Sydney Trains has reached a record 270 apprentices across its maintenance program, with women now making up more than 11 per cent of the total cohort as the state government works to address trade shortages threatening its local manufacturing targets.

ABC News reported on two of this year’s 30 female recruits, Ariana Gackowski and Nicola Huggins, who are training as fleet electricians at the rail operator’s maintenance centre in Auburn. Ms Gackowski followed her father into the same electrical apprenticeship; Ms Huggins switched from bookkeeping after a friend flagged the program. “I’ve never really touched tools much before this so it’s been great being able to use the big machines, the guillotine, the bender, the grinder; it’s great,” Ms Huggins said.

The numbers underscore how lopsided the rail trades remain. Men account for 94 per cent of railway track workers and 97 per cent of electricians nationally. Women’s share of Sydney Trains apprentices has grown year on year but still sits at just over one in nine. Apprentices split their time between TAFE and the Auburn facility, where they can specialise across signal electrician, rolling stock mechanical, signal fitter, and automotive refinishing trades.

NSW Transport Minister John Graham said the pipeline dried up when train manufacturing shifted offshore. The Mariyung intercity fleet was built in South Korea; a new regional fleet is currently being assembled in Spain. “We want to build more trains here, we want to invest in the reliability of our rail network but we need the people to do it,” Mr Graham said. The 97 first-year apprentices enrolled this year are part of a push to hit a 50 per cent local labour target for the upcoming replacement of the ageing Tangara suburban fleet, set to begin from early next year.

Electricians, fitters, and railway track workers are all listed on the NSW Occupation Shortage List, making recruitment from outside the traditional pool increasingly important. Sydney Trains CEO Matt Longland noted that the hands-on instinct previous generations developed from weekend tinkering now needs to be taught formally. “The sorts of things that maybe in the days gone by, people would have tinkered with on weekends with their mums and dads, we’ve now got apprentices in the digital age,” he said.

For tradies watching the rail sector, the intake signals that major rolling stock projects will need a broader base of qualified workers than NSW currently has. Anyone holding a trades certificate in electrical, mechanical, or fitting work may find the rail maintenance sector actively competing for them in the years ahead.

Frequently asked questions

How many apprentices does Sydney Trains currently have?

Sydney Trains has a record 270 apprentices enrolled across its maintenance program as of 2026.

What trades can you train in as a Sydney Trains apprentice?

Sydney Trains apprentices can specialise in signal electrician, rolling stock mechanical, signal fitter, and automotive refinishing trades.

Why is NSW expanding its rail apprenticeship program?

NSW needs a larger local workforce to meet a 50 per cent local labour target for the upcoming replacement of the ageing Tangara suburban fleet, after years of train manufacturing being done overseas.

What proportion of Sydney Trains apprentices are women?

Women make up just over 11 per cent of Sydney Trains apprentices, or roughly one in nine, after 30 women joined the 2026 intake.

Sourced from ABC News. Original article.