First Rail London - Trainee Driver - Recruitment Discussion

[tallFella]

I haven’t got anything back after the 2nd part. Has anyone got the same email after completing 2nd part? ( now with hiring manager)

Yeah I’ve got the same one.

 

[Business Bob]

yeah I focused on the detail, hopefully accuracy beats speed, like in the group bourdon but who knows

In my experience it's a balance of accuracy and speed. Even if you mess up/get 1 wrong, its whether you get back on track quick enough or just spiral out of control.

How many questions do you think you managed to do?

The tests are designed to put you under pressure and see how well you cope. It's unlikely to complete all the questions or get to the end of a test.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jun 2026 ==

I haven’t got anything back after the 2nd part. Has anyone got the same email after completing 2nd part? ( now with hiring manager)

Means it's with the recruitment team now for booking with OPC.

 

[Skoodle]

As explained. New Cross is the most intensive depot in the whole operation seconded probably by Willesden. Most people who join LO spend very little time there and immediately put a transfer to another depot. Having worked alongside many ex NXG drivers after they transferred, the consensus is generally the same. High intensity tiring work, and because of its unique location, poor transport links meaning that it’s an absolute pain to get to and from work by car or by rail unless you live on top of the depot. At certain times it can take up to 2 hours by car depending on which direction you are coming in from especially if you are living north of the river. Thus NXG has always and will always be the feeder depot of London Overground. So as people retire or leave to go to other TOCs and lateral transfers are granted, NXG recruits to fill the vacancies. For the past 10 years there has never been a lateral transfer in to NXG so they have to recruit aggressively to keep up with the gaps left. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad job, but definitely something to consider if you drive. Many people have put lateral transfers to depots further away from home geographically to cut their commute, simply because they are easier to get to. Watford, Stratford, Euston and Chingford are the places where most people want to get to now, much better diagrams and very easy to get to via public transport or car for Chingford/Watford…although the waiting list for some span several years. A lot of people are now moving out of London to Essex and Hertfordshire etc for better quality of life and cheaper housing at which point a depot like Chingford or Watford becomes very desirable.

This isn’t to put anybody off, but just make sure you understand your commute and contingencies too. Spending 8hr45 doing intensive commuter work and then having 2 hours either side of the day will get very tiresome very quickly. You can pass the distance criteria for an application, but the reality of your route in for a lot of the time can be completely different.

On the other side of the coin, as someone who works at NXG depot, there's still at least 50-60 drivers who've been there since the depot opened in 2010. It's not for everyone, it can be intense but for a lot of people who start as trainees it's all they know. When you know no different as to what other places are like, there's no comparison and it becomes the norm. Most colleagues who have done lateral moves have done so as it's closer to their home, or moved to other TOCs across the country as that's where they moved to. On the plus side, as we have a large complement of drivers (249 - going up to 257 or something like that), things like annual leave is hardly an issue. Special occasions etc you may find yourself on the "#5 on list" etc, but generally as there's a 42 AL per day rule, the odd ad-hoc day is rarely denied straight off. Swapping shifts with so many more people is a lot easier, as is swapping your block leave weeks. With leave, we are allocated 4 weeks, 1 week spring, 2 weeks summer, 1 week winter. All are moveable, and you can split up your summer leave weeks, they don't have to run concurrently. If a block leave day falls on a rostered rest day, you get that annual leave day back. I once had it where my 2 weeks summer block fell in the middle of my long weekends. The days I got back from the rest days covered the gaps and a bit more and I once had 5 weeks off in one go.

Qualified drivers have been recruited over the last couple of years to cover natural movement and retirements, but we're at a point now where we have many vacant lines in the rosters and with an increase to 18tph in December, more will be needed. Plus I'm not sure how many more Southeastern drivers are left to come over!

 

[james16]

In my experience it's a balance of accuracy and speed. Even if you mess up/get 1 wrong, its whether you get back on track quick enough or just spiral out of control.



The tests are designed to put you under pressure and see how well you cope. It's unlikely to complete all the questions or get to the end of a test.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jun 2026 ==


Means it's with the recruitment team now for booking with OPC.

& if you didn’t get that email?

 

[Rohmeric]

& if you didn’t get that email?

Bro….

 

[lifeisarail]

I have a quick question. I have already completed a Train Driver apprenticeship. Would I still be eligible for the Trainee Train Driver position, or would having already completed the apprenticeship make me ineligible? I’m shunter driver by the way

 

[jamziig]

All the applicant received the assessment today so might take long.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jun 2026 ==

I have a quick question. I have already completed a Train Driver apprenticeship. Would I still be eligible for the Trainee Train Driver position, or would having already completed the apprenticeship make me ineligible? I’m shunter driver by the way

I would say apply and contact the company thy may put u on the qualifier list?

 

[v16ull]

I looked at the example questions on my notebook and decided it would be easier to do the test on my big laptop and logged in again on my big laptop only to discover it thinks I have completed the test and it is showing “assessment results not received yet”. Have I blown my chance?

 

[jamziig]

I looked at the example questions on my notebook and decided it would be easier to do the test on my big laptop and logged in again on my big laptop only to discover it thinks I have completed the test and it is showing “assessment results not received yet”. Have I blown my chance?

