A former BBC radio presenter has found a new vocation that has given her a ‘new lease of life’ after training to become a train driver.

In 2024, former journalist and radio presenter Alex Worsick decided to switch careers and apply to become a train driver after working for the BBC for 22 years.

Whilst still a producer at BBC Radio Lancashire, Alex heard an interview with Lauren Pugh talking about her experience as a driver at Northern, and the need to encourage more women to consider a career on the railway.

She decided to submit an application to become a trainee driver, and successfully passed a series of interviews, psychometric testing, and a medical as part of the selection process.

There followed 20 weeks of classroom learning, finding out how trains and signalling systems work, and studying the comprehensive rulebook that all drivers must follow.

Alex is now going through 230 hours of hands-on experience in the driver’s cab, which will allow her to drive different types of train on five routes in Lancashire and Merseyside.

More information about becoming a train driver with Northern can be found here.

As well as train drivers, Northern regularly recruits people to become apprentices, and in June this year it was named as the top UK rail operator for employing apprentices.

“I clipped what Lauren was saying for a story on the news bulletins, and she made it sound like a brilliant opportunity. I was looking for a new challenge at the time, so I thought I would give it a go and apply. It was a bit nerve-racking changing careers in your mid 40s, but I thought ‘if I don’t do it now, I never will. I had never really thought about a career on the railway and didn’t think Northern would want me, as I didn’t have any transferable skills.”

“It’s a brand-new challenge, so you have to accept it will be difficult at times, but it’s really rewarding. I have never learnt so much stuff in such a short amount of time as I have at train driver school. Being in that front cab is surreal, but you feel reassured straight away as you have an instructor with you.”

Alex Worsick, former BBC radio presenter and Northern train driver