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Southeastern and Greater Anglia want more women train drivers Southeastern and Greater Anglia want more women train drivers
(about 1 hour later)
Rail companies have launched campaigns to recruit more women train drivers.Rail companies have launched campaigns to recruit more women train drivers.
Southeastern, which serves London, Kent and East Sussex, said fewer than 5% of its drivers were women and it wants 40% of applicants to be women by 2021.Southeastern, which serves London, Kent and East Sussex, said fewer than 5% of its drivers were women and it wants 40% of applicants to be women by 2021.
Its train services director Ellie Burrows said: "It's no longer the case that little boys play with toy trains and little girls play with dolls."Its train services director Ellie Burrows said: "It's no longer the case that little boys play with toy trains and little girls play with dolls."
Greater Anglia described the railways as "male-dominated" and said fewer than 5% of its train drivers were women. Train driver Kelly-Joe Ballard said there "isn't anything stopping a woman from becoming a train driver".
The company, which serves the east of England, has launched an internal recruitment campaign and has recently appointed its first female yard controller. "I think it's a society perception that train driving is seen as a male profession," she added.
Helen Dickerson is responsible for train movements at its Norwich depot and making sure trains are refuelled and kept up to date with maintenance checks. Mrs Ballard, 40, worked as a bus driver for six years before becoming a train driver with Southeastern in 2016.
She said: "There are more than 100 men at Crown Point [depot] and I am the only woman working in a front-line engineering role. She said passengers were "surprised" when they ask her if she is the driver, but said there was no reason why women should not be train drivers.
"The job is all about communication and it's great to know you're helping people get to work, school or important appointments every day." "I don't feel gender really comes into it. I love the job, I work with fantastic people, I've never been treated differently because I'm a woman.
Greater Anglia said 22% of its employees were women, which was "something the company is working to address along with the rest of the industry". "There is more of a male domination but I think that society is changing and women are coming forward in all job roles," she added.
Southeastern said it had 51 women train drivers and had introduced initiatives to encourage more women to apply for a variety of roles.Southeastern said it had 51 women train drivers and had introduced initiatives to encourage more women to apply for a variety of roles.
They include recruitment open days, mentoring and development programmes for female employees, and a change in recruitment campaigns to reflect diversity.
Ms Burrows said "society has moved on" and added that railways should not be male-dominated.Ms Burrows said "society has moved on" and added that railways should not be male-dominated.
"It's vital that as a major transport operator, we have a workforce that reflects the diversity of our passengers." Rail firm Greater Anglia also described the industry as "male-dominated" and said fewer than 5% of its train drivers were women.
A spokesperson for Southern rail said it was "pushing hard to make the industry more attractive to female applicants". The company, which serves the east of England, has launched an internal recruitment campaign and recently appointed its first female yard controller.
It said 30% of its trainee drivers this year were women, up from 18% in 2017. Helen Dickerson, who is responsible for train movements at its Norwich depot, said: "There are more than 100 men at Crown Point [depot] and I am the only woman working in a front-line engineering role."
Greater Anglia said 22% of its employees were women, which was "something the company is working to address along with the rest of the industry".
Southern rail said it was "pushing hard to make the industry more attractive to female applicants".
The operator said 30% of its trainee drivers this year were women, up from 18% in 2017.
West Midlands Railway said about 10 of its 700 train drivers were women.West Midlands Railway said about 10 of its 700 train drivers were women.
But the operator said it had no plans to run a recruitment campaign aimed specifically at women "as we welcome applications from all genders and backgrounds to work for us". But a spokeswoman said it had no plans to run a recruitment campaign aimed specifically at women "as we welcome applications from all genders and backgrounds to work for us".
Aslef said train drivers were "predominantly made up of heterosexual white men aged over 35".Aslef said train drivers were "predominantly made up of heterosexual white men aged over 35".
A spokesman for the train drivers' union said until recently train companies had "proved reluctant to employ many women".A spokesman for the train drivers' union said until recently train companies had "proved reluctant to employ many women".
"We want the rail industry to reflect the society it serves, a society comprised of men and women, regardless of ethnicity, age, sexual orientation or any other ideologies, who each day perform a vital job moving passengers and freight around Britain," he added."We want the rail industry to reflect the society it serves, a society comprised of men and women, regardless of ethnicity, age, sexual orientation or any other ideologies, who each day perform a vital job moving passengers and freight around Britain," he added.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents the rail industry, said it had "committed to increasing diversity by 20% by 2020 because our railway needs to attract the brightest and best talent and better represent the people it is there to serve".
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