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| Southeastern and Greater Anglia want more women train drivers | Southeastern and Greater Anglia want more women train drivers |
| (2 days 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." |
| Train driver Kelly-Joe Ballard said there "isn't anything stopping a woman from becoming a train driver". | Train driver Kelly-Joe Ballard said there "isn't anything stopping a woman from becoming a train driver". |
| "I think it's a society perception that train driving is seen as a male profession," she added. | "I think it's a society perception that train driving is seen as a male profession," she added. |
| Mrs Ballard, 40, worked as a bus driver for six years before becoming a train driver with Southeastern in 2016. | Mrs Ballard, 40, worked as a bus driver for six years before becoming a train driver with Southeastern in 2016. |
| 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. | 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. |
| "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. | "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. |
| "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. | "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. |
| 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. |
| Rail firm Greater Anglia also described the industry as "male-dominated" and said fewer than 5% of its train drivers were women. | Rail firm Greater Anglia also described the industry as "male-dominated" and said fewer than 5% of its train drivers were women. |
| The company, which serves the east of England, has launched an internal recruitment campaign and recently appointed its first female yard controller. | The company, which serves the east of England, has launched an internal recruitment campaign and recently appointed its first female yard controller. |
| 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." | 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". | 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". | 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. | 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 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". | 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". | 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". |