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Sharon Paton, 49, describes her decision to become a train driver in her 40s as “the best thing I ever did.” Transitioning from a long career in print and marketing, she embraced the challenge of a completely new profession. “I absolutely love it, I wish I’d done it years ago,” Paton said. She appreciates the lack of office pressures, enjoying the scenic views during her shifts, explaining, “I don’t have any deadlines, I don’t have to answer emails, I’ve got the best office window you can have, driving around the countryside.”
When Paton first joined a group of eight trainee drivers, she was the only woman and had some concerns about fitting in. However, she quickly found her place, stating, “It’s been fine. You’ve earned your place.” Inspired by her brother-in-law who had recently completed training, she decided to pursue the route of a train driver herself. Now, she operates West Midlands Railway services connecting Birmingham, Redditch, Lichfield, Wolverhampton, and Rugeley.
The training process was demanding and intensive, lasting around 12 months and involving numerous assessments including psychometric and cognitive tests, safety-critical exercises, and several interviews. Trainees also need to pass exams related to railway regulations and train maintenance, alongside completing approximately 270 hours of supervised driving. Paton noted that though she began classroom lessons in November 2023, it took about four months before she actually worked on a train. Reflecting on a moment during training, she recalled standing in a depot at night looking at a train’s underside and wondering, “what on earth have I done, how did I get here?” Despite the shock of such a career change from a marketing environment, she found the experience both exciting and interesting.
Balancing her role with family life, Paton finds the early or late shifts suitable for managing her children’s needs. “Getting out of bed at 03:00 in the morning is pretty brutal but then you’re finished by lunchtime and I get to see my kids,” she said. While this shift pattern works for her family, she acknowledges it might be difficult for parents with younger children, noting, “I don’t think I could do this shift pattern with young children – and there doesn’t seem to be any alternatives to that, you either do it or you don’t.” After qualifying just over a year ago, Paton enjoys routes that offer a bit of driving between stations and particularly loves the moments alone in the front cab, concentrating on the task at hand. However, she emphasizes that the job is far from relaxing, with constant attention required to signals, safety systems, and unexpected incidents like passengers pulling alarms or smoking in toilets. Describing an experience with the emergency brakes, she said, “I panicked and thought ‘what have I done?’ but it turned out the conductor had fallen over and pressed the emergency button.”
West Midlands Railway, which serves the entire West Midlands region, has been actively working to increase female representation within its driver workforce. Since 2021, the proportion of female trainee drivers has risen from 13.8% to 22.5%. In 2025, women accounted for 10.5% of all qualified drivers at the company. Louise Ward, the head of talent, learning, and early careers at West Midlands Railway, commented, “While the workforce is historically male-dominated, we are committed to encouraging more women into the industry and are pleased that a third of our new hires in the last year have been women.” She described Sharon’s journey as a powerful example of how individuals with no previous experience can join the railway and succeed.
Paton herself often encounters surprise when she shares her profession. “There’s obviously a view that it’s not a typical role done by women,” she observed. Despite this, she strongly encourages women to consider the career path, adding, “I would fully encourage women to do it – it’s a really great career.”
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