SWR keen to recruit more women drivers

South Western Railway is launching a campaign to recruit more female drivers.

Only 8% of the operator’s current drivers are women. This figure is in line with the national average, but below some of the other big London operators.

SWR said it was “committed to closing the gender gap”. It is recruiting to fill vacancies at depots in Farnham, Fratton, Weymouth, and at London Waterloo. It has produced a video to encourage more women, featuring Driver Sally (no second name given).

One of 11 women drivers based at Wimbledon, she said: “It’s more than just a job, it’s a career. I’m now a driver instructor, which has been one of the most memorable accomplishments of my career so far.”

SWR drivers undertake 18 months of training, starting at its Basingstoke campus.