TfGM head of rail, Amanda White, has been named the North West’s 32nd most influential woman in business.

The annual list, which is produced by business magazine, Insider North West and includes nominations from Manchester, Lancashire, Liverpool, Cheshire and Cumbria, places Amanda in the top 100 alongside influential leaders and business women from the public and private sectors. Amanda is the only rail industry professional to feature on the list.

As head of rail at TfGM, Amanda oversees rail policy in Greater Manchester, working closely with the train operators, the local authorities and the Department for Transport to improve services for businesses, residents and visitors to the region.

In addition to her role at TfGM, Amanda contributes to strategic transport planning in the North of England through Transport for the North and Rail North, working to inform northern transport strategy and drive economic growth.

Amanda’s previous roles include senior route engineer for HS2 Ltd and railway systems engineer at Network Rail.

Commenting on her recent achievement Amanda said: “I’m pleased and proud to have been selected for the Women 100 list, an accolade which reflects the work of the whole team at TfGM. This is such an exciting time to be involved in rail and transport within Greater Manchester and our work to connect people, communities, businesses and services is central to my role.

“Engineering remains a male dominated sector and I’m pleased to represent transport on this list. I hope I can promote diversity in a growing industry which makes such a difference to individuals, businesses and the economy of our region.”

This accolade follows recognition at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI,) awards in July, where Amanda was recognised with the Young Achiever award and praised for her enthusiasm and commitment to the industry.