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All aboard the recruitment train as NSW Government seeks female drivers

Friday, 24 Feb 2017 11:14:53 | Lucy McNally

Spread the word! Train driver Mary-Jean Savage would love to see more women in the role. (ABC News: Lucy McNally)

A new campaign is underway to recruit more women to become train drivers, with the New South Wales Government saying there is no reason it should be a male-dominated field.

There are 1,200 train drivers employed in NSW and just 6 per cent are female.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said that had to change.

"The days of shovelling coal on steam trains is long gone, this is a job for everyone," Mr Constance said.

"We are challenging more women to seriously consider a career as one of our train drivers or as a guard."

Mary-Jean Savage is the only woman qualified to teach new drivers, and spent her shift today instructing two male trainees.

"Any woman can do this job, we can do it just like the men can," she said.

Ms Savage moved to Australia from New Zealand after working as a paramedic with the NZ army, where she was deployed to the Middle East during the Gulf War.

"I got the job as a train driver by accident - I was at the wrong interview," she said, laughing.

"I thought I was going for an interview for a nursing job at RPA, but my sister gave me the wrong address."

Ms Savage said she had no regrets, and had worked with Sydney Trains for 18 years.

"The job is great because you get the best seat in the house - you see Sydney from so many different spots," she said.

The Transport Minister said the department was keen to train more female drivers as extra services came onto the network.

"We've got so much investment happening - brand new trains being invested in from new Waratah trains on the Sydney network, to the new intercity fleet," Mr Constance said.

"There are career opportunities around those new train purchases and we'd like to see women getting on board."

AustraliaPlus


 

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