Driving Diversity: GTR Recruiting Now for New Drivers

• More than 160 trainee driver roles available at Govia Thameslink Railway
• Applications are open until 13^th December
• Roles available across central and south England

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has more than 160 train driver jobs up for grabs across its portfolio of brands including Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express.

Open to anyone above the age of 20*, becoming a train driver is a fantastic opportunity for those looking to start their career, change paths, or simply pursue a childhood dream.

The operator’s 18-month trainee driver programme offers stability while training, with a starting salary of £31,000. The new recruits will join the company’s diverse team of drivers that deliver 3,600 journeys every day.

Successful candidates will be based at GTR’s depots across the 800-mile network in central, south and south east England. Locations include Barnham and Brighton, to London Bridge, Welwyn and Hornsey.

The push for new drivers builds on the success of previous recruitment campaigns, which most recently resulted in double the amount of applications from women for driver positions this year compared to 2019. The company hopes to continue to attract more women to the industry, as well as a diverse range of candidates from all ages and walks of life that may have never considered a career in rail before.

Zoey Hudson, Head of Talent, Diversity and Inclusion at Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “This year has been tougher than ever for the job market but but we’re continuing to invest in attracting and recruiting new and diverse talent into our business. It’s really important that we have a highly-skilled and diverse workforce, which is why we’re encouraging people of all backgrounds to seriously consider a role as a train driver.

“We 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. Whether you’re just starting out or are looking for a new challenge having lost your job due to the pandemic – consider the railway and apply to our trainee driver programme.”

Applications for trainee drivers are open now and will close at 23:59 on Sunday 13^th December. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, initial interviews will be held virtually. Interested applicants should visit GTR’s career portal, which launched last year and has helped to streamline the hiring process as well as getting successful candidates into roles more quickly.

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Notes to editors

• There are 104 vacancies for Thameslink and Great Northern drivers and 64 for Southern and Gatwick Express drivers
• To apply for Southern and Gatwick Express, click here
• To apply for Thamleslink, click here
• To apply for Great Northern, click here
• Depending on brand, drivers will be based at:

-Barnham

-Brighton

-Selhurst

-Victoria/London Bridge

-Welwyn

-Hornsey

-Cricklewood

• *Due to safety regulations, budding drivers must be aged 20 or over to apply as you need to be over 21 to gain the driving licence (the process takes around 12-15 months)
• The full recruitment process consists of several stages including online tests, building up to a series of nationally-recognised assessments
• As a Trainee Mainline Driver, successful candidates will automatically be enrolled on the new national Train Driver Level 3 apprenticeship programme
• The apprenticeship scheme is a year-long qualification where new recruits will train alongside other successful applicants at GTR’s Training Academy