast-paced time when I learned to design across different systems, standards, and ways of working, something that has shaped the way I approach challenges to this day.

Like many women, I took a career break in 2014 and 2015 to raise my two daughters. And while I wouldn’t change that time for anything, I missed the work, the thinking, the teamwork, the problem-solving. So in 2016, I rejoined the industry and began working on the Four Lines Modernisation (4LM) project, eventually joining Hitachi Rail as part of the Signalling Design team.

Seventeen years later, I’ve now contributed to almost every stage of the 4LM project, from pre-design correlation to Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) commissioning across multiple Sub-Surface Railway Migration Areas (SMAs). I currently work with the Hitachi Canada SysOps team, developing SelTrac Signal Plan (SSP) and Application Data. It’s fast-paced, collaborative, and keeps me learning something new every day, which is exactly how I like it.

One of my proudest moments was working on 4LM’s System Migration Area Sub-Surface Railway Migration Area Eight (SMA08). It was one of the most complex commissioning migration phases to date, and the design work required real focus, teamwork and commitment. Delivering that successfully, especially knowing how much it mattered to the wider project, is something I’ll always carry with me.

This year, as the UK marks 200 years of railway history, it feels even more meaningful to reflect on the role we each play in shaping what comes next. Engineering isn’t just about trains or technology; it’s about people. I’m proud to be part of a team and an industry that builds systems serving communities, doing so with care, accuracy, and purpose.

Being a woman in engineering isn’t always easy. At times, you do feel like you have to prove yourself just a little bit more, and balancing work and home life, especially as a mother, is an ongoing challenge. But those are also the reasons why the work matters. My daughters see me doing something meaningful, and that alone makes every long day and late-night commissioning moment worth it.

To any woman considering a career in engineering, I say what I always tell my girls: don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. Ask questions. Keep learning. It’s ok to make mistakes, that’s where the learning happens. And it’s ok to ask for help. Engineering is about building things that work, and that includes workplaces that reflect everyone. The more voices we include, the better the solutions we create.