Northern - Trainee Driver - Manchester & Blackburn (25/04/25)

[leahpart]

Hi all!

Vacancies are up for Trainee Train Driver at Victoria and Piccadilly, get those applications in!

JOB TITLE: Trainee Train Driver.
SALARY: £26,016 per annum during training (approx. 12 months) rising to £49,652 in Year 1, £54,496 in Year 2 and £62,642 in Year 3.
ROLE TYPE: Full Time.
LOCATION: Blackburn
HOURS: Rolling 35 per week. Shift pattern includes evenings, nights and weekends (for example: 03:00– 10:30,07:00 – 16:30, 15:30 – 12:30, 18:00 – 02:30).
AVAILABLE TRAINING COURSE DATES: 15.09.25

JOB TITLE: Trainee Train Driver.
SALARY: £26,016 per annum during training (approx. 12 months) rising to £49,652 in Year 1, £54,496 in Year 2 and £62,642 in Year 3.
ROLE TYPE: Full Time.
LOCATION: Manchester Victoria or Manchester Piccadilly
HOURS: Rolling 35 per week. Shift pattern includes evenings, nights and weekends (for example: 03:00– 10:30,07:00 – 16:30, 15:30 – 12:30, 18:00 – 02:30).
AVAILABLE TRAINING COURSE DATES: 25.08.25, 15.09.25, 06.10.25

The role of a Train Driver is safety critical and is subject to Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) regulations. You MUST meet the following criteria for this position, or your application will be automatically rejected:
Currently live within a 45-minute car journey from the station you work from.
Be at least 20 years of age at the time of application.
Pass the TDLCR Train Driver medical assessment, including drugs and alcohol screening.
Not have defective colour vision.
Obtain a pass to an enhanced level on the Train Driver Psychometric Assessments, which will be taken as part of the recruitment process. If you pass the test, it is valid for 5 years. Please note you have only three attempts to complete the psychometrics – if you fail on your third attempt you are unable to re-take them and cannot qualify for a train driver position.
Commit to working early, late and weekend shifts – without relying on public transport (for example: 03:00 – 10:30, 15:30 – 12:30, 21:00 – 06:00).

Trainee Train Driver - Manchester
Trainee Train Driver - Blackburn

 

[NorthernTech]

And Blackburn

 

[Blu-rayLoco]

Anyone applied for the Blackburn trainee train driver role? How many vacancies are there likely to be?

 

[ayaz2001]

Probably be my last ever time apply to Northern. Good luck everyone

 

[Blu-rayLoco]

Probably be my last ever time apply to Northern. Good luck everyone

Hi, how far have you got in the past when applying?

 

[amounderness]

Considering applying to the Blackburn one. First time!

Probably be my last ever time apply to Northern. Good luck everyone

I did come across previous posts from yourself when I've been stalking the forums for advice, ayaz, best of luck!

 

[ayaz2001]

Hi, how far have you got in the past when applying?

for Northern, i havent gotten past the application stage. but for TPE i passed the exams n all except the hand to eye coordination, which was a shame bc it was the very last one.

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Considering applying to the Blackburn one. First time!

I did come across previous posts from yourself when I've been stalking the forums for advice, ayaz, best of luck!

Good luck, nice to be noticed lol

 

[Blu-rayLoco]

for Northern, i havent gotten past the application stage. but for TPE i passed the exams n all except the hand to eye coordination, which was a shame bc it was the very last one.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Apr 2025 ==


Good luck, nice to be noticed lol

That’s a shame about the previous tests, good luck for this one. My first time applying, there’s a lot of information to digest.

 

[MckA]

Hi, all new here, been looking into the train driving jobs for a good while now and when Northern did their last big recruitment it just wasn't the right time in my personal life but I feel now is and luckily there was a job advertised for Blackburn depot as a trainee driver come up, it closed 10th May.

Just wondering if anyone has applied and any links to any useful information for interviews and the testing (although very far away from any of that yet!)\

Thanks

 

[chalkijr]

Anybody heard back yet from their application?

I live exactly 45 minutes away from Piccadilly so I think I will be lucky to get through.

 

[leahpart]

Anybody heard back yet from their application?

I live exactly 45 minutes away from Piccadilly so I think I will be lucky to get through.

Mines gone through to talent acquisition team, nothing further yet though. hopefully interview invites by end of june!

 

[ayaz2001]

just got my rejection lol. no more applications to Northern anymore .

 

[Matt1987]

Sorry to hear that Ayaz; hopefully you have better luck moving forwards.
Mine is still ‘under initial review.’
Has anybody else heard anything yet?

 

[Blu-rayLoco]

Hi, still showing ‘under initial review’. Which vacancy did you go for Matt?

 

[Blu-rayLoco]

Hi, all new here, been looking into the train driving jobs for a good while now and when Northern did their last big recruitment it just wasn't the right time in my personal life but I feel now is and luckily there was a job advertised for Blackburn depot as a trainee driver come up, it closed 10th May.

Just wondering if anyone has applied and any links to any useful information for interviews and the testing (although very far away from any of that yet!)\

Thanks

Hi, yeah I applied, have you heard anything yet?

 

[Matt1987]

Hi, still showing ‘under initial review’. Which vacancy did you go for Matt?

Hi Loco, I applied for Manchester; Blackburn had the same closing date so I would assume a similar time scale.

 

[Blu-rayLoco]

Just received an email stating ‘Application unsuccessful’
Best of luck everyone.

 

[Matt1987]

Just received an email stating ‘Application unsuccessful’
Best of luck everyone.

I’m sorry to hear that, have you been applying for a while? It certainly seems there is amount of luck involved in the process.

 

[Blu-rayLoco]

I applied back in 2020 when it was Arriva, this is the first time applying since then, I will keep trying.

 

[Matt1987]

I applied back in 2020 when it was Arriva, this is the first time applying since then, I will keep trying.

It’s great to hear that you will persevere. I’m led to believe the whole recruitment process has changed recently; not much detailed information about to help at the moment.

 

[leahpart]

Anyone heard anything back yet for manchester? still under initial review x

 

[Matt1987]

Anyone heard anything back yet for manchester? still under initial review x

I am afraid I have no update; mine is also still ‘under initial review.’

 

[Adele_Dawn]

Hi everyone just to mention applied for Manchester and today it’s still under initial review good everyone

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Hi everyone just to mention applied for Manchester and today it’s still under initial review good luck everyone

 

[Alabam]

Hi All, has anyone had an interview with Northern since the group exercise part?

 

[Adele_Dawn]

Anyone heard anything back yet for manchester? still under initial review x

Hi mine is still saying the same too

 

[Matt1987]

Good afternoon all, I’m wondering if anyone has heard further regards applications for Manchester.
Mine still states ‘under initial review’

 

[Hazza1]

Good afternoon all, I’m wondering if anyone has heard further regards applications for Manchester.
Mine still states ‘under initial review’

Mine still says the same :/

 

[leahpart]

asked for an update and got a rejection letter, just my luck best of luck everyone!

 

[Hazza1]

asked for an update and got a rejection letter, just my luck best of luck everyone!

Just got the rejection email too

 

[Matt1987]

asked for an update and got a rejection letter, just my luck best of luck everyone!

I seem to have the same luck leahpart;I also received the dreaded ‘application unsuccessful’ this evening.
Double kick in the chops really; I got an ‘application unsuccessful’ this morning from TransPennine.