WEST Midlands Railway has welcomed the government’s decision to reduce the starting age for people to undertake driver training from 20 to 18.
And last week, the government announced 18 to 20-year-olds could benefit from thousands of jobs and apprenticeships which will become available on the railways across the country as early as December.
As part of the ‘Plan for Change’, it is hoped getting young people into roles will bolster the workforce and improve rail services by preventing delays and cancellations and boosting the economy at the same time.
Young people will be able to take up new careers as train drivers three years earlier to boost the number of drivers needed for reliable services and put more school and college leavers on track to step straight into work.
The decision to lower the age will reduce the over reliance on rest day working by getting more people into the driving seat and ensuring a steady stream of drivers entering the industry.
‘Driver shortage’
The current average age for a train driver is 48 years old and rising – 30 per cent are due to reach retirement age by 2029.
Bringing young talent into these skilled roles is aimed at bridging this gap, preventing any future shortages and ensuring consistent, reliable services for passengers.
Of the current driver list, less than nine per cent are women and less than 12 per cent are represented by ethnic minorities.
Another aim of this latest move is to open professional opportunities to a much wider group of people.
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Richard Morrow, head of drivers for West Midlands Railway, said: “We’re pleased with the decision to allow those between the ages of 18 and 20 to apply for driver roles.
“By unlocking these opportunities for school leavers, young people can step straight from education into a career or apprenticeship, offering them a skilled, lifelong career.
“At West Midlands Railway, we are continuously recruiting for new drivers, with 26 new starters since the start of the year.
“We hope that this change will inspire a wide range of people to join the industry, and we look forward to welcoming them into the fold, helping us to deliver a more diverse, future-proofed railway.”
‘Bold action’
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “We’re taking bold action to improve train services and unlock thousands of jobs.
“We’re future-proofing our railways against delays and cancellations caused by a shortage of drivers, ensuring that we can provide reliable, passenger focused train journeys under Great British Railways for decades to come.”
Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, said it had campaigned for many years to lower the age drivers could start training.
“This decision – to allow people to leave school, or college, and join the railway in the driving grade at 18 rather than wait until they’re 20 – will increase diversity in the driver’s cab by encouraging more BAME people, more LGBT+ people, and more women – as well as more young people – to drive trains on Britain’s railways.
“Because, at the moment, young people who want to become train drivers leave school or college at 18, get other jobs, and we miss out as an industry as they don’t wait around until they turn 20 to find a career.”
Several other countries have already successfully and safely adopted a lower age limit, including the Netherlands, France, Germany and Switzerland. Other nations, including Japan, are currently considering a change in law.
Transport for London also successfully opened up its train driver apprenticeships to 18-year-olds to drive trains on the underground network in 2007.
Everyone who takes on a train driver role must undergo rigorous training to ensure they are competent, qualified and fit to do so, ensuring the safe use of our railways for everyone.
