GWR - Trainee Train Driver - Recruitment Discussion

[Bastoo32]

Hi
I am currently in for Gloucester and waiting for a DMI. Does anyone know if there has been any progress for Gloucester?

Hi ! Im waiting for Gloucester Depot. I passed my DMI back in September. I started the whole process Dec 24 ..

Good Luck !

 

[moshah]

Just got an email from GWR for trainee depot driver for Bristol saying that they are not recruiting any trainee depot drivers this financial year, quite gutted and will just be placed in the talent pool for the depot as long as the test remains valid and they won’t place me in the mainline talent pool unless they cannot fill the position I will be contacted.

 

[WillPlym]

Just got an email from GWR for trainee depot driver for Bristol saying that they are not recruiting any trainee depot drivers this financial year, quite gutted and will just be placed in the talent pool for the depot as long as the test remains valid and they won’t place me in the mainline talent pool unless they cannot fill the position I will be contacted.

Sorry to hear this! How far through the process were you?

I have passed everything and waiting on medical and job offer for trainee depot driver in Plymouth but haven’t heard anything yet.

 

[moshah]

I was just waiting for medical and start date, did all the assessment and DMI around start of the year

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Mar 2026 ==

Will just have to wait for a vacancy for mainline role and have this going on in the background

 

[WillPlym]

I was just waiting for medical and start date, did all the assessment and DMI around start of the year

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Mar 2026 ==

Will just have to wait for a vacancy for mainline role and have this going on in the background

That’s so unfortunate to get that far and get the email. Hope it all works out for you in the end!

 

[Reactor Scram]

Just got an email from GWR for trainee depot driver for Bristol saying that they are not recruiting any trainee depot drivers this financial year, quite gutted and will just be placed in the talent pool for the depot as long as the test remains valid and they won’t place me in the mainline talent pool unless they cannot fill the position I will be contacted.

This financial year ends in 2 weeks but that's probably semantics.

Email GWR recruitment and reiterate that you're keen to go mainline at Bristol, if there is a space.

This was the Bristol depot driver advert around August? Bristol mainline advertised in October. Hopefully won't be too long until it's advertised again.

 

[traineeyh]

Hi mate got my 'successfully passed' email for my DMI. Just wanted to know what yours says as mine said I have been put on a reserve list pending any future roles?

When I asked the train manager about course dates he mentioned the one in May but did say its very unlikely that anyone being interviewed now will go on that course but he did say there is another course around July/August.

Congrats mate! Exact same thing. Good to know there’s a course starting in July/Aug as I haven’t been put on the may course and neither have I been invited for a medical.

 

[D1015]

Just got an email from GWR for trainee depot driver for Bristol saying that they are not recruiting any trainee depot drivers this financial year, quite gutted and will just be placed in the talent pool for the depot as long as the test remains valid and they won’t place me in the mainline talent pool unless they cannot fill the position I will be contacted.

Same is happening with train managers apparently. I interviewed November 2025, told on the day successful; three months later I contacted recruitment for an update. Got told I would be in the talent pool for 3 years but that there did not foresee any uptake at my depot for the next financial year. Appareciate that this is a drivers thread but the same circumstances across grades suggests something afoot at a higher level.

 

[RobotBen91]

Congrats mate! Exact same thing. Good to know there’s a course starting in July/Aug as I haven’t been put on the may course and neither have I been invited for a medical.

I got this email too back in September but heard nothing since. I wasn't sure if the quote 'pending future roles' meant they filled the ones they had or it's an email they send to everyone who passed the DMI and that they want people on standby to pick out when current drivers retire.

 

[Frenchy7119]

Same is happening with train managers apparently. I interviewed November 2025, told on the day successful; three months later I contacted recruitment for an update. Got told I would be in the talent pool for 3 years but that there did not foresee any uptake at my depot for the next financial year. Appareciate that this is a drivers thread but the same circumstances across grades suggests something afoot at a higher level.

Yea I been in the TM pool since August 2024 I don’t think the end of the franchise in 2027 will help I am guess a lot will be on hold till after that but my 3 years will be up then so am stuffed

 

[Foel1]

Had an email today for the second part of the assessment centre (MMI) for April - June in Swindon

 

[Frenchy7119]

Had an email today for the second part of the assessment centre (MMI) for April - June in Swindon

Yea just had mine too booked it for June no rush doesn’t look like there will be many vacancies coming up for a while any way lol

 

[Foel1]

Yea just had mine too booked it for June no rush doesn’t look like there will be many vacancies coming up for a while any way lol

Yeah that’s true, later the better

 

[LouMel]

hi, i did my assessments in Swindon a few weeks ago. so to answer your questions:
1 - all the pens/pencils/erasers etc were provided on the desk when we went in. They didn't mention anything about using your own but if you need to you can just ask. They are very friendly and accommodating.
2- if i recall correctly they asked us not to write on the info sheet for the TRP test because they wanted to re-use them. so its notes only.
3 - the order we did the tests off the top of my head (i might have missed some):

1. Group bourdon
2. bleep counting / scanning the phone book
3. TRP rules test

short break then onto the computer tests

1. perception test / spot things in the traffic scene pictures
2. 2 hand joystick test
3. the vigilance / stare at the grey square for 30min

After everyone finished the vigilance we did a situation judgement exercise on the computers. Its not a pass/fail test on its own and its not timed but they said it feeds into the MMI and your answers will be considered in the overall decision of pass/fail.

Thank you so much for clarifying! Did you do the written communication test? It was in the practice materials.

