Sam McLean is thriving in her position as the only XPT train driver in Junee. Photo: Supplied.
It took a while for Sam McLean to understand exactly what she wanted to do after graduating high school.
Without a driver’s licence but with a desire to travel, Sam initially began looking for a job as a bus driver. Realising that was impossible with her then situation, Sam decided that trains might be the way to go.
“I started out working on the stations,” Sam said.
“I quickly became a guard, to then finally becoming a driver. It’s been about 12 years of driving trains for me now and I have spent 10 of those working for Sydney Trains. At the time [2022] I was beginning to think about what my next challenge could be.
“I knew that I wanted a role where I would still be in the driver’s seat. I had also grown up in the country and began to feel a pull, back to a country lifestyle.”
Sam and her partner, Kaihlee, eventually decided to make a post-pandemic switch, moving to Junee.
“Coming to Junee as a city girl, I was a bit uncertain,” she said.
“I am very grateful that I have landed here at this depot. It is smaller than some of the other depots I’ve worked but I’m fortunate that I get to work with a bunch of welcoming and genuine bunch of guys.
“We’ve now got a five-month-old son, Felix, so it’s been great to come to a place like Junee and raise him here.”
Since making the transition to Junee, Sam said both she and her partner have not looked back.
“When the job was advertised for a regional train driver [XPT from Sydney to Melbourne], it ticked all the boxes,” she said.
“It was a way for me to learn something new, continue driving trains and move out to the country.
“A typical shift out here in Junee has us start here, in Junee and we will drive the train to either Sydney or Melbourne and spend the night. Every shift is a night away from home with around three shifts a week.
“A lot of people love to go for a drive out in the country and I’m lucky enough that I get to do it.”
Sam said she believed in the importance of rail travel and one of the keys to having a flourishing regional community was to have a proactive rail network.
“I believe in rail travel and I think it has a lot of potential,” she said.
“I would love to see more regional communities flourish and thrive and I believe having a good rail network is a big key to that. I really enjoy being part of an organisation that provides that service.”
Next time you’re heading to either Sydney or Melbourne via the XPT, make sure to keep an eye out for Sam and her fellow drivers and say hello.
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