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Train Driving Licences and Certificates (Amendment) Regulations 2026

My Lords, these regulations will lower the minimum age at which the Office of Rail and Road, ORR, can issue a train driving licence to a person to drive trains on the mainline railway in Great Britain from 20 to 18. Under the regime, applicants will continue to be required to satisfy the same conditions for driving trains contained in the Train Driving Licences and Certificates Regulations 2010, hereafter called the 2010 regulations. These licence conditions will remain unchanged. They include completion of at least nine years of primary and secondary education or vocational training equivalent to level 3 qualifications, and proof of passing medical, psychological fitness and general professional competence examinations.

By lowering the minimum age from 20 to 18, these regulations will bring Britain into line with several other countries including Germany, the Netherlands

and Australia. They will also be consistent with the London Underground, where professional operating roles can begin at 18. These regulations will not change the minimum age to be a train driver in the Channel Tunnel, which will remain at 20, consistent with our international obligations.

I will begin by providing background information on the regulatory framework and the case for lowering the minimum age to be a train driver. The railway network currently depends on approximately 19,000 train drivers. These drivers operate passenger and freight services across the country. The 2010 regulations established the legal conditions required to drive trains on the mainline railway and cover both licences and certificates.

A train driving licence confirms that a driver has been medically and psychologically assessed as fit and has passed a general competence examination in train driving. As long as the driver continues to meet these conditions, the licence remains valid for 10 years. Drivers must also hold an employer-issued certificate showing that they are trained and authorised to drive specific trains on specific routes. A driver must hold both documents.

The 2010 regulations implemented the EU train driving directive, which sets a default minimum licensing age of 20 across the EU. The directive also allowed member states to adopt a lower age of 18 for domestic services, but the United Kingdom did not choose to do this in 2009. Since then, as I have mentioned, several countries have successfully implemented a lower age limit and others are actively considering it, including Japan.

In 2019 the Rail Safety and Standards Board, RSSB, undertook research to look at the case for lowering the minimum age in Britain. It published its findings in February 2024. The RSSB found that 18 and 19 year-olds can drive trains safely and professionally when held to the same training, assessment and supervision standards as older recruits. At the same time, lowering the age limit widens the talent pool, increasing driver numbers and improving representation.

The research found that experience, not age, is the determining factor in whether a new entrant to the profession will enjoy a successful career. This experience is gained through practice and exposure to train driving. Experience is a central feature of train driver training and can be gained through a structured training programme. Training and assessment typically take between 12 and 18 months and involve several months of classroom and simulator learning, alongside 225-plus hours of practical train driving. This is followed by mandatory examinations and post-qualification monitoring and assessments.

Support for the policy was reaffirmed in a May 2023 post-implementation review, prompting the previous Conservative Government to consult on the proposal. The consultation, published in May 2025, showed broad support from major industry bodies, including ASLEF—the train drivers’ union—and train operators, although some stakeholders sought assurances about transition arrangements.

For this reason, on 7 May 2025 my department confirmed that we would move forward with lowering the minimum train driver age, subject to receiving an

industry implementation plan that would then determine the timetable for changing the law. The Rail Delivery Group, working through the Train Drivers Academy, co-ordinated the industry’s response, gathering industry specialists to review existing arrangements and identify opportunities to optimise the system. The industry confirmed that existing safeguards, testing and supervision remain appropriate for younger entrants, but recommended that operators update their procedures and ensure staff understand how best to support new trainees. Overall, the implementation plan demonstrated that a lower minimum age for train driving can be introduced safely and without requiring major changes to core safety or competence management systems.

The department and the ORR approved the implementation plan in December and published it on GOV.UK on 19 March. The plan proposed several practical improvements that industry will now implement to strengthen recruitment, assessment and training for all new drivers, not just younger applicants. These include fairer and more transparent recruitment processes, clearer information about the role, better support for managers working with younger colleagues, more consistent industry-wide communication, and development of a simple and accessible recruitment portal. To help monitor arrangements, a study is proposed to monitor the progress of younger drivers over time, which will use a small group of pathfinder operators to test, refine and share effective approaches.

Taken together, the industry has produced a clear and evidence-based strategy that will help bring younger entrants into the profession safely and confidently. We are confident that these arrangements will be in place by June this year, which is why we have scheduled the legislative change to take effect on 30 June. From that date, young people will be eligible for train driving positions.

I turn to the reasons why the Government are bringing forward these regulations and their intended objectives. The rail industry is facing significant skills shortages across several key areas, particularly train driving. Around 25% of the current workforce is expected to reach retirement age by 2030. We project that there will be a deficit of 2,500 train drivers by the end of the decade unless action is taken.

In some parts of the country, such as Wales, that figure is closer to 38%. Even in London, where the proportion is lowest, nearly a quarter of drivers will retire within the same period. Without a concerted effort, this presents a retirement cliff edge that risks the industry’s ability to maintain current service levels. Operators are already experiencing difficulties in recruiting new drivers and are too frequently reliant on overtime to sustain timetables.

