13 July 2026 •
Colleagues from across GBR Anglia came together recently to celebrate Disability Pride.
Organised by Greater Anglia’s employee network groups, the event brought together colleagues from across the Anglia railway to discuss how to create more inclusive workplaces as Greater Anglia, c2c and Network Rail Anglia work more closely together as part of GBR Anglia.
Throughout the day, colleagues explored sessions centred on sharing lived experiences of neurodiversity and promoting practical ways to improve accessibility and inclusion in the workplace. The programme also included practical grounding techniques through activities such as worry stone and fidget ring crafting.
An afternoon keynote presentation was delivered by author and inclusion specialist Ellen Jones, who spoke about the intersection of neurodiversity and LGBTQIA+ identities, while highlighting the value organisations can discover in recognising and embracing diversity as a strength.
Celebrated every July, Disability Pride Month encourages people and organisations to celebrate disability identity, challenge barriers and build more inclusive workplaces. For GBR Anglia, it also provided an opportunity to bring colleagues together across Greater Anglia, c2c and Network Rail Anglia to learn from each other and continue building a railway where everyone can thrive.
Rob Mullen, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer at GBR Anglia, said:
“It was a genuine privilege to attend this event and hear so many voices candidly share their experiences of how neurodiversity shapes their lives both in and outside the workplace.
“At GBR Anglia, we’re proud to celebrate the diversity of our people. Days like this give colleagues the opportunity to learn from each other, challenge barriers, and help to build a shared culture where everyone feels valued and able to reach their full potential.
“As Greater Anglia, c2c and Network Rail Anglia work more closely together, events like this are an important reminder that integration is not only about operations and services. It is also about building a shared culture across the railway, shaped by the experiences and voices of our people.”
Disabled people continue to face barriers in employment and in the workplace, underlining the importance of creating more accessible, inclusive and understanding organisations.
Rose Merchant, Talent Attraction Manager and Chair of Ability, Greater Anglia’s disability and carer-focused network group, said:
“There is still so much work to be done around breaking down barriers and creating truly accessible workplaces.
“It was incredibly inspiring seeing people bring their energy, vulnerability and passion to today’s sessions, and fantastic to bring colleagues together from across GBR Anglia as we continue building a more inclusive, accessible and understanding railway.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
About GBR Anglia
GBR Anglia brings together c2c, Greater Anglia and Network Rail Anglia under one unified leadership team as part of the wider journey towards Great British Railways.
This new structure is part of wider plans to create Great British Railways (GBR), bringing track and train closer together to deliver a better, more joined-up railway for customers and communities in Anglia.
The structure is designed to support closer operational coordination across infrastructure, train services and customer delivery.
Existing ticketing and customer arrangements remain unchanged, and customers will continue to see the current company identities as the railway transitions towards GBR.
The Anglia route serves a fast-growing region, connecting commuters, leisure travellers, ports, power stations and more, as well as Stansted and Southend airports.
About c2c
- c2c is the award-winning train operator running services between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, serving 26 stations in East London and South Essex.
- c2c is one of the UK’s most punctual and popular train operators and nearly 37.3 million journeys are made on its services every year.
- The operation of all c2c services transferred into public ownership on Sunday 20 July 2025 and is managed by DFTO (DfT Operator Ltd).
- For more information email mediaenquiries@c2crail.net
About DFTO
- DFTO is the government’s public sector rail owning group. Its purpose is to bring all currently privately-owned train operators into public ownership in advance of the creation of Great British Railways in 2027.
- The group’s current train operating companies are: c2c, Greater Anglia, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and WM Trains (London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway).
- DFTO runs more than 8,500 services each weekday and delivers more than 660 million customer journeys across its networks every year.
Images
Featured Image: Colleagues from Greater Anglia, c2c and Network Rail Anglia mark Disability Pride together. (credit: GBR Anglia)
Second Image: Interactive group sessions included fidget ring crafting. (credit: GBR Anglia)