“Becoming a train driver is a real privilege and thanks to Southern and Career Returners, I get to live my dream every day.”
Letting the trains take the strain: Elba Lovelace-Francis has launched herself into a new career with a Southern apprenticeship
After becoming a mother for the first time, West Croydon resident Elba Lovelace-Francis wanted to take her career in a new direction and joined the world of rail after being out of work for 18 months.
Now, aged 33, Lovelace-Francis recently qualified as a train driver after completing her apprenticeship with Southern, thanks to the support she received from the rail operator and Career Returners.
“I was over the moon when I passed my final assessment and got my driver’s key, because I put my heart and soul into my driver’s apprenticeship,” said the fully qualifed woman train driver, speaking about her experience to mark today’s International Women’s Day.
“The first six months of the course were classroom-based and I enjoyed immersing myself in the theory, especially the 1,000-page rulebook which I must know inside out. The best bit was getting out on the network and learning the routes under the supervision of my driving instructor. Now I’m driving independently, which is fantastic.
“My current route is London Bridge to Epsom and I’m learning the Tattenham Corner to Norwood Junction journey. There’s always something new to study as a train driver, which is what makes the role so interesting.”
Career Returners is a coaching and consulting programme targeted at people who have been on an extended career break and are looking to get back to fulfilling work, something Lovelace-Francis used to join the railway. She previously worked in a betting shop but left her role after having her first child as it no longer fitted into her life.
“I was working at a betting shop when I fell pregnant with my first child. It didn’t feel right to go back to work after maternity leave, as it would have been very long days where I wouldn’t get home until midnight, so I made the decision to leave.”
Lovelace-Francis started looking into careers in the railway, which is when she applied to be an apprentice train driver with Southern through the Career Returners website in 2023.
“Although I hadn’t been out of work for long, the longer time passes, the harder it becomes to find employment. When I was searching for a new job, I saw a social media post advertising train driver vacancies through the Returners scheme and it seemed perfect for me, so I applied for the role and haven’t looked back since!”
Lovelace-Francis wants to encourage more women to feel confident about returning to work, following an extended career break, and is urging people to join the railway through an apprenticeship.
“I’m always recommending the apprenticeship to my female friends, because it’s a fantastic way to train as a driver, especially as the support I received from my manager was second-to-none. As I joined Southern through the Returners scheme, I also had access to a career coach, which was brilliant because I had regular check-in sessions and could raise any concerns with them.
“I hope I can inspire more women to join the railway, because qualifying as a train driver has been life-changing and it’s allowed me to create a great future for my daughter.”
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What a great story. And what an inspiration she is.