A County Durham apprentice train driver hopes to inspire more women to follow in her tracks this International Women's Day after swapping the classroom for the cab.
According to the ASLEF Union, only 6.5% of train drivers in the UK are women, and Carrie Million from Peterlee is training to become another - and hopes more women will follow her to boost that figure. The 44-year-old worked as a teaching assistant for nearly 12 years but when her daughter Summer turned 16, she felt the time had come for her to follow an interest and pursue a career in the rail industry.
Carrie is an apprentice 'customer driver' with budget rail firm Lumo, which has operated trains on the East Coast Mainline since late 2021, stopping in Newcastle and Morpeth. Inspired by her sister Katy, who is also a train driver, Carrie has taken on the role in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
