A HAMPSHIRE train driver stunned the railway industry yesterday when he ousted left-wing union general secretary Mick Rix.

ASLEF moderate Shaun Brady, who lives near Southampton, was surprised himself that he had inflicted the defeat on one of Labour's "awkward squad" who have been putting pressure on Tony Blair to return to traditional socialist values.

Mr Brady, 41, is a long-serving railwayman who joined British Rail in 1980 and has been a train driver for over 20 years.

He is based at the Basingstoke depot of South West Trains, one of the biggest rail operators in the country.

He was elected onto ASLEF's executive earlier this year but he has a low profile, even within the union.

Mr Rix was beaten in a re-election ballot in a repeat of a vote five years ago when he himself staged a surprise by beating Lew Adams, who had held the post for a number of years.

Mr Rix polled 3,200 votes compared to 4,500 for Mr Brady, who will now take over as general secretary in October.

Mr Brady takes over at a time when left-wingers have been increasingly taking control of the trade union movement.

Mr Rix, 40, proved to be a popular union leader and was credited with achieving big pay rises for train drivers as well as reductions in hours in recent years.

The left-winger was also closely involved with launching the so-called awkward squad of union officials who have given such a headache to the government in recent years.

Mr Rix, who is married with two children, addressed Aslef staff at the union's head office in north London yesterday following the ballot result and was given a loud round of applause.

Born in Leeds, he joined the railway industry straight from school at the age of 17 and was a train driver himself before becoming an official of Aslef.

He moved to London following his election victory and was later elected to the general council of the TUC.

Colleagues said today that Aslef had punched well above its weight, both politically and industrially, under Mr Rix's leadership.

He was briefly a member of Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party but later joined Labour, vowing, alongside other union leaders, to try to ''reclaim'' the party for rank and file members.