train\u00a0driver age\u00a0lowered\u00a0from 20 to 18, opening pathways\u00a0for young people this National Apprenticeship Week
\n law change gives school-leavers new opportunities to enter rail industry with fantastic chances for progression\u00a0
\n legislation\u00a0laid\u00a0at\u00a0pivotal time for\u202f the industry, as\u00a0government establishes\u202fGreat British Railways<\/p>\n
School leavers will soon be able to become train drivers, as the\u00a0government\u00a0is set to\u00a0lower\u00a0the legal age\u00a0to be a train driver\u00a0from 20 to 18 years old\u00a0from 30 June 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The move will open doors for younger people to enter a highly skilled profession at a pivotal time for the industry, when by 2030, a quarter of all train drivers are expected to reach retirement age. This figure rises to 32% in Scotland and the North East, and 38% for Wales.<\/p>\n
With\u00a0half of train operators now back in public ownership,\u00a0this new generation of train drivers will\u00a0help\u00a0unlock the railway\u2019s full potential for passengers and businesses\u00a0\u2013 including freight \u2013\u00a0that use the network. This is a key step\u00a0ahead of the creation of Great British\u00a0Railways.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today (10 February 2026) marks the next step in changing the law so that from 30 June 2026, 18 year olds can apply for train driver roles. Legislation will be laid in Parliament during National Apprenticeship Week, reaffirming the government\u2019s plan to get young people into rewarding industries while tackling youth unemployment and driving economic growth.<\/p>\n
Rail Minister, Lord Peter Hendy, said:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lowering the minimum age for train drivers is a significant step forward for young people across Britain. This change will open doors for those wanting to move straight into the workplace, giving a younger generation the chance to build rewarding careers in the railway, whether\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0in freight or passenger services.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a move that will help secure the future of Great British Railways and the wider rail industry and ensure the workforce reflects the energy, talent and ambition of the next generation.<\/p>\n
There is a lack of diversity within the rail industry, fewer than 4% of train drivers are under 30 and only 11% are women. Less than 13% train drivers are from a minority ethnic background.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The change in law will create opportunities for young people across Great Britain from different backgrounds, to bring the UK in line with other countries across the world, such as Switzerland, Germany and Australia. It will also level the playing field across the transport sector, where young people can be a pilot or drive a tube and tram on the London Underground from 18.<\/p>\n
The legislation will help the rail sector to secure the next generation of drivers, passing on skills from current staff to keep passengers safe on the network and grow the freight industry.<\/p>\n
Work and Pensions Secretary, Pat McFadden, said:\u00a0<\/p>\n
With almost a million young people not in education, employment or training, we need to open up new routes into skilled, well-paid careers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lowering the minimum age for train drivers puts young people at the controls \u2013 of a train today, and of their own futures tomorrow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Apprenticeships like\u00a0these benefit\u00a0everyone. Young people gain skills and a foot on the career ladder, while employers gain the fresh talent they need to grow.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0a great example\u00a0of what\u2019s possible when government, unions and industry work together.<\/p>\n
Daniel Mann, Director of Industry Operations at Rail Delivery Group, said:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The rail industry plays a vital role in connecting communities and supporting the economy, and as the workforce evolves, we need to attract a broader range of skills, experiences, and perspectives.<\/p>\n
Lowering the minimum age for train drivers will help to\u00a0open up\u00a0a career in the railway for young people and will enable the industry to build the workforce of the future, support long term resilience and make sure the railway can continue to deliver for passengers.<\/p>\n
Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, said:<\/p>\n
This is great news and will open up opportunities for young people. It opens the door to a rewarding career earlier, giving young people an opportunity to be part of the exciting developments in our railways.<\/p>\n
General secretary of the\u00a0Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) the train drivers\u2019 union, Dave Calfe, said:\u00a0<\/p>\n
ASLEF has been campaigning for many years to lower the age at which drivers can start training. This decision, to allow people to leave education and become a driver at 18, will increase diversity in the driver\u2019s cab by encouraging more young people from all communities to drive trains on Britain\u2019s railways.<\/p>\n
Because,\u00a0at the moment, many young people make their career choice at 18 and the industry misses out as the current minimum age is 20. This change will widen the opportunity for the rail industry to recruit the large numbers of train drivers\u00a0required\u00a0over the next 5 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"train\u00a0driver age\u00a0lowered\u00a0from 20 to 18, opening pathways\u00a0for young people this National Apprenticeship Week law change gives school-leavers new…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294292,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,57,58,50,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-417149","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-kingdom","8":"tag-gb","9":"tag-great-britain","10":"tag-greatbritain","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=417149"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417149\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=417149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=417149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=417149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}