From a three-month internship to senior leadership roles across the UK rail industry, Georgia Ehrmann’s career demonstrates how curiosity, initiative, and continuous learning can accelerate professional growth. Becoming a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators in 2023 marked a major milestone in her journey, one that continues to shape her leadership and influence within the industry.
Georgia’s railway journey began in 2014 with a short internship at Chiltern Railways. What started as a temporary opportunity quickly became the foundation for a long-term career.
During those early months, she immersed herself in every aspect of the business, from operations and customer service to learning about railway policy and history. She also contributed to the delivery of the new rail link between Bicester and Oxford, gaining first-hand insight into how infrastructure and operations come together to deliver new services for passengers.
Her next move took her north to York with Northern, where she worked as Track Access Manager, managing the relationship with Network Rail. Determined to understand the railway beyond her immediate responsibilities, Georgia made a point of travelling across the entire network, an experience she credits with expanding both her operational knowledge and her understanding of the geography of Britain’s railways.
In 2018, she joined Virgin Trains (later Avanti West Coast) in the revenue team, where she led reservations management and supported the commercial development of the timetable. Her role later evolved when she moved into operations as Head of Network Development and Planning, overseeing timetable planning and managing key projects and contracts with Network Rail.
Now based in Manchester, Georgia became Regional Director at CrossCountry in 2024. In this role, she leads traincrew, service delivery, and customer service across the West Midlands and North West.
Her next chapter begins soon as she moves back to Network Rail as Programme Director. There, she will work with the Department for Transport Operator (DFTO) and train operators to lead the business planning for the West Coast Main Line as the industry prepares for transition into Great British Railways.
Georgia achieved Fellow status in 2023. She stated, “I was particularly inspired to complete my applications by my manager at the time, at Avanti, Gus Dunster, himself a Fellow and always encouraging me to broaden my knowledge”.
Being a Fellow led to additional opportunities for development and to build relationships with people she admires, including through her role on the CIRO Policy Panel and by attending and speaking at conferences such as Rail in the West Midlands.
Also, becoming a Fellow has strengthened Georgia’s confidence in herself as an operational leader and signalled to others that she is serious about her role. As a relatively young professional in the railway industry, she also demonstrates that she brings a breadth of experience and insight to share.
For Georgia, CIRO membership represents more than professional recognition. It’s a community that promotes leadership development, knowledge sharing, and diversity within the railway sector.
Attending CIRO events has been particularly influential. While working in York, she regularly joined North East Area Council events, where she heard from industry speakers and connected with peers across the sector. Memorable experiences included visits to the Hitachi Intercity Express Train facility in Doncaster and a tour of Drax Power Station.
These events, along with national gatherings like the Golden Whistle Awards, helped her build relationships with mentors and colleagues who have supported her throughout her career.
CIRO’s structured learning tools have also played a key role in her development. The Professional Operators’ Development (POD) framework helped her consolidate knowledge across disciplines such as engineering and finance, encouraging her to explore areas outside her immediate expertise.
Today, she regularly recommends CIRO courses and qualifications to colleagues across all levels, from frontline staff to senior management, particularly as new programmes focused on operational leadership continue to emerge.
Many professionals assume becoming a Fellow is something to pursue later in their careers. Georgia believes the opposite can be true.
The process of working toward Member and Fellow levels pushes individuals to look beyond their day-to-day roles and consider the bigger picture of the railway industry. It’s demanding but immensely rewarding.
At a time when the industry is undergoing major reform, she believes the Fellow level can also position professionals to contribute more effectively to the sector’s future.
“It puts you in a stronger position to advocate for rail, contribute to thought leadership, and mentor others,” she says.
Georgia’s career has already spanned operations, revenue management, timetable planning, and senior leadership. Yet her approach remains focused on continual growth.
Her upcoming move to Network Rail will offer a broader perspective on how infrastructure, operators, and government work together to deliver the future railway.
She sees the role as an opportunity to help build momentum behind reform, while drawing on the knowledge and experience of experts across the industry.
For those starting out in railway operations, Georgia’s advice is simple: be curious and get involved.
Early in her career, she took every opportunity to gain hands-on experience, from working on stations and visiting maintenance depots to managing social media during peak periods. Those experiences helped build the operational understanding she still relies on today.
She also encourages newcomers to ask questions and build relationships across the industry.
“People are happy to help,” she says. “Those relationships will stay with you throughout your career.”
One piece of advice she emphasises strongly is to spend time travelling by train. Experiencing services from a passenger perspective and observing how frontline teams operate offers invaluable insight into how the railway really works.
She also encourages professionals to travel internationally by rail where possible, to see how other networks innovate and use technology.
Finally, Georgia believes it’s important not to be intimidated by the complexity of the railway industry.
“The rail industry can feel full of acronyms, policies, and procedures,” she says. “But the most important thing is delivering a safe, reliable, and positive experience for passengers.”
Outside work, Georgia continues to enjoy rail travel, both in the UK and abroad, for professional interest and enjoyment. In 2025, she visited nine countries she hadn’t been to before.
She also enjoys running, walking, ice skating, and looking after her pet tortoise.
Accelerate your career journey by upgrading you CIRO membership. Find out how, and take the first step here: https://www.ciro.org/upgrade-your-membership/
