Mum retrains as a train driver with Newcastle firm Lumo
Sam Bentley, 44, worked as cabin crew out of Newcastle Airport for more than a decade until her life was upended when Thomas Cook went bust in 2019.
Her husband, a pilot, also lost his job and when the pandemic struck the family were left facing an uncertain future.
Sam Bentley (Image: Mike Redina)
The mum-of-four, from Blyth, is now thriving on a completely different track after becoming a fully qualified train driver – a role traditionally dominated by men – thanks to an apprenticeship scheme by Newcastle-based train company Lumo that is shaking up the rail sector.
“I never imagined I’d be a train driver at 44,” Sam, who was out of work for two years after Thomas Cook folded, says.
“But Lumo gave me the chance to retrain and start a completely new career.
“It’s been life-changing.”
As part of National Apprenticeship Week (Feb 10-16), Sam’s story is an example of how apprenticeships are transforming lives and challenging stereotypes.
While most people picture apprentices as school-leavers, Lumo’s scheme is proving that age is no barrier to starting again.
“At Thomas Cook, I was there 10 years before I got a permanent contract, never mind any progression,” Sam explains.
“But at Lumo, I’ve gone from starting a new career to being a qualified train driver in a couple of years.
“It’s been incredible.”
Sam first joined Lumo as a customer ambassador when the company launched its all-electric service between London, Newcastle, and Edinburgh in 2021.
The role was similar to her previous job, but it was Lumo’s apprenticeship programme that opened the door to something entirely new and set her on track to become one of the company’s first female drivers.
“It was a really scary time when I lost my job,” Sam said.
“We were even on the verge of moving to Dubai but then Lumo came along.”
Lumo, which operates on the East Coast Main Line, says it has made apprenticeships a key part of its workforce strategy.
Partnering with Train’d Up, the company has created opportunities for people from all walks of life to build careers in rail.
A total of 95% of Lumo’s workforce started as apprentices, and Sam says it is the company’s culture that sets it apart from other places she has worked.
“When I joined, Lumo was brand new,” Sam says.
“We helped shape how the company grew, and that’s been ingrained in the culture.”
Sam’s success is part of a wider shift in the rail industry, driven by open-access operators like Lumo and Hull Trains.
These self-funded operators, which don’t get government subsidies to run their services, are not only reshaping travel for passengers but also creating opportunities for people who might never have considered a career in rail.(Image: Mike Redina)
Hull Trains, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has a similar success story in Matt Rudd, a 30-year-old from Hornsea, near Hull, who retrained as a train driver through its apprenticeship programme.
Like Sam, Matt had no prior connection to the rail industry but now proudly describes his job as a “dream come true.”
Both companies are also leading the way in diversity.
Hull Trains boasts a workforce that is 52 per cent female, with 28 per cent of its drivers being women – well above the industry average of around 6 per cent.
Meanwhile, Lumo’s commitment to sustainability and innovation has earned it a reputation as a forward-thinking operator, with all-electric services, paper-free operations, and plant-based menus.
Martijn Gilbert, joint managing director of Hull Trains and Lumo, believes apprenticeships are key to the industry’s future.
“Apprenticeships create opportunities – not just for individuals, but for communities,” he says.
“They bring new energy and ideas into rail, breaking down barriers that have historically limited access to careers in this industry.”
As open-access operators look to expand into new markets – including plans to launch in Sheffield, Glasgow, and Rochdale, among others – they’re proving apprenticeships are more than just training schemes.
“They’re tools for transforming the culture of an industry often criticised as outdated.”
Martijn adds:
“We have to be a lean, entrepreneurial machine.
“Rail has an incredible 200-year history, but it comes with a lot of baggage.
“Because we don’t rely on subsidies, we have to do things differently.
“We live and die by the service we provide and the teams we build.
“People say the rail industry is broken, but open-access operators are showing that’s not true.
“We’re one part of the network that absolutely works for everyone.”