A century-old photograph of women railway workers in Portsmouth tells a story that nearly faded into history. The postcard, discovered by Dr. Mike Esbester at the University of Portsmouth, captures a group of women who defied expectation during the First World War—stepping into railway roles that had been firmly closed to them before 1914.
When war came, Portsmouth's railways needed hands. Women answered that call, taking positions as porters, carriage cleaners, ticket collectors, goods checkers, and clerks at Portsmouth Town station, now known as Portsmouth & Southsea, and across the broader network. These weren't token roles or temporary gestures. Research into the records of the National Union of Railwaymen—the forerunner of today's RMT Union—confirms that at least 73 women worked on Portsmouth's railways during the war years between 1914 and 1918, each one quietly keeping the city's transport network running.
Some faces emerged from those records with particular clarity. Sisters Alice and Ethel Allaway both became carriage cleaners, jobs that demanded physical stamina and precision. Their story carries a human touch that speaks to the deeper impact of this work: each sister met and married fellow railway workers they encountered on the job, their lives woven into the fabric of the railway community itself. Yet for all the detailed research that has uncovered their names and roles, many of the women in the postcard photograph remain unidentified—and that gap is precisely what Dr. Esbester is working to close.
"These women changed history—and history is still catching up with them," Dr. Esbester said, his words capturing both frustration and hope. A century ago, women like Alice and Ethel were undertaking work nobody expected them to do. Today, women drive trains, manage stations, and maintain track—but that journey of progress began here, in Portsmouth, with women whose names are still waiting to be remembered.
The significance of their contribution extends far beyond wartime necessity. South Western Railway and Network Rail, who collaborated with Dr. Esbester on video documentation about Portsmouth's railway women, recognise these workers as pioneers. As Phil Dominey, Senior Regional Development Manager, noted, "The inspirational women in the photograph took on roles that were previously unavailable to them and kept the railway running during the First World War. Each of them paved the way for today's diverse railway where all roles are open to anyone."
What makes this discovery particularly poignant is its connection to Portsmouth itself. The railway was never just a transport link in this city—it was part of the community's lifeblood, and the women who worked on it were part of Portsmouth's identity. In Portsmouth's centenary year, bringing these stories to light feels not just historically important but personally urgent.
Dr. Esbester's appeal is direct and hopeful: someone in Portsmouth today almost certainly has a great-grandmother or great-aunt in this photograph. Those connections—family stories passed down, photographs kept in drawers, memories still held in living memory—are what can transform a century-old mystery into a fully realised history. The railway women are waiting to be claimed, named, and honoured by the community they served.