Train drivers in Britain could soon be 18 years old, as the government is considering lowering the minimum recruitment age to address a shortage. Currently, the minimum age for obtaining a train driver’s licence is 20, but the Department for Transport is proposing a change that could see teenagers being recruited from December. The goal is to improve job prospects for young individuals by making train services more reliable and creating thousands of apprenticeships for school-leavers.
According to data from the rail regulator ORR, driver shortages are responsible for 87% of P-coded cancellations, which occur the night before a service is scheduled to run. Services are also disrupted by a reliance on “rest day working,” where operators rely on drivers taking additional shifts voluntarily.
Unions and the rail industry believe the move will lead to a more diverse workforce at the controls. Currently, train drivers are predominantly white middle-aged men, with an average age of 48. Fewer than 9% of train drivers are female, and less than 12% come from a minority ethnic background.
Additionally, there is a looming retirement crisis, with 25-30% of approximately 27,000 drivers in Britain expected to retire within the next five years. The lowering of the recruitment age is seen as a solution to bridge this gap and prevent future shortages.
The move comes after a consultation initiated by the previous government and amidst plans for wider reforms under a nationalised Great British Railways. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander stated that the change would unlock thousands of jobs and ensure consistent and reliable train journeys for passengers.
Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, the train drivers’ union, expressed support for the decision, noting that it would increase diversity in the driver’s cab and allow young individuals to join the industry as soon as they leave school or college. He also mentioned that several other European countries, such as the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Switzerland, have already adopted lower age limits for train drivers without any safety concerns.
Typically, it takes about 12 months before a trainee can start driving trains.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/07/minimum-age-train-drivers-lowered-to-18-great-britain
