Women interested in a six-figure career driving Melbourne's trains will find it easier to get a foot in the door as the city's rail bosses push for more females to take up the job.

But so concerned was Metro Trains about its push for more women, it took its case to Victoria's civil umpire in anticipation of a human rights fight. 

However the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) last week ruled it had nothing to worry about, paving the way for the rail giant to target more female employees. 

Daily Mail Australia can reveal Metro Trains went to VCAT to apply for an exemption under the Equal Opportunity Act which would allow it to target women in its 'Infrastructure Delivery Team advertising and recruitment program'.

In tribunal documents obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Metro Trains sought permission to target women in its advertising and recruitment program so as to increase the number in its broader pool of applicants. 

'A discernible group can be identified with a particular attribute, in this instance, females who wish to apply for train driver positions,' it was stated. 

'The purpose of the conduct here is to provide a means by which more females will have greater opportunities to apply for and be considered for recruitment for train driver roles at Metro Trains.'

The company has previously been issued with exemptions from the Act to hold recruitment campaigns for women for particular roles. The estimated total pay for a train driver is $155,000 per year in the Melbourne area, with an average salary of $110,000 per year. 

Metro Trains has made no secret of its desire to employ more women, telling the tribunal the rail industry was traditionally viewed as a male dominated industry, which had 'led to a gender imbalance in the rail industry globally'. 

In information provided to the tribunal, Metro Trains revealed its workforce in August was 31.85 percent female.

'The breakdown of this percentage is 2,281 female employees out of a total of 7,162 employees,' it stated.

Of the 2,281 female employees, just 597 out of a total of 1,579 drive trains. 

Metro Trains proudly spruiks its dedication to females on its website, declaring it has been recognised in the top 101 workplaces for women. 

The company aims to greatly increase the number of women working in its Infrastructure Delivery Team Department, which is a little over 16 percent female from 314 employees. 

Of those, 9.24 percent work on the Track Maintenance Team, and 9.2 percent on its  Electrical Network Team. 

The tribunal heard Metro Trains had a financial interest in employing more women due to its franchise agreement with the Victorian Government, which included 'gender targets' in its contract. 

'A failure to meet a target may lead to a financial penalty for Metro Trains,' tribunal documents stated. 

In striking out the application, VCAT member Stuart Webb determined Metro Trains was acting in 'good faith' with its plans. 

'Given the low representation of females at Metro Trains, the proposed conduct is likely to improve the opportunities for female applicants to be identified and put forward for employment consideration,' he stated. 

'Given the current percentages of females in this particular role, the proposed conduct is proportionate.

'The justification for the proposed conduct here is self-evident from the statistics. The currently low numbers of females employed as drivers at Metro Trains means that the conduct is unlikely to go beyond achieving greater parity. I am satisfied that the proposed conduct is justified.'

Perks for all employees include discounted gym and health funds, discounted banking services, superannuation and financial planning advice, and free Myki travel. 

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission did not seek to intervene in the company's application.