Thanks lots!

 

[Brenfield]

Thank you so much for clarifying! Did you do the written communication test? It was in the practice materials.

Thanks lots!

no worries. we didn't do the written communication test

Had an email today for the second part of the assessment centre (MMI) for April - June in Swindon

same here, in the the candidate instructions page on the jobs portal did yours have a breakdown of the timings for the day?
mine had something like 8:30 -11:00 MMI1 then a break then 11:30-12:00 MMI2. i hope we don't have to do two separate MMIs

 

[traineeyh]

I got this email too back in September but heard nothing since. I wasn't sure if the quote 'pending future roles' meant they filled the ones they had or it's an email they send to everyone who passed the DMI and that they want people on standby to pick out when current drivers retire.

Interesting… Are you in the talent pool for Paddington station and are you waiting on a main line job or the Heathrow express line…

 

[LouMel]

no worries. we didn't do the written communication test

same here, in the the candidate instructions page on the jobs portal did yours have a breakdown of the timings for the day?
mine had something like 8:30 -11:00 MMI1 then a break then 11:30-12:00 MMI2. i hope we don't have to do two separate MMIs

Thank you! I've been trawling through threads but can't find definitive answer about TEA occ test. When you are looking for double symbols, do they have to be associated with a particular business symbol or just finding the double symbols regardless of business type? TIA!

 

[Foel1]

no worries. we didn't do the written communication test

same here, in the the candidate instructions page on the jobs portal did yours have a breakdown of the timings for the day?
mine had something like 8:30 -11:00 MMI1 then a break then 11:30-12:00 MMI2. i hope we don't have to do two separate MMIs

Yeah I had that. I think it’s the paper side of it where you write examples of situations and they choose which ones to ask you about in the interview

 

[Brenfield]

Thank you! I've been trawling through threads but can't find definitive answer about TEA occ test. When you are looking for double symbols, do they have to be associated with a particular business symbol or just finding the double symbols regardless of business type? TIA!

for TEA occ you are only looking for the the double symbols and from memory they are always the last things on the line e.g

JohnSmithplumbing07123456789AB12CDE - XX
Wallace&GromitSpaceAgency07123456789XD15HJF - OX
BasilFawltyHotels07123456789FG12HJK - OO

So you basically ignore everything else and just scan down the page and circle the pairs of symbols. Its almost like a mini, easier, group bourdon. In this case you would just circle the XX and the OO. The other information is irrelevant.

They explain everything clearly on the day and they give you practice examples to try before the test. They are not trying to catch you out so just listen to the instructions carefully and ask any questions if you are unsure, even if you think the question is stupid.

Yeah I had that. I think it’s the paper side of it where you write examples of situations and they choose which ones to ask you about in the interview

Thanks, that makes sense. I guess we'll find out on the day.

 

[RobotBen91]

Interesting… Are you in the talent pool for Paddington station and are you waiting on a main line job or the Heathrow express line…

No Exeter St Davids so we obviously all get the similar email now. I emailed GWR and they said the reserve list is live for 5 years.

 

[BarneyGumble]

I'm really nervous about the ATAVT Perception Test. The rest sound manageable but having less than a second to identify up to 5 things on the screen sounds pretty immense to me. I'm hoping there's enough leeway or that perhaps its not as hard as it sounds...

 

[LondonRrd]

Hi all, was wondering if anyone has started their training recently and would be happy to exchange a few private messages? I’m due to start on the 18th May and have a few questions.

 

[vc99]

Hi all, was wondering if anyone has started their training recently and would be happy to exchange a few private messages? I’m due to start on the 18th May and have a few questions.

Awsome stuff. Wt depot u in for?

 

[VR494]

Not sure if it’s 100% accurate, however hearing from a few sources that courses for trainees that haven’t already been allocated have been cancelled by the dft. If you get into the pool it maybe a wait for a course.

 

[D1015]

Not sure if it’s 100% accurate, however hearing from a few sources that courses for trainees that haven’t already been allocated have been cancelled by the dft. If you get into the pool it maybe a wait for a course.

Sorry to break topic again, but is this true for conductors and other grades as well especially at GWR??

 

[Brenfield]

Not sure if it’s 100% accurate, however hearing from a few sources that courses for trainees that haven’t already been allocated have been cancelled by the dft. If you get into the pool it maybe a wait for a course.

That is interesting, did your sources give you any indication as to why they would cancel the courses?

 

[VR494]

That is interesting, did your sources give you any indication as to why they would cancel the courses?

Each TOC in the RDG has to present a business case for each vacancy and get it approved by the Dft. This is also the case when moving a colleague off trainee salary to advertised. From what I hear GWR has asked for x-y-z and they have been refused additional funding to support the development of the depots beyond the existing agreements.

 

[Brenfield]

Each TOC in the RDG has to present a business case for each vacancy and get it approved by the Dft. This is also the case when moving a colleague off trainee salary to advertised. From what I hear GWR has asked for x-y-z and they have been refused additional funding to support the development of the depots beyond the existing agreements.

Thanks, its nice to know a bit more about how things work behind the scenes.

 

[EZ2636]

If true, that’s really disappointing news

 

[simonh97]

Hey All,

Hope you're all well!

Had the email yesterday to book my MMI in Swindon for Reading Depot on 29th April. Anyone else going to be there? Any idea what sort of thing they ask at MMI? Presumanly it's all just based off the examples that you give in the answer form? Also, any good SJE practise out there? Did all the other tests with SWR so they have been validated over