The Diplomat
The 31 Saudi women aspiring to become high-speed train drivers who have passed the first training phase, of a theoretical nature, have started to do practical work experience in the cabin of Renfe’s Haramain train in Saudi Arabia, reports Europa Press.
In this second phase, which will last between five and six months, the trainees will be travelling as train driver escorts on board commercial trains and will actually drive under the supervision of Renfe trainers, according to the operator.
They are expected to start driving alone in mid-December, making them the first Saudi women in the country’s history to carry out this profession. They belong to Renfe’s ninth promotion of local train drivers within the framework of the Haramain project, with the highest proportion of applicants passing the theoretical phase, as 34 women started it.
The theoretical training began on March 13th: 483 hours in which subjects such as basic railway knowledge, traffic and safety rules, occupational hazards, fire prevention systems or technical aspects related to the train and the infrastructure were taught. The practical part will have 674 hours, for a total of 1,157 training hours.
Of the 31 aspiring train drivers who have passed the first phase, six of them already belonged to the Renfe KSA staff (Saudi branch of the company). Their average age is 26 and seven out of ten have a university education, compared to three out of ten of the other promotions, all of them male.
The call for applications for this promotion had a huge impact on Saudi society, to the extent that 28,000 women registered, of whom approximately half took the exams in person. Of these, 145 were selected for the next phase, which consisted of a personal interview.
