Alstom’s Rainbow Train, a virtual pride parade, has won the first ever CUTA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Award
Alstom’s Rainbow Train, a virtual pride parade, has won the first ever CUTA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Award
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Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals and organizations that go above and beyond to innovate transit
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Alstom’s Rainbow Train virtual Pride parade has won CUTA’s first ever EDI Award
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In 2023, 1,139 employees from 25 countries logged their steps, moving the virtual train around the world three times
20 November 2023 – Alstom, a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, is pleased to announce that its Rainbow Train initiative has won the Canadian Urban Transit Association’s (CUTA) first ever Award in the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) category.
The Alstom Rainbow Train is a virtual Pride Parade initiative, created during the pandemic by two Canadian employees from the LGBTQ+ community.
"Our commitment to inclusion is imbedded in our values, and embodied by projects like the Rainbow Train. We proudly accept the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award, and thank the association for helping elevate transit excellence and innovation in Canada.”
Michael Keroullé, President Alstom Americas, and executive sponsor for the Alstom True Colors Employee Resource Group, said, “As a global leader in sustainable mobility, we hold a great responsibility towards our customers, partners, employees, passengers and ultimately society as a whole. Our commitment to inclusion is imbedded in our values, and embodied by projects like the Rainbow Train. We proudly accept the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award, and thank the association for helping elevate transit excellence and innovation in Canada.”
The primary objectives of the initiative were to create dialogue and engagement around LGBTQ+ pride, awareness of challenges faced by this community, while mobilizing allies and fostering inclusion. A secondary but important objective was to create an event aligned with Alstom’s mission, vision and values, representative Alstom’s work in sustainable mobility.
In June 2021, employees in teams of ten, logged their steps into a custom-built Alstom digital application that moved a virtual train across the Americas, starting in Canada. By 2023, the Rainbow Train initiative went global, with 1,139 employees from 25 countries moving the train virtually around the world three times.
As a result of the success of the Rainbow Train, Alstom True Colours (ATC) a new Alstom Employee Resource Group for the LGBTQ+ community and allies, was founded in 2022. At the ATC launch in 2022, 32% of members identified as “belonging to the LGBTQ+ community.” After just one year, this number rose to 51%, demonstrating the tangible impact of ATC initiatives on improving inclusion.
At the same event, Alstom’s Coradia iLint, the world’s first hydrogen-powered train, also won a CUTA Award in the Environmental Sustainability category, see that announcement here.
CUTA is the collective voice of the transit industry in Canada. Its membership includes Canadian transit systems, private transportation operators, manufacturers, suppliers, as well as transit industry thought leaders and academics from across the country. CUTA celebrates the achievements of its members at their annual Awards ceremony, held in Edmonton this year. CUTA’s Awards Committee selected transit people and projects having the greatest impact within the communities they serve.
Alstom™, Coradia™ and Coradia iLint™ are protected trademarks of the Alstom Group.
