Emily Blackwell interviewed by Esker Saward

Interview with Emily Blackwell recorded by Esker Saward on 11 February 2026 at the Quadrant, Network Rail offices in Milton Keynes. Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes 12 seconds. [Strat of interview] Growing up in Birchington, white conservative seaside area with little visible diversity, attending an all-girls school, bullying, and recognising a bisexual “light bulb” moment aged 13 while feeling lesbian relationships seemed impossible in the early 2000s. She describes being neurodivergent, with dyslexia and dyspraxia, not going to university despite grammar school expectations, travelling abroad, working as a scuba instructor in Southeast Asia, and awareness of visiting countries unsafe for LGBTQIA+ people while not presenting as queer. [00:16:32] She returned to the UK and joined Network Rail [NR] in Reading in 2013, working around Crossrail. She recalls the railway as difficult for women, with women often channelled into administrative roles, little diversity in influential positions, and fewer transgender and nonbinary colleagues. [00:25:16] She discusses male-dominated engineering environments, neurodivergence and eye contact, meeting Babak Erfani through the Archway LGBTQIA+ network; dating her first girlfriend, experiencing biphobia, and finding Archway a bi-inclusive space where she made LGBTQIA+ friends, felt accepted, and gained confidence. [00:35:00] Coming out at work, nerves about visible LGBTQIA+ webinars and presentations, visible and invisible protected characteristics including dyslexia, her sister coming out, family reaction, limited understanding of LGBTQIA+ identities; homophobia; arguments about transgender people and gender-neutral spaces, and non-monogamous dating. [00:47:52] She discusses queer social spaces including Heaven and GAY, lesbian dating apps, biphobia and stereotypes, and learning the term pansexual (pan) at an Archway conference in 2019, which fitted her better. Archway gave her community, support, confidence to attend Pride, and pride in being a member. [00:55:00] As a Document Controller, she joined Archway leadership in a Lead without portfolio role, helping run events and conferences and becoming the visible role model she wished she had. She describes volunteer-led networks, backlash against gender-neutral toilets, transphobia affecting colleagues, and Archway’s role in changing NR policy, including privacy around HIV medication, adding LGBTQIA+ identities to Oracle, and guidance for transgender colleagues, HIV/AIDS, and bullying. [01:06:40] Blackwell stresses the importance of inclusion as GBR [Great British Railways] develops, arguing diverse hiring helps address engineering skills shortages and create better solutions, while reorganisations do not always prioritise EDI [Equality/Equity, Diversity, Inclusion]. [01:09:08] She outlines career progression to Lead Portfolio Manager, including efficiencies as a Document Controller, Critical Resource Planner work using NROL (Network Rail Online Logistics) to deconflict possessions, promotion to Scheme Project Manager, governance and change work, PPF (Putting People First), and a 2019 secondment to HS1 (High Speed 1) as Project Manager for Change. [01:20:44] She discusses Covid-19, returning to capital delivery in Wales & Western, supportive managers, project management career moves, and the value of senior LGBTQIA+ role models. [01:30:20] Blackwell describes herself as a people-focused, queer disabled, non-university-educated person who wants to support other LGBTQIA+ disabled people to progress into leadership, referencing the Inspire Conference (Inspire is the Women & Gender Equality network at NR). She has stepped back from Archway leadership due to career pressures but hopes to reach band 2, while balancing ambition with travel and personal life. [01:41:40] She concludes that society seems to be moving backwards, but hopes NR remains committed to EDI and continues diversifying its workforce. [end of interview]

This interview was made as part of People Pride and Progress (PPP) project. The project was initiated in 2023 to record the stories and memories of the LGBTQIA+ community in a new oral history archive over two years. It aimed to connect past, present and future through intergenerational interviews, offering opportunities for colleagues across all parts of the rail industry to connect, reflect on and learn from each other’s lived experiences while creating an archive of oral history interviews.