Alex Worsick, a former BBC Radio Lancashire and 2BR producer and presenter, has begun training as a driver with Northern after more than two decades in broadcasting.
Alex was inspired to apply for the role in 2024 after producing a segment for the station’s news bulletin featuring a Northern train driver, who spoke about her experiences and encouraged more women to consider careers in rail.
In an interview for the Northern Rail website, Alex reflected on her decision saying she had reached a point where she had “done everything” she wanted at the BBC, including reporting, producing, news reading and editing.
She admitted that changing careers in her mid-40s was nerve-racking, but realised her experience with deadlines, emergencies and shift work was relevant to the railway.
After a selection process involving interviews, psychometric tests and a medical, Alex completed 20 weeks of classroom training, covering train operations, safety rules and signalling systems.
She is now gaining practical experience in the driver’s cab, learning to operate trains on routes across Lancashire and Merseyside.
Alex described the challenge as “really rewarding” and said she has “never learnt so much in such a short amount of time.”
She is encouraging others to consider a career on the railway, saying the experience has given her “a new lease of life” and a real sense of achievement.
Alex joins a growing list of radio hosts who have changed the studio for the cabin, including former Capital and Xfm presenter Lucio Buffone, Mark Caiger-Watson from GWR and ex-Heart breakfast host Matt Jarvis.
