A career as a train driver

[longbigtoes]

Thanks for that. Do they use a specific day or time of day? I only live 20 miles from the station I’ve applied for but depending on the time of day I get wildly different results. Most times I look I am 36-40 minutes away. There is a road closure on the way into the town which I think might also be impacting the times. In the summer I was well under the 45 minutes but now it’s nearly an hour on a Monday at 8!

I could be wrong but I don’t believe that RAC route planning uses live traffic. It says this in their FAQ.

“The mechanism behind our route finder service is predominantly based on Dijkstra’s algorithm. Every road segment has a "cost". For the shortest routes, this "cost" is simply the length. For the quickest routes, the software also takes into account the average speed of the road.”

 

[Colly103]

Many thanks for this. It would be a shame if I missed out due to some roadworks meaning the travel time is inflated! I am keeping my fingers crossed anyway!

 

[GPR]

Hi GPR - is it definitely 0800 normal weekday? I thought it was 0900??? Think they use google maps?

travelling time will be assessed by the recruitment team using Google Maps directions or equivalent by entering the postcode for the home address location of the candidate and the intended place of work with an assumed travelling time of 08.00 on a normal weekday.

 

[jaybon92]

Many thanks for this. It would be a shame if I missed out due to some roadworks meaning the travel time is inflated! I am keeping my fingers crossed anyway!

Yeah the last toc i applied for my travel time was 1 hour 1 min at peak because of road works and without it would put it under the limit. Im still waiting to hesr back so i will see if road works affect

 

[Colly103]

travelling time will be assessed by the recruitment team using Google Maps directions or equivalent by entering the postcode for the home address location of the candidate and the intended place of work with an assumed travelling time of 08.00 on a normal weekday.

Thanks, it seems there are lane/road closures and bridge works which may impact my application. In the summer I was 40 minutes…. Now 1hr - may have to wait for the next round of recruitment in the future. Very frustrating! Out of curiosity - where was the info you provided from? Was it Northern or another source/TOC

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Oct 2025 ==

Yeah the last toc i applied for my travel time was 1 hour 1 min at peak because of road works and without it would put it under the limit. Im still waiting to hesr back so i will see if road works affect

Thanks for the reply. Very frustrating! I would be interested to hear your outcome. Every other time of the day I am comfortably under 1hr but 8am I am 1hr 3 minutes so will probably miss out this time! Best of luck to you with your application

 

[GPR]

Thanks, it seems there are lane/road closures and bridge works which may impact my application. In the summer I was 40 minutes…. Now 1hr - may have to wait for the next round of recruitment in the future. Very frustrating! Out of curiosity - where was the info you provided from? Was it Northern or another source/TOC

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Oct 2025 ==


Thanks for the reply. Very frustrating! I would be interested to hear your outcome. Every other time of the day I am comfortably under 1hr but 8am I am 1hr 3 minutes so will probably miss out this time! Best of luck to you with your application

Northern document.
By all means still apply as it may have changed since or someone may not apply the measure but it is 45 minutes so if it says ‘typically between 45 mins and 1 hr 15’ they’ll go with that it takes 1 hour and you’d be 15 minutes too far out.
Hope you get a bit of luck with it.

 

[Kay_M]

This might sound a bit controversial for what I will say but here goes. You know how you've had people in the past say with a railway job in particular the train driving job you need to let that job work around your life. I slyly disagree with that statement because (now hear me out before you start getting the pitchforks out) even though with shift work you could possibly miss out on some events for various reasons God forbid one dies on the job what reward will they get. The job and life will still go on but the family members and close friends and colleagues will feel the pain. So the essence of this statement I'm trying to say is whilst (and this is me even speaking from someone who works on the railway on a shift pattern) that you should try your best to make your job work around your lifestyle and not the other way around.

In regards to no alcohol and drugs I'm on board with that part because of the safety nature of the jobs in the operational grade however other stuff I disagree with as you only have one chance in life so live it well.

 

[Wyrleybart]

This might sound a bit controversial for what I will say but here goes. You know how you've had people in the past say with a railway job in particular the train driving job you need to let that job work around your life. I slyly disagree with that statement because (now hear me out before you start getting the pitchforks out) even though with shift work you could possibly miss out on some events for various reasons God forbid one dies on the job what reward will they get. The job and life will still go on but the family members and close friends and colleagues will feel the pain. So the essence of this statement I'm trying to say is whilst (and this is me even speaking from someone who works on the railway on a shift pattern) that you should try your best to make your job work around your lifestyle and not the other way around.