I think once u start the test u are not allowed to go back

 

[v16ull]

I think once u start the test u are not allowed to go back

I didn’t actually start it, was only on the example questions. Basically I realised I would have to scroll up and down to do the test, which is a pain and would definitely slow me down so I decided to switch to my gaming laptop which has a much larger screen. While I was setting that up, my session timed out and I got logged out without realising. I’ve emailed them asking them to allow me to take the test, hopefully they let me.

 

[Business Bob]

I have a quick question. I have already completed a Train Driver apprenticeship. Would I still be eligible for the Trainee Train Driver position, or would having already completed the apprenticeship make me ineligible? I’m shunter driver by the way

Shunter Driver and Mainline Driver are different. You would have to apply as a trainee driver.

 

[loudmouth]

Seems like i failed the SJT as well. Did the test 2 hours ago and no second email

 

[lifeisarail]

All the applicant received the assessment today so might take long.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jun 2026 ==


I would say apply and contact the company thy may put u on the qualifier list?

Thanks will do

Shunter Driver and Mainline Driver are different. You would have to apply as a trainee driver.

That problem is I’ve done the apprenticeship for train driver as shunter, because this job is apprenticeship aswell, I’m wondering if they will take me since I’ve completed the apprenticeship. 1 TOC didn’t take me in because this same issue, but I will contact recruitment and try to find out

 

[rail graft]

I haven't recieved anything since completing the second assessment, is that bad news ?

 

[itsreco]

I haven't recieved anything since completing the second assessment, is that bad news ?

Did you get results for the 1st one quickly? Did mine at midnight, still no reply… pretty sure it’s automated, so guess I failed?

 

[loudmouth]

Did you get results for the 1st one quickly? Did mine at midnight, still no reply… pretty sure it’s automated, so guess I failed?

People said they got their results within 5 minutes to an hour

 

[itsreco]

People said they got their results within 5 minutes to an hour

Ah, must have failed then.. thought I did pretty well, guess not lol. Thanks for letting me know

 

[james16]

Did you get results for the 1st one quickly? Did mine at midnight, still no reply… pretty sure it’s automated, so guess I failed?

Doubt you’d know anything after a certain time on Friday as it’s weekend.

 

[Brickz]

I didn’t actually start it, was only on the example questions. Basically I realised I would have to scroll up and down to do the test, which is a pain and would definitely slow me down so I decided to switch to my gaming laptop which has a much larger screen. While I was setting that up, my session timed out and I got logged out without realising. I’ve emailed them asking them to allow me to take the test, hopefully they let me.

If you have a 2nd email just use that to apply again

 

[NSEWonderer]

Im hearing new applicants aren't receiving the 1st assessment yet and those who have but didnt finish it before an apparent reached quota haven't also recieved the second one.

 

[itsreco]

Im hearing new applicants aren't receiving the 1st assessment yet and those who have but didnt finish it before an apparent reached quota haven't also recieved the second one.

still waiting for a reply on the results of my 1st assessment from First Rail London… been 14 hours now.

 

[Rohmeric]

Waiting on results for my second assessment.

 

[v16ull]

Right, after my little wobble (thinking the test had auto submitted after getting timed out during the practice questions), I was able to take the test. I’m sure I got them all right but only managed 16 in the time which is probably too slow. I took the test 15 minutes ago and haven’t received an email……yet

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jun 2026 ==

still waiting for a reply on the results of my 1st assessment from First Rail London… been 14 hours now.

I’ve noticed a pattern…… anyone who did their assessments outside of business hours hasn’t had an email (including me). Although it’s possible, I think it’s unlikely we’ve all failed. Fingers crossed

 

[itsreco]

Right, after my little wobble (thinking the test had auto submitted after getting timed out during the practice questions), I was able to take the test. I’m sure I got them all right but only managed 16 in the time which is probably too slow. I took the test 15 minutes ago and haven’t received an email……yet

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Jun 2026 ==


I’ve noticed a pattern…… anyone who did their assessments outside of business hours hasn’t had an email (including me). Although it’s possible, I think it’s unlikely we’ve all failed. Fingers crossed

Yeah I did mine around midnight, so I guess that might be the case. Thank you for sharing and goodluck on your results.

 

[v16ull]

Yeah I did mine around midnight, so I guess that might be the case. Thank you for sharing and goodluck on your results.

I’ve gone back through this thread and it seems later applicants have also started completing their assessments and that could slow the system down too. Try not to think about it (easier said than done) until Monday when we will likely get our results either way.

 

[jamziig]

I did 16 questions, also once you start test you can’t go back. I mean if u open it u will have to do it in that sitting

 

[v16ull]

I did 16 questions, also once you start test you can’t go back. I mean if u open it u will have to do it in that sitting

I take it you’ve not had an email either?

 

[jamziig]

I take it you’ve not had an email either?

Not yet, but I want the email to be delay. As I still have time to wait to resit my MMI

 

[itsreco]

I take it you’ve not had an email either?

Came back to check the thread, I saw online that they do not send out emails during the weekend and usually send result batches on the Monday morning.

 

[v16ull]

Came back to check the thread, I saw online that they do not send out emails during the weekend and usually send result batches on the Monday morning.

Yes, that’s the conclusion I’ve come to. It’s going to be a long night……