RIP: London's first female Tube driver

[John Ashworth]

Londoner of the Day: First female Tube driver Hannah Dadds

Tom Moore, Reporter, London 24
Monday, December 5, 2011
4:07 PM

Hannah Dadds, the first female Tube driver on London Underground, has died aged 70.

She was born in Forest Gate, east London, and started her career as a ‘railwoman’ in 1969, going on to work as a ticket collector and guard.

She became a Tube driver on the District line in 1978 and was joined by her sister Edna as they formed the first all-women crew on the Underground.

Hannah left LU in 1993 and she was invited to one of the Queen’s Women of Achievement lunches as her legacy continued.

“Hannah Dadds changed the working life of women on the Tube, and the way in which many people viewed Tube drivers,” said Howard Collins, chief operating officer at London Underground.

“I had the great privilege of working with Hannah and her sister in the 1980s. They were a great team, positive and enthusiastic about their role and their pioneering responsibility.

“She was an esteemed member of our workforce and my condolences go out to her family.”

London24’s Londoner of the Day aims to find people in the capital who have done something special or made the news and created a talking point for the day. It can be someone famous or an unsung hero such as a charity stalwart.

If you’d like to nominate someone for a future Londoner of the Day mention you can email London24 editor Simon Bull at simon.bull@archant.co.uk