A shunter for train operator Southern is urging more people to apply for railway jobs.

Anna Agkortsa, a fourth-generation rail worker, joined Southern as a platform assistant in 2022 and as of last year, she landed her dream job as a shunter.

Anna, who’s been fascinated by the technical side of the railway throughout her other roles, finally got the opportunity to change roles.

She is originally from Greece, where she attended university and applied for a ticket office job in Athens in 2018.

She moved to the UK during the pandemic, hoping to be able to eventually make progress in the industry, up to her dream role.

As a platform assistant at London Victoria for two years, she applied to be a shunter at Selhurst depot last year.

She loved training to drive a train over short distances and how to move stock around the depot. She found the training super exciting as she had never experienced anything like it.

She hopes that more people apply to the railway industry and find that their dream role is just around the corner.

“The railway is a huge part of my family because three of my relatives worked in the industry, including my dad who was an On-Board Manager for 37 years. I’d heard great things about Britain’s railway and the opportunities to progress within the industry, so I took a leap of faith and moved to the UK during the pandemic.

“It was challenging jobhunting because the interviews were remote, but I kept persisting and was thrilled when I was told I’d got the platform assistant role at London Victoria. Being in a frontline role was the best introduction to the UK’s network, since I learnt a lot about passengers’ needs as well as ensuring services were running safely and efficiently at one of the country’s busiest stations.”

“The training for my role was quite demanding because there was a lot of material to learn and English isn’t my first language, so I was doing a lot of translating. However, my manager and colleagues were happy to help when I needed extra support.

“Another key component of my training was learning to accurately form train units by coupling and uncoupling them. If a unit is damaged, I need to move it to the repair shed for inspection and repair.

“I’d recommend this role to anyone who is keen to go behind the scenes and experience a more hands on side of the railway. Being a shunter driver has a huge impact in making sure services run smoothly and I’m proud to be part of this team which champions safety and maintenance.”