RSSB research supports lowering minimum age for train drivers to 18

The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) has announced that it has released findings from a recent study exploring the potential to reduce the minimum age for train drivers in the UK from 20 to 18. The research concluded that no additional costs or special allowances would be necessary, as existing training, competence and safety systems could effectively be applied to younger candidates.

Currently, several European countries already allow 18-year-olds to operate domestic trains, and they have reported positive outcomes. According to the RSSB, age is not as significant a factor as experience when it comes to predicting a driver’s performance. Critical skills such as hazard perception, situational awareness and decision-making improve with practice and exposure, rather than being strictly age-dependent.

Mark Phillips, CEO of RSSB, emphasised the benefits of attracting younger candidates to the profession, stating, ‘’Encouraging more school leavers to take up train driving apprenticeships is what our railways need. The prospect of joining the profession is more attractive to people at 18 than at 20, where the idea might be old news as you have already chosen a different path. We can increase the number of people becoming train drivers as a first job and lower the average age of this vital role. Increasing the diversity and size of the candidate pool will challenge stereotypes and harness skills that are more prevalent in the next generation of career finders.

“Many young people nowadays are not seeking a degree or traditional 9-5 office job and want a career where they can work largely unaided in a role that offers huge responsibility. Train driving is ideal for young people. If we want more frequent rail services in our communities, to enable economic growth, then we need to have the professional workforce to deliver it. We need to lower the age of train drivers, and we need to do it now.”

The RSSB’s findings suggest that lowering the minimum age for train drivers could be a viable solution to meet the growing demands of the UK’s rail industry, while also providing a new career path for young people entering the workforce.