Minimum age for train drivers to be lowered to 18 amid shortage

Eighteen-year-olds will be allowed to drive trains amid concerns over driver shortages.

The minimum age to take on the role in Britain is to be lowered from 20, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

Rail services are frequently disrupted because several operators rely on drivers voluntarily working extra shifts to run timetabled services.

The Government hopes cutting the age at which people can qualify as a train driver will reduce this reliance on rest day working.

It said 87% of cancellations made the night before a service is scheduled to run are caused by driver shortages.

The average age of a UK train driver is 48, with 30% set to reach retirement age by 2029.

Fewer than 9% of train drivers are female, while under 12% are from an ethnic minority.

The size of the workforce is forecast to decline over the coming years, as drivers are retiring at a faster rate than new ones are being recruited.

The DfT said a consultation on lowering the minimum age for drivers – carried out last year by the Conservative government – received “overwhelming support from across the industry”.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “We’re taking bold action to improve train services and unlock thousands of jobs.

“We’re committed to getting the economy moving and a big part of that is getting young people into the workforce, putting them on track for a skilled and fulfilling career which will boost growth across the country and help deliver our Plan for Change.

“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 (GBR) for decades to come.”

Speaking during a visit to East Midlands Railway HQ in Derby, the Transport Secretary told reporters: “We know that nearly half of train drivers are over the age of 50.

“Our plans see us recruiting 5,000 new train drivers over the next five years.

“Obviously giving young people when they’re leaving school or college the ability to go straight into training to be a train driver – instead of having to worry what they are going to do for a couple of years – is really significant.

“We’ve been working closely with Aslef on this scheme. They’ve been very constructive in their approaches because they also want to see the next generation of train drivers being trained up.”

Ms Alexander said the driver shortage was a “genuine problem” across the UK but was more acute in certain parts of the country.

Asked if there were any safety concerns around lowering the age of trainee drivers, the minister said: “If you look at countries like The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, they have reduced the age at which people can start to train.

“Everyone, irrespective of their age would have to meet very strict safety and competency standards. So there will be no impact upon the safety of the railway.”

The Government plans to establish GBR as a new public sector body which will oversee rail infrastructure management and train operation.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of train drivers’ union Aslef, said: “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.”

He added that the new policy will “increase diversity in the driver’s cab” as well as encouraging more young people to take on the role.

Among other nations that have lowered the age for train drivers are France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, according to the DfT.

Transport for London opened up its train driver apprenticeships on the Underground to 18-year-olds in 2007.

Training to become a driver of mainline trains generally takes between one and two years.

The DfT said there are several steps before the minimum age can be lowered.

This includes the industry developing plans to integrate younger employees, and amending existing laws.

Assessment and qualification standards will be unchanged.

Industry body the Rail Safety and Standards Board said its research “determined that 18-year-olds are capable of safely becoming train drivers”.

The DfT believes new job and apprenticeship opportunities for people aged 18 could become available as early as December.