Quite simply, if you are a social animal with a busy diary, then maybe the career is not for you. However, shift work offers you surprising freedoms to live your life. I started work straight from school at age 16 in a two shift clerical role. I didn't enjoy he passenger side of it - tickets, parcels, conductor guards etc etc, and felt I would prefer a non customer facing role, but the 06-14 and 14-22 shifts were appealing and gave me variety, I didnt drink ansd lived in a small village.

After my 18th I moved to an Area freight centre and worked the three shifts, getting grade promotions whilst learning enjoying working in the freight railway. Promoted into a supervisory grade in 1992, then in 1994 redundant from that role I took the job of a TCS who took my "handshake". Privatisation of rail freight and the big sell-off saw me heading or redundancy so I moved into the privatised Intercity business and asm still there today, albeit part time as a job share. So in those 47 years I have always worked shifts ands have always enjoyed them. My wife and I knew how to work the calendar to our advantage and our social events tend to me a curry out on a Saturday night as and when.

In regards to no alcohol and drugs I'm on board with that part because of the safety nature of the jobs in the operational grade however other stuff I disagree with as you only have one chance in life so live it well.

Never ever done drugs, mostly because I have seen enough stuff in newspapers over the years to know that drugs destroy lives and careers. I remember back in the 1990s when the A&D policy was introduced, maybe within 18 months four traincrew went down the road, two for A and two for D.

 

[Kay_M]

Quite simply, if you are a social animal with a busy diary, then maybe the career is not for you. However, shift work offers you surprising freedoms to live your life. I started work straight from school at age 16 in a two shift clerical role. I didn't enjoy he passenger side of it - tickets, parcels, conductor guards etc etc, and felt I would prefer a non customer facing role, but the 06-14 and 14-22 shifts were appealing and gave me variety, I didnt drink ansd lived in a small village.

After my 18th I moved to an Area freight centre and worked the three shifts, getting grade promotions whilst learning enjoying working in the freight railway. Promoted into a supervisory grade in 1992, then in 1994 redundant from that role I took the job of a TCS who took my "handshake". Privatisation of rail freight and the big sell-off saw me heading or redundancy so I moved into the privatised Intercity business and asm still there today, albeit part time as a job share. So in those 47 years I have always worked shifts ands have always enjoyed them. My wife and I knew how to work the calendar to our advantage and our social events tend to me a curry out on a Saturday night as and when.

Never ever done drugs, mostly because I have seen enough stuff in newspapers over the years to know that drugs destroy lives and careers. I remember back in the 1990s when the A&D policy was introduced, maybe within 18 months four traincrew went down the road, two for A and two for D.

I do get it in the sense that you can do things in the week that you wouldn't be able to if you was in a 9-5 job Monday to Friday. What I'm saying in a nutshell is similar to what you said and basically making sure if you're doing shift work to make sure it swings in your favour and to make sure you let your job work around you and never the other way around. And of course with drugs I don't do that stuff either.

 

[Horizon22]

This might sound a bit controversial for what I will say but here goes. You know how you've had people in the past say with a railway job in particular the train driving job you need to let that job work around your life. I slyly disagree with that statement because (now hear me out before you start getting the pitchforks out) even though with shift work you could possibly miss out on some events for various reasons God forbid one dies on the job what reward will they get. The job and life will still go on but the family members and close friends and colleagues will feel the pain. So the essence of this statement I'm trying to say is whilst (and this is me even speaking from someone who works on the railway on a shift pattern) that you should try your best to make your job work around your lifestyle and not the other way around.

Which is fine and a decision you can take about your priorities in life, but then perhaps a career as a train driver is not for you. Railway shifts are one thing, but train crew is another level on top. For some people who maybe aren't as concerned about these things or have a small group of friends and family, this isn't so much of a factor.

This has become an issue when people look at the pay only but don't fully appreciate the other sacrificies they have to make. And then they become grumpy in the role and "trapped" by the wages.

 

[Kay_M]

Which is fine and a decision you can take about your priorities in life, but then perhaps a career as a train driver is not for you. Railway shifts are one thing, but train crew is another level on top. For some people who maybe aren't as concerned about these things or have a small group of friends and family, this isn't so much of a factor.

This has become an issue when people look at the pay only but don't fully appreciate the other sacrificies they have to make. And then they become grumpy in the role and "trapped" by the wages.

