Gwyn Topham

4 days ago | theguardian.com | Gwyn Topham

Few professions’ pay have aroused such incredulous ire as train drivers: earning an average of nearly £70,000 a year, going on strike to demand more, and they don’t even have to steer. But if it really is such a cushy number, why doesn’t Britain have enough drivers – and what does it take to join their ranks? Driver shortages have become a leading cause of disruption on Britain’s railways; about seven out of eight “P-coded” cancellations, made the night before travel, are down to a missing driver.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Gwyn Topham

If train drivers – like police officers – start looking younger, it may not just be you. Britain’s trains could soon have 18-year-olds in the cab, with the government likely to cut the minimum age to plug a shortage of drivers. Currently train drivers can obtain a licence from the age of 20 – although the vast majority of drivers are much older. The Department for Transport said the change could lead to teenage applicants being recruited from December.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Gwyn Topham

A warm and sunny May bank holiday weekend is expected to bring a million more drivers out on the roads than last year, with traffic compounded by the part closure of Great Britain’s main rail line on Sunday and Monday. Congestion is set to peak with the temperatures on Friday afternoon, when getaway drives and commuter traffic coincide.

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Gwyn Topham

Sir Richard Branson has attacked Donald Trump’s policies as “doing so much damage” to the world, adding that he did not believe the US president’s actions were backed by most Americans. The Virgin Atlantic founder warned that the “erratic and unpredictable” actions of the White House were undermining business, although he singled out Trump’s policy on Ukraine as the one that “should worry the world the most”.

3 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Gwyn Topham

Thousands more driving tests a month have been promised in a government push to tackle the huge backlog in Great Britain, as the transport secretary admitted it would not hit its target to slash waiting times this year. The number of specialist trainers for examiners will be increased, and examiners offered more overtime, potentially allowing each to do another 40 tests – adding up to at least 10,000 more – each month.