Teenagers will be allowed to drive trains in bid to beat the staff shortages and cut cancellations

Teenagers will be allowed to drive trains in Britain amid concerns over ongoing driver shortages as the minimum age is lowered to 18 from 20.

Rail services are frequently disrupted because several operators rely on drivers voluntarily working extra shifts to run timetabled services.

But the Department for Transport hopes cutting the age at which people can qualify as a train driver will reduce this reliance on rest day working.

It said 87 per cent of cancellations made the night before a service is scheduled to run are caused by driver shortages. The average age of a UK train driver is 48.

Some 30 per cent are set to reach retirement age by 2029. Fewer than 9 per cent of train drivers are female, while under 12 per cent are from an ethnic minority.

The size of the workforce is forecast to decline over the coming years, as drivers are retiring at a faster rate than new ones are being recruited.

The average salary for a train driver in the 2024/25 year is £69,000, according to calculations by the BBC based on a pay deal accepted by Aslef last September.

The starting salary for a driver is £24,000, based on data from the Government's National Careers Service. The most experienced drivers can earn around £87,000.

Applicants are normally expected to have GCSEs in grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths, or equivalent qualifications.

Employees also have to successfully complete a number of assessments, medical checks and interviews to be accepted onto a training course. The course then normally lasts between one and two years.

How to become a train driver in Britain

There are three normal ways of becoming a train driver. You usually need GCSEs grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, in English and maths.

One route is by applying to a train operating company for a place on a Train Driver Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, which takes one to two years to complete and combines on-the-job training with classroom learning with a training provider.

A second route is by starting as a rail passenger assistant, train conductor or revenues officer with a train firm, then applying for a trainee driver post once you have built up experience. This is a common method for those wishing to drive a London Underground train.

The third route is by applying directly to a train operating company to become a trainee driver. You have to successfully complete a number of assessments, medical checks and interviews to be accepted onto a training course. The course normally lasts between one and two years.

The minimum age to take on the role of a train driver is expected be lowered to 18 from 20 this December. You will also need to live within one hour's travel by car of the depot you are applying to.

The starting salary for a driver is £24,000, according to the National Careers Service. The average salary in the 2024/25 year is thought to be £69,000, while the most experienced drivers can earn around £87,000.

The DfT said a consultation on lowering the minimum age for drivers - carried out last year by the Conservative government - received 'overwhelming support from across the industry'.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: 'We're taking bold action to improve train services and unlock thousands of jobs.

'We're committed to getting the economy moving and a big part of that is getting young people into the workforce, putting them on track for a skilled and fulfilling career which will boost growth across the country and help deliver our Plan for Change.

'We're future-proofing our railways against delays and cancellations caused by a shortage of drivers, ensuring that we can provide reliable, passenger-focused train journeys under Great British Railways (GBR) for decades to come.'

The Government plans to establish GBR as a new public sector body which will oversee rail infrastructure management and train operation.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of train drivers' union Aslef, said: 'At the moment, young people who want to become train drivers leave school or college at 18, get other jobs, and we miss out as an industry as they don't wait around until they turn 20 to find a career.'

He added that the new policy will 'increase diversity in the driver's cab' as well as encouraging more young people to take on the role.

Among other nations that have lowered the age for train drivers are France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland, according to the DfT.

Transport for London opened up its train driver apprenticeships on the Underground to 18-year-olds in 2007.

Training to become a driver of mainline trains generally takes between one and two years.

The DfT said there are several steps before the minimum age can be lowered.

This includes the industry developing plans to integrate younger employees, and amending existing laws.

Assessment and qualification standards will be unchanged.

Industry body the Rail Safety and Standards Board said its research 'determined that 18-year-olds are capable of safely becoming train drivers'.

The DfT believes new job and apprenticeship opportunities for people aged 18 could become available as early as December.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'By opening up this vital sector to more young people, we're not only creating a pathway to high-skilled careers but also addressing the skills shortages that hold back our transport network and economic growth.

'This is another step forward in our mission to break down barriers and create new opportunities for young people.'

And Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at the Rail Delivery Group, added: 'Our railways have played a vital role in connecting communities and supporting economic growth for 200 years and train drivers are an important part of this.

'Working as a train driver is an incredible long-term career opportunity and we want to open the doors, especially to school-leavers, to encourage a wider and more diverse pool of young people to apply, reflecting the communities we serve.

'These changes will not only help us to recruit the next generation of drivers, lowering the average age of the workforce, but will also help to ensure a resilient railway for the years to come.'