International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) this year celebrates 'Together we Engineer' and the power of collaboration and diverse perspectives in tackling engineering challenges. We spoke to five inspiring female engineers from our team about their journeys, daily work, and what this year's theme means to them. We’ll be sharing their experiences throughout the week.
Cherry Lam – Chartered Civil Engineer
Cherry's engineering journey began with a passion for science and mathematics in high school. "During a university open day, I was amazed by how infrastructure connects people and shapes communities," she explains. This led her to pursue Civil Engineering and eventually work on railway station projects in the UK and internationally.
Now with ORR's Railway Engineering and Investment team, Cherry enjoys her diverse role. "No two days are ever the same – my role is truly multifaceted," she says, with responsibilities ranging from asset management to safety investigations and improving accessible travel experiences.
For Cherry, this year's theme resonates deeply: "At its core, 'Together We Engineer' is about how collaboration and diversity drive better, safer and more inclusive engineering outcomes. Engineering is never something you do alone." One of her proudest achievements was working on Canary Wharf Crossrail Station, where she experienced firsthand the power of a diverse team tackling complex challenges.
Her advice to aspiring engineers? "Engineering is very broad – don't limit your imagination." She encourages newcomers to "be bold, stay curious, and speak up," because "your voice matters, and it's part of the legacy we create through engineering."
Rachel McDonnell – Civil Engineer
Rachel's engineering journey began with childhood curiosity. "I have always been interested in how things worked. By the age of 5 I had a fully functional tool kit, which provided a source of great entertainment for me, and I imagine endless frustration for any builders or trades that came to our house, as I would insist on helping," she recalls.
At first Rachel found it hard to find a career route for her talent and interests as at the time there was not the breadth of opportunities, but she found her start through a Network Rail apprenticeship.
It’s not always been easy navigating what is still a male-dominated environment and, particularly at the start of her career, Rachel had to overcome many misconceptions, including when she joined a depot where she was the first woman who would work on track and “they had no idea what to do with me”. She adds: “I spent weeks in the office getting coffee and photocopying, before I could meet the track gang I would be working with.”
Thankfully, things have and continue to change, and Rachel was welcomed into that team and fondly recalls them as “some of the finest and most hardworking people I have ever had the privilege to know and work with. Today, as Lead Drainage Engineer, Rachel works on crucial projects like assessing how Network Rail manages the statuses of drainage assets being installed within earthworks which she emphasises "is particularly important with the growing impact of climate change and the need for good management of earthworks.”
For her, "Together we Engineer" reflects a personal journey of mentorship and determination: "My career and achievements have been a mix of uplifting sentiments by my peers and mentors and utter determination to prove people wrong." Her advice to aspiring engineers? "Failure is a key part to your journey; it will teach you resilience and enable you to learn how important something really is to you. Take the risk and fail with pride."
Morwenna Corry – Geotechnical Engineer
Unlike her colleagues, Morwenna "became an engineer by accident," after studying Geology at university and entering the ground investigation world. Her work on major projects like Crossrail, Thames Tideway Tunnel and Bloomberg House in London led her towards geotechnical engineering and foundation design.
Since joining the ORR in January 2024 as Geotechnical Engineer, Morwenna oversees the regulation of earthwork assets across the UK. Her day typically begins reviewing incident logs – particularly those related to earthwork failures – to identify trends or patterns. She also tracks Network Rail's compliance with standards and their economic management, currently collaborating on a Targeted Assurance Report on new drainage in soil cuttings.
"Together we Engineer to me means that we need to be taking a holistic approach and ensuring that all engineering disciplines are working together to break down boundaries and ensure that the best solution is achieved," she explains.
Morwenna cites her work on the Olympic Village as a career highlight. "Being part of the regeneration and visiting following the Olympics knowing that I had been part of the works is great."
Her advice emphasises cross-disciplinary learning: "Speak to other engineers; ones outside your core discipline as you can learn so much from understanding how engineers in other areas approach tasks and find solutions – remember to keep learning."
While just 16.5% of the UK engineering workforce are women (Railway Museum), change is happening, organisations including ORR are helping to shift this balance through inclusive recruitment, mentoring, and development opportunities.
As we celebrate International Women in Engineering Day 2025, our engineer’s stories remind us that engineering thrives when diverse perspectives come together to solve complex problems. From railways to earthworks, drainage systems to specialist operations. Together, we engineer a better future for Britain's transport infrastructure.
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