"Eighteen-year-olds will be allowed to drive trains after the minimum age was lowered from 20 in a bid to tackle driver shortages." https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2w2prj470o
As a driver id say I cant see this making much difference, the assessments or at least the MMI are catered around past experiences especially in regards to safety, something many wont have at that age so for me its a bit of a pointless exercise, fair play if people can pass it and its a career you'll probably never leave but cant see many 18 year olds wanting to drive a train until 2 or 3 in the morning rather then going out with their mates and enjoying themselves.
And they mustn’t forget… “Coasting is important” and to jump out at every station to check the poster displays and replenish the flower displays!
I often find myself quoting that out of nowhere! Coasting is a method used to efficiently maintain speed and reduce motor stress.
A government that's simultaneously cutting financial support to those under a certain age while lowering the minimum age requirements for certain jobs in sectors where people have been striking over worsened conditions and a lack of pay increases for years? Hmmm, almost as if this is all part of an overarching strategy.
Possibly because they didn't believe it was safe to allow anyone under the age of 20 to be in charge of a train. This would likely be a similar reason as to why you cannot drive an HGV until age 21 (except for special circumstances such as being a military driver who is trained by the MoD) and also why you cannot supervise a learner driver until you have had 3 years minimum experience as a full car driving licence holder.
In the 80s I applied to be a Traction Trainee at Norwich, got an interview, thankfully nailed it, but then later was gutted to learn my application failed because of my less than perfect eyesight. I wonder, do they let drivers wear spectacles these days?
I was driving agricultural vehicles on the road at 16 with a trailer. You can start learning to fly at 14 and fly solo carrying passengers at 17! I'm sure that driving a train that follows rails doesn't require a more mature person.