At the same time, there is clear evidence that the rail industry is not yet drawing on the full breadth of talent available. The workforce remains relatively homogenous: the average train driver is 47 years old, fewer than 11% of them are women and fewer than 13% come from minority-ethnic backgrounds. This points to significant untapped potential across the country.

Lowering the minimum age of train drivers will not on its own solve driver shortages, and it is still the responsibility of operators to take steps to secure the

workforce they need. This change is, however, an important first step and will help the industry to build a more resilient pipeline of drivers by creating a clearer route for school leavers to enter the profession. This is because the current minimum age of 20 has for many years acted as an arbitrary barrier to entry. By that age, many young people have already committed to other employment, vocations or further study. Lowering the minimum age to 18 will allow operators to engage school leavers and offer a clear, structured route into a highly skilled and respected profession. In doing so, it will help the industry respond to the demographic and operational pressures it will face in the coming years.

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We will look to DfT Operator and, eventually, Great British Railways to provide strategic leadership and co-ordination to meet the driver shortage challenge. This is about not only creating new opportunities for young people but taking decisive action to ensure the railway remains resilient, safe and properly staffed for the future. The aims of the policy are clear: to lower the average age of the workforce, increase the number of drivers in the industry, create a more stable and diverse profession, and improve representation so that trained drivers reflect the communities they serve.

I turn to reflections raised by the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee as part of its consideration of the draft regulations. The Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments considered the draft regulations on 4 March but did not draw special attention to them. However, the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee had some questions and wished to draw the special attention of the House to these matters in its 52nd report, published on 26 February.

First, the committee asked how the regulations will support 16 and 17 year-olds progressing into train driving and whether the minimum age for a train driving level 3 apprenticeship could be lowered. Since our announcement, my department has worked with the Rail Delivery Group, Skills England and the Department for Education to explore this. As a result, the minimum entry age for the train-driving apprenticeship will be reduced from 18 to 17.5, with the intention that this takes effect alongside the regulations. This will allow young people to begin classroom learning and supervised practical training earlier, while remaining fully compliant with the Working Time Regulations.

Secondly, the committee asked when the implementation plan would be published. The plan was issued on 19 March, having needed the period between laying on 10 February and that date to finalise the apprenticeship offer and ensure it aligned fully with the new licensing arrangements.

The third question the committee asked was whether there will be a clear pathway for 16 year-olds so that train-driving apprenticeships become a viable option for school leavers. Alongside lowering eligibility for the train-driving apprenticeship, the industry is developing a rail foundation apprenticeship for 16 year-olds, providing a structured skills route into train driving. Additional access courses are also being developed to help school leavers build the non-technical skills needed for driver assessment and selection.

The committee’s fourth question looked for assurance on operational safeguards and oversight. I can confirm not only that all testing and competence requirements will remain in place but, moreover, that the implementation plan specifies that operators will update internal procedures and safeguarding arrangements for younger trainees. Over time, we expect operators to share learning and best practice to support long-term implementation. This will be formalised through a 10-year longitudinal study to monitor the progression, well-being and performance of younger drivers, providing a clear mechanism for continuing oversight.

Fifthly, the committee asked about the timetable for wider reforms to the train driver licensing regime, noting concerns about training capacity and projected shortages. There are various reasons behind projected shortages and capacity issues, which vary across operators in the country as a whole. The department is developing proposals to reform the 2020 regulations with a view to addressing these issues where we can and intends to consult on this, either this year or next year, as part of the transition towards Great British Railways. As I have mentioned, we will also be looking to GBR to provide strategic leadership on this matter in the longer term.

Finally, the committee asked whether the findings of the longitudinal study will be published. The study is being led by industry through the Train Drivers Academy and the department has been assured that results will be published annually, ensuring transparency and continued scrutiny.

I will briefly summarise the content of the regulations and what the changes will mean in practice. The regulations lower the minimum age at which an individual may be issued a train driving licence from 20 to 18, provided they meet the same rigorous licensing conditions. The change in law is scheduled to come into force on 30 June 2026 and will apply across Great Britain, meaning that prospective applicants will be able to apply for train-driving positions from that date onwards. These draft regulations also make a small number of unrelated technical corrections to the 2010 regulations to remove redundant cross-references to provisions made by EU exit legislation that is no longer operable, ensuring that the regulations as a whole remain up to date and legally clear.

These regulations deliver a focused and widely supported reform. They lower the minimum age from 20 to 18 while fully maintaining the strict safety, medical and competence standards that underpin our railways. They will widen opportunities for young people and enable operators to draw from a broader talent pool, at a time when many experienced drivers are approaching retirement. The Government, the regulator and the industry have worked closely to ensure that the reforms can be introduced safely, with clear pathways for school leavers through strengthened apprenticeships and early entry routes.

These measures will support a more resilient, diverse and sustainable driver workforce and strengthen the long-term viability of our railways. I therefore hope that noble Lords will join me in supporting this statutory instrument.

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