Rail company bosses have announced their looking for more than 160 train drivers with a £31,000 salary on offer for new starters. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), said the company was looking for over 150 drivers for their services, and offered an 18-month training programme and impressive starting salary for those who joined.
With Southern, Thameslink and the Gatwick Express under their belts, it’s easy to see why so many new drivers were needed. Travel has changed for many over the past few months, and with this surge in railway positions, how will this impact rail travel within the next 18 months and beyond?
A successful recruitment campaign
With many businesses having to make drastic changes to their staffing during the pandemic, it’s easy to see why GTR received a surge of applications for these new positions. One of the most notable results from this recruitment campaign is that the business also received double the amount of applications from women for driver positions this year compared to 2019.
The company hope to continue to attract more women to the industry, with Zoey Hudson, head of talent, diversity and inclusion saying, “This year has been tougher than ever for the job market, but we’re continuing to invest in attracting and recruiting new and diverse talent into our business.”
She also commented that GTR, “…want to challenge the stereotypes that are associated with careers in the railway and we mean it when we say that these roles are open to anyone.”
The future is rail travel
Over the past few years a vast amount of money has been plugged into the rail industry. A more recent example is the £1.2m facelift that’s been completed at Burgess Hill railway station. Two 50m canopies on the platforms have been replaced along with a number of other improvements. The welcome changes have made a big difference to the station, which sees over 1.5 million passengers each year.
The facelift comes as a number of other stations and facilities on southern routes have seen changes. Shaun King, Sussex route director for Network Rail, said, “We are committed to investing in the rail network to improve facilities for passengers. The improvements at Burgess Hill station represent a significant investment, which will result in a modern and pleasant environment for rail passengers and staff at the station.”
As these changes continue and people begin to travel for work and leisure again, will these investments be welcomed by passengers young and old, and how long will they last once travellers are welcomed onboard once again.
