Rail operator, London North Eastern Railway, has committed to bringing in more women to their company by 2025, with the focus on train driver roles.
Back in 2019, the ASLEF Diversity Report showed that just 6.5% of train drivers were female, and whilst LNER has 10% of drivers being female, it is aiming to increase this in the years to come.
The number of women applying to have a career at LNER has more than doubled in the last three years, increasing from 7% in 2017, to 17% in 2020.
LNER has set a goal of having 40% of train driver applications to be from women by 2025.
LNER’s People Director Karen Lewis said that more still needed to be done to promote careers in rail to women, including train driver roles.
“The rail industry needs to do more to encourage women to consider a career in the sector,” Ms Lewis said.
“LNER has a workforce made up of 42 per cent women and some of our female drivers have been with us since the early 1990s. We’re pleased to see an increasing number of applications each year from women who are interested in pursuing careers as a train driver and we’re looking to speak to women who have never considered the industry before and encourage them to learn more.”
The operator has brought together train drivers across generations for International Women’s Day 2021 to encourage more women to consider train driver roles.
Research by LNER has shown that only 1% of women wanted to be a train driver when they were younger.
If you want more information about driver roles, or any other career at LNER, please visit their website.
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Responses
Women are just as acceptable to men when working with trains and on the railways. And women love working with the trains. It’s not always a man’s dream job.
NO. Leave people alone to make their own decisions. Young working class men need these jobs much more if we’re going to start selecting. I want the right person for the job. I don’t want to be on a train with someone that got a job due to their sex. This is utterly insane thinking. The country needs a cold shower. This mental nonsense [has to] change. Obsession with quotas is a nonsense. If you leave men and women to make their own choices they will not choose the same careers. That is a fact. I do not want to see female police officers or front lone military or firemen(women). They are no help at all and leave the public in danger. That is also a fact. I know people don’t like facts but the above is unchallengeable based on the facts that a man is more dangerous than a woman and I want police to be equally tough.
loool who hurt you Richard?