--- title: "Metro Trains VR case study: gender equity in operations" description: "Three VR workshops, split by audience and run with Grit Leadership, that put Metro Trains' leaders inside the bias its policies could not see." canonical: https://peopletechrevolution.com/work/case-studies/metro-trains-gender-equity --- [Our Work](https://peopletechrevolution.com/work) / [Case Studies](https://peopletechrevolution.com/work/case-studies) # Metro Trains: gender equity in operational roles Three VR workshops, split by audience, that put Metro Trains' leaders inside the bias its policies could not see. A rail yard at dawn, headset on. ## Head office had moved. The depots had not. Metro Trains had improved gender representation in its head office teams over time. Its operational departments, particularly traditionally male-dominated roles such as train maintenance, still struggled to attract and retain female staff. People Tech Revolution, in collaboration with Grit Leadership, ran the pilot that asked why. ## Could VR do for culture what it had done for technical training? Metro Trains had already used VR successfully for technical training. The question was whether the same medium could surface systemic bias, shift leadership mindsets and drive cultural change across the organisation. A mechanic and apprentice in the depot. ### Soft skills, hard roles A maintenance bay is a technical place, and its culture is set by the people already in it. Traditional DEIB efforts had struggled to shift that. The pilot tested whether immersive learning could get further, by putting leaders in the scenario rather than in front of a policy. ## A workshop for each audience Each session used the Everyday Inclusion module from the PTR VR Library, the same module previously deployed with Etihad Airways, and each was built around the barriers most relevant to that group's part of the business. Head Office Staff: broad DEIB awareness and continuous improvement. Operational Leaders: recruiting and keeping women in hard-skill roles. Combined Leadership: a shared vision for inclusive practice. ### The rooms the operational leaders run The Operational Leaders workshop tackled real barriers to recruiting and retaining women in hard-skill roles, and examined the impact of systemic issues such as facility design and resource allocation. These are the kinds of places that conversation is about. A toolbox talk in the yard. A trainer and trainee share one screen. An instructor beside a trainee in the cab. ## How the pilot was run The three workshops gave Metro Trains a structured way to test immersive learning against a problem that traditional DEIB efforts had struggled to shift. A supervisor checks in with a driver. ### Split by audience, on purpose Rather than a single generic session, the program was split three ways: head office staff, operational leaders and a combined leadership group. Each workshop could then spend its time on the barriers that group actually controls. ## What the leaders said The pilot's outcomes are qualitative, gathered by PTR after the sessions from the operational leaders the pilot was built for. A conduct conversation at the depot door. ### Bias, often unintentional Systemic bias often proved unintentional. Policies such as prioritising separate facilities for women, rather than equitable upgrades for all staff, could reinforce a sense of exclusion. > "Virtual reality provides a safe and controlled environment where participants can engage in scenarios that challenge gender biases and promote inclusive behaviour." Simon Lowe CEO, People Tech Revolution. [Let's be prepared, Global Best Practice Group, August 2024](https://globalbestpracticegroup.com/vr/) Colleagues on the depot apron, replies in view. ### Leadership awareness as the lever Operational leaders acknowledged the subtle ways culture, policy and infrastructure shape staff experience and limit equity. Participants found the VR training realistic and engaging, and reported that it was effective in prompting new perspectives on the issue. ## Where the conversation has to happen Retention is decided in the yard, the cab and the control room, not in the policy document. These are the rooms PTR builds so leaders can practise the conversation before they have it there. Two colleagues across a freight yard. Alone in the cab, choices beside the controls. A dispatcher alone in the control room. A return-to-work conversation in the crib room. ### What the pilot showed By placing leaders inside realistic scenarios rather than presenting policy alone, the pilot demonstrated that immersive learning can spark meaningful conversation even where traditional DEIB efforts had struggled to gain traction. [The same module at Etihad Airways](https://peopletechrevolution.com/work/case-studies/etihad-cabin-crew-inclusion) Want a program like this for your own operational teams? [Open the contact form](https://peopletechrevolution.com/work/case-studies/metro-trains-gender-equity#contact) Ask our CEO Simon Lowe’s Digital Twin a question ## Sources PTR’s record of the three workshops, and the Library title they ran. ### Metro Trains gender equity workshops, delivery record People Tech Revolution with Grit Leadership PTR's notes and the leaders' feedback from the three workshops, held by PTR. [Ask us for the delivery record](https://peopletechrevolution.com/work/case-studies/metro-trains-gender-equity#contact) ### [Everyday Inclusion in the PTR VR Library](https://peopletechrevolution.com/xr/ptr-vr-library/everyday-inclusion) People Tech Revolution The module all three workshops ran, with its origin at Cornell University and its other deployments. Related PTR work Related PTR work - [Etihad Airways: cabin crew inclusion](https://peopletechrevolution.com/work/case-studies/etihad-cabin-crew-inclusion) - [Everyday Inclusion in the PTR VR Library](https://peopletechrevolution.com/xr/ptr-vr-library/everyday-inclusion) - [Workplace & Enterprise case studies](https://peopletechrevolution.com/work/case-studies/workplace-enterprise) - [Transport & Logistics](https://peopletechrevolution.com/work/industries/transport-logistics) - [All case studies](https://peopletechrevolution.com/work/case-studies)