MINIMUM AGE FOR TRAIN DRIVERS TO BE LOWERED IN GREAT BRITAIN- 25%-30% of approx. 27,000 drivers in Britain are due to retire soon.
The UK government is set to lower the minimum age for train drivers in Great Britain to 18 years in a bid to solve the shortage problem of drivers.
The Department for Transport said the change could lead to teenage applicants being recruited from December. The government hopes to boost job prospects for young people, with thousands of apprenticeships made available to school-leavers, as well as making train services more reliable.
According to data from the rail regulator ORR, 87% of P-coded cancellations – those made the night before a service is scheduled to run – are caused by driver shortages. Services are also frequently disrupted because of a reliance on “rest day working” across parts of the industry where operators rely on drivers voluntarily undertaking additional shifts.
About 25%-30% of approx. 27,000 drivers in Britain are reportedly due to reach the retirement age of 65 in the next five years, and the Department of Transport said the decision to lower the recruitment age seeks to prevent future shortages and ensure consistent, reliable services for passengers.