When I say try and swing it into your favour I'm talking in the sense that if your body is used to nights then try and find duties or links that can accommodate that or (I know how hard Early starts are from experience or to try and swap for them as they're popular in some depots) possibly try and get the early starts as well.

Now in regards to your second paragraph I fully get where you're coming from as people look at the big money but not the other stuff that one has to deal with. They're not the people I'm focusing on when I wrote my initial statement. I said it in the sense that if someone knows their duties a fair bit in advance then they should try and ensure that whatever lifestyle they live can somewhat match it. Whether it means trying to swap some days over (I am aware that it's NOT fully guaranteed). Hence the reason why I used the word try.

At the end of the day we all have one shot in life so make the best you can in it. That's all I'm saying. Because the minute it becomes the other way around it's then becomes a problem as I said in my earlier post when a person dies only the close colleagues and friends and family will feel it. The job will still go on and said individual may get a plaque in their honour and some compensation to the family but that's probably about it. Life will still go on.

In regards to those that go in for the money only then that's a separate issue right there and that's on them as they should have been advised well beforehand.

 

[Leaves On Line]

Can anybody tell me how long they waited for the result of their DMI please.

I had a mine for SWR 8 days ago now.
I was told I could hear the same day or it could take up to 10 days to hear. Speaking to a guard recently he called recruitment on the 13th business day (as he hadn't heard anything) and was told he'd passed.

SWR does (from what I understand) DMI before MMI.

I would like to think no news is good news but like most of the recruiting/testing process, you just don't know.

Do failures hear quicker than people that pass???

 

[DNCharingX]

Can anybody tell me how long they waited for the result of their DMI please.

I had a mine for SWR 8 days ago now.
I was told I could hear the same day or it could take up to 10 days to hear. Speaking to a guard recently he called recruitment on the 13th business day (as he hadn't heard anything) and was told he'd passed.

SWR does (from what I understand) DMI before MMI.

I would like to think no news is good news but like most of the recruiting/testing process, you just don't know.

Do failures hear quicker than people that pass???

I’m not sure if it’s any help but I waited a week to hear back.

My experience was that, while they can’t outright say pass or fail, if you “read between the lines”, then you will have a good idea well before you hear back.

 

[Leaves On Line]

I’m not sure if it’s any help but I waited a week to hear back.

My experience was that, while they can’t outright say pass or fail, if you “read between the lines”, then you will have a good idea well before you hear back.

Thanks for your reply,..... so I bit the bullet and called recruitment this afternoon and have found out that I have passed the DMI.

 

[GooseWaffe]

Thanks for your reply,..... so I bit the bullet and called recruitment this afternoon and have found out that I have passed the DMI.

Congratulations! One step closer!

 

[sebncfc123]

Not sure if anyone can help. I applied for a train driver role with WMR in January and sat stage one OPC in august. Passed the basic standard but not the enhanced one for WMR. Can I apply for the role again or not? Not sure where I stand in terms of doing the opc again so soon?

 

[baker_06]

Can anybody tell me how long they waited for the result of their DMI please.

I had a mine for SWR 8 days ago now.
I was told I could hear the same day or it could take up to 10 days to hear. Speaking to a guard recently he called recruitment on the 13th business day (as he hadn't heard anything) and was told he'd passed.

SWR does (from what I understand) DMI before MMI.

I would like to think no news is good news but like most of the recruiting/testing process, you just don't know.

Do failures hear quicker than people that pass???

TfW took a week to let me know the outcome of the DMI

 

[Leaves On Line]

Congratulations! One step closer!

Thanks GooseWaffe. spoke to recruitment again today and have now been told looking at MMI before the end of Jan with a view for a course start date in March hopefully.

 

[LCC106]

Not sure if anyone can help. I applied for a train driver role with WMR in January and sat stage one OPC in august. Passed the basic standard but not the enhanced one for WMR. Can I apply for the role again or not? Not sure where I stand in terms of doing the opc again so soon?

Some companies will consider your 6 months after being told you were unsuccessful. If in doubt contact their recruitment team.

 

[ADL1987]

Thanks GooseWaffe. spoke to recruitment again today and have now been told looking at MMI before the end of Jan with a view for a course start date in March hopefully

Congratulations, I must have been lucky as I heard back the following day for both DMI and MMI. I have been given a Jan start date and can not wait to get stuck in, hopefully see you down the line somewhere.

