{{Short description|British civil engineer}} {{Infobox person | name = Isabel Coman | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1973}} | alma_mater = University of Leeds | employer = Costain Group <br> Transport for London <br> }}
'''Isabel Coman''' is a British civil engineer who is Director of Engineering and Asset Strategy, Transport for London. She previously worked at Costain Group, where she was responsible for the Bond Street and Paddington station upgrade works ahead of the Elizabeth line. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2025.
== Early life and education == Coman was born in London. Her father was a solicitor and her mother worked for the British Library.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Oral history; interview with Isabel Coman, 2023 {{!}} London Transport Museum |url=https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/sound-recordings/item/2023-1821 |access-date=2025-09-29 |website=www.ltmuseum.co.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref> She studied civil engineering at the University of Leeds.<ref name=":0" /> At the time, only 15% of her course were women.{{cn|date=November 2025}} After graduating, she worked for Balfour Beatty as a site engineer for the A1/M1 link road project.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-04-30 |title=Advice for women in transport and the importance of being authentic |url=https://www.womenintransport.com/blog/2019/4/30/advice-for-women-in-transport-and-the-importance-of-being-authentic |access-date=2025-09-29 |website=Women in Transport |language=en-GB}}</ref> She completed a design placement at Arup Group, where she specialised in geotechnical engineering.{{cn|date=November 2025}}
== Research and career == Coman worked for Costain Group on High Speed 1.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Leadership and planning {{!}} London Transport Museum |url=https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/elizabeth-line-stories/leadership-and-planning |access-date=2025-09-29 |website=www.ltmuseum.co.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref> She worked on Crossrail, and in particular a tunnelling bid that linked London Paddington and Farringdon. Together with Skanska, Coman successfully bid for the first stage of upgrade works at Bond Street station.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> She directed the station upgrade, which was delayed because of changes in the approach to Bond Street.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> The project had various design stages, and was complicated by the streets of Mayfair above, where residents and business owners had complex opinions.<ref name=":1" /> Bond Street station was completed in 2012, and Coman went on maternity leave.<ref name=":0" />
Coman eventually moved to Paddington station, where she was responsible for the central covered section. This involve an elaborate sequence of work, including installing power supplies, redesigning the roof and managing dynamic supply chains.<ref name=":0" /> They used sound waves to test piles of concrete and minimise any potential vibrations. Coman does not believe digital railway works will have much impact on construction, and strives to balance architectural and environmental requirements with engineering demands.<ref name=":0" />
Coman was appointed to a venture board for Costain in 2016, where she was made responsible for the full Crossrail programme, and eventually for High Speed 2.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Transport Times Events {{!}} News/Blog {{!}} A day in the life of Isabel Coman |url=https://www.transporttimes.co.uk/news.php/A-day-in-the-life-of-Isabel-Coman-435/ |access-date=2025-09-29 |website=www.transporttimes.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> Coman became Head of Estates and Capital Projects at the Palace of Westminster.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Speaker's Statement - Hansard - UK Parliament |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-07-21/debates/178D206E-261F-4AAC-8ACB-2EE84B497D30/SpeakerSStatement |access-date=2025-09-29 |website=hansard.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref> Coman was appointed Director of Engineering and Asset Strategy at Transport for London.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2caKQ_9BsKs |title=Isabel Coman - Purposeful Impact: Aligning Personal & Professional Aspirations for a Meaningful Life |date=2024-02-02 |last=The Excitable Soul |access-date=2025-09-29 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
Coman was elected Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2010<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-29 |title=ICE Fellow: 'There's No Shame In Having Ambition' |url=https://www.ice.org.uk/news-views-insights/inside-infrastructure/isabel-coman-journey-to-fellowship |access-date=2025-09-29 |website=Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) |language=en}}</ref> and Royal Academy of Engineering in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=RAEng Fellow 2025: Isabel Coman FREng |url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/fellowship/new-fellows-2025/isabel-coman-freng/ |access-date=2025-09-28 |website=www.raeng.org.uk |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Coman, Isabel}} Category:Living people Category:1973 births Category:British civil engineers Category:21st-century British women engineers Category:Women civil engineers Category:21st-century British engineers Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds Category:Engineers from London Category:Fellows of the Institution of Civil Engineers Category:Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Category:Transport for London