Japan to Allow High School Students to Drive Trains Starting Next Year... License Age Lowered to 18

Severe Shortage of Train Drivers Due to Low Birthrate and Aging Population
Concerns Over Character and Qualifications... Risk of Declining Safety

The Japanese government announced that it is considering lowering the minimum age for obtaining a railway driver's license from the current 20 years old to 18 years old starting next year. Under the new plan, high school students or recent graduates would be able to start working as train drivers immediately. The government stated that this measure is intended to address the severe shortage of personnel in the transportation industry caused by prolonged low birth rates and an aging population.

The railway and transportation industries, which have been struggling with a shortage of shift drivers, are welcoming this move. However, some voices have raised concerns that allowing individuals who have not yet fully developed the necessary character and qualifications to operate trains could be dangerous.

On the 26th, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported that Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is considering lowering the minimum age for obtaining a railway driver's license from 20 years old to 18 years old.

The Japanese government plans to implement the age reduction starting next year. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has been holding expert meetings since last year to discuss this issue repeatedly. Originally, Japan had set the minimum age for obtaining a railway license at 18 years old, but during the high-growth period of the 1960s, it was revised to 20 years old. Nikkei explained that this change was made because with the emergence of high-speed trains such as the Shinkansen, there was a perception that "for safety reasons, a person with emotional stability should operate the trains."

The reason for relaxing a regulation made for safety reasons is that the shortage of personnel has worsened to an unmanageable level. Across Japan, there are increasing regions experiencing difficulties in maintaining normal railway operations. In Nagasaki Prefecture, as many train drivers retire upon reaching retirement age, the shortage of personnel has forced a reduction in the number of trains operating on weekdays since mid-October. In Fukui Prefecture, although 28 drivers are needed to maintain the timetable, only 21 qualified personnel have been secured, prompting an emergency countermeasure meeting.

Moreover, complaints have begun to arise that the current system does not allow timely recruitment of personnel. Under the existing licensing system, to become a train driver, one must graduate from high school at 18, join a railway company, and typically work for about two years in roles such as station staff before becoming eligible to take the license exam. Nikkei predicted, "With the relaxation of the age restriction, high school graduates will be able to quickly start working as drivers."

However, Japanese media pointed out that lowering the age limit is only a temporary measure, and fundamentally, the burden of shift work and improvements in working conditions must be addressed. Nikkei added, "Among young people, many leave their jobs due to the burden of shift work that leads to long working hours," and "Securing new drivers will be a major issue going forward."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.