 

[Whirl]

Hi Guys,

I've just recently qualified as a driver for National Express East Coast at Leeds.

I was an internal applicant but I will pass on my experience.

First there was the interview. 300 applicants down to 30 to be interviewed. It is important on the application form as well as the interview to talk about professionalism, your reliability but even more importantly they want to hear about how importantly you take communication and safety. You must be able to show you have done some research. Tell them where their driver's depots are, their train depots, which routes they travel over.

There were 2 positions and they only sent us 2 for the pyschometric testing, whereas usually they send half a dozen because the pass rate is about 25%.

At the testing you will do a short term memory test. You get a passage of text to read for about 5 minutes and then have to answer as many multiple choice questions as you can in the time given. You can make notes whilst you read the text and I cant stress enough I much this will help you.

You will then have to do the concentration test, which is also known as the barden test. It is pages of groups shapes made up of 3, 4 or 5 dots. The idea is to put a mark through each of the 4 dot shapes and do as many as possible. This is difficult but photocopy loads and loads of pages before you go and just do them over and over again.

There is then the co-ordination test on a computer. There is a monitor with a special keyboard which has 4 coloured buttons on. You also have 2 foot pedals and ear phones on. Basically the idea is which ever colour flashes on to the screen you press the corresponding button. When ever you get a buzz in your left ear your press down the left foot pedal etc. This should be fine if you are used to using a playstation etc.

Then there is the mechanics test. This is basically a physics test. You'll get diagrams and questions like if pulley A is turned clockwise which way will pulley C turn. Buy Physics for dummies. This was a great help to me.

Anyway, pass all that and you are in! Then the hard work starts.

Hope this helps. I was thinking of operating some sort of seminar for people that are looking to get in to train driving and want to know what is involved. I'd provide examples used in the psychometric testing and interview techniques etc. Do you think anybody would be interested in attending such a thing?

Anyway, bye for now.

Mike

Thank you, great help
Is there any online training that you know of?

 

[NSEWonderer]

Thank you, great help
Is there any online training that you know of?

Not to be rude but you're messaging an account that last posted in 2008. Chances of a response is very slim.

 

[Jordan4321]

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone had information regarding GWR trainee driver pay , does the training pay of 33.5k go up once you’ve done your rules training or is it only once fully qualified and do you get travelling if you’re training away from your home depot , cheers

 

[LCC106]

Thank you, great help
Is there any online training that you know of?

Do you mean online training once you’re qualified? Like looking it up in advance? If so it’s best to wait until you start as you will learn everything you need and will only get confused by trying to read up on your own.

 

[Wyrleybart]

travelling time will be assessed by the recruitment team using Google Maps directions or equivalent by entering the postcode for the home address location of the candidate and the intended place of work with an assumed travelling time of 08.00 on a normal weekday.

The good news for this would be that a TOC driver would rarely book on at 08:00, unless for tea and biscuits !!!!

 

[vc99]

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone had information regarding GWR trainee driver pay , does the training pay of 33.5k go up once you’ve done your rules training or is it only once fully qualified and do you get travelling if you’re training away from your home depot , cheers

Hey, i was wondering this. But i think it goes up yearly in percentages until fully qualified? What depot you going for? For the 3 months training in classroom if your going to guys marsh, then you so get travelling you book on from your home depot i believe so you do get extra.

 

[Jordan4321]

Hey, i was wondering this. But i think it goes up yearly in percentages until fully qualified? What depot you going for? For the 3 months training in classroom if your going to guys marsh, then you so get travelling you book on from your home depot i believe so you do get extra.

I applied for Swansea and have been told it would be in Bristol for the first 3 months training

 

[Manda2194]

Question for some train drivers. When train drivers are wait for a proceed signal what do they do to pass the time.

I’m a signaller and had to a hold a train for over an hour in the platform and wonder if it was just staring awaiting the signal for that time

 

[NSEWonderer]

Question for some train drivers. When train drivers are wait for a proceed signal what do they do to pass the time.

I’m a signaller and had to a hold a train for over an hour in the platform and wonder if it was just staring awaiting the signal for that time

If at a platform, I've secured cab, gone outside the cab and walked around, close to it(incase of a call). Spoken with Guard and passengers(if approached), station staff if any to pass the time.

 

[Ceegee98]

Does anyone have any information regarding tattoo/grooming policy for XC? I have a few visible tattoos on my arms. I can’t seem to find any public tattoo policy on Xc’s website. Thanks