It's full steam ahead for new CIRO Fellow, Karen Duffy!

Since joining the rail industry 20 years ago as an apprentice, Karen Duffy has propelled her career, developing her skills and knowledge in rail operations to become an expert in her field. Aspiring to become a future industry leader, Karen decided to upgrade her CIRO membership to Fellow and has ‘never looked back’.

Karen kick-started her profession at Network Rail as an Operational Planning Apprentice in 2002. In her 10 years with Network Rail, Karen gained significant experience in Planning, Maintenance, and Infrastructure Projects before joining the Operations Directorate, and becoming Area Customer Service Manager.

In 2013 Karen moved to the Train Operator East Coast as Head of Performance and since then, she has held various Head of Department roles, across multiple franchises (East Coast, VTEC & LNER) which include Head of Service Delivery, Head of Operational Programmes and is currently Head of Business Planning at London North Eastern Railway, one of the country’s leading long-distance train operators.

“I wanted to become a CIRO Fellow to gain professional affiliation and recognition within the rail industry which is reflective of the experience I have obtained in my career. By joining CIRO I am part of a team who continually strives to strengthen the professional community and contribute to excellence in Railway Operations. CIRO is a fantastic platform to encourage learning, continuous development, formal qualifications, and constant support to obtain professional recognition”.

Fellow membership level can be achieved through completing the 12 modules on the Professional Operations Development (POD) framework, all of which are based on a variety of topics related to rail. Meeting the relevant professional criteria, Karen dedicated much of her free time to completing the Professional Operations Development (POD) sections, which included demonstrating her local, regional, national and international working knowledge, and submitting evidence in three areas from an international perspective. “I would suggest taking on one module at a time and working your way through them carefully.

“Look at the POD criteria and consider how you can demonstrate and evidence your experience against each of the module requirements. Ensure that you clearly articulate how you have personally experienced and delivered each element with examples and supporting evidence. There are several members of CIRO who offer mentoring and it is beneficial to utilise this support to obtain feedback and guidance on your application before you formally submit it”, Karen added.

Collating as much evidence as possible of her time and experience within the industry, Karen demonstrated her ability to make informed decisions about railway operations. As a Fellow, she now has the confidence to help and guide others aspiring to develop their career within her team.

She said: “I have dedicated a large part of my life to get to where I am now, so for me, upgrading meant that I could finally get the recognition and accreditation that I have worked so hard to achieve!”

Between being a full-time mum to two young children and going to work, Karen dedicated most of her free time during the evenings and weekends to completing and submitting her assignments. She commented: “I received support from my CIRO Mentor to keep on track and meet deadlines for submission, ensuring the momentum of my application was not lost.

“Whilst there is no set timeline for submission, the mix of work, family and a busy life meant that the focus on my POD modules could easily have slipped. I found scheduling dedicated time to each module, supported with regular 121s with my mentor kept me on track. It took me 9 months to complete my formal application for submission.”

Encouraging the success and progression of other rail professionals, Karen commented: “I would advise anyone who is passionate about rail to just go for it! You may surprise yourself at what level you can get, and even if you’re new to the industry, CIRO offers memberships for all levels of experience, which provides you with the ability to work your way up!”

Fellow is the most senior level of membership and demonstrates your abilities and expertise in railway operations, as well as showing a strong commitment to the industry. As a Fellow, Karen can use the postnominals FCIRO, share her knowledge and expertise by becoming a Mentor, contribute to the Institution’s library, become a CIRO Ambassador and continue her CPD.

Karen concluded: “More importantly, believe in yourself and the experience you have gained. If you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything you want to!”

There are four membership levels; Affiliate, Associate, Member and Fellow. These are designed as career milestones and to distinguish you as a rail leader. It’s also possible to apply for any level as there’s a membership to suit you at any stage of your career.

For any further information or advice on upgrading your membership, get in touch with our team at [email protected]