A career as a train driver

[Manda2194]

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.

I wondered if they were allowed to read something. Rulebooks paper etc. it was an empty stock going onto the depot at midnight and we couldn’t get it on until well after one due to a points failure

 

[NSEWonderer]

I wondered if they were allowed to read something. Rulebooks paper etc. it was an empty stock going onto the depot at midnight and we couldn’t get it on until well after one due to a points failure

You can aslong as you're still switched on.

 

[Unobrow]

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

It may depend on company specific rules, but we can use our phones or iPads if we’re clearly at a stand and the train secure. Depending on the time of day, snack time and the brew flask might put in an appearance. My favourite would probably be, knowing a rough time I could be sat there, the seat goes back and I inspect the inside of my eyelids lol, whilst letting the signaller know of course in case they pull off earlier than expected.

 

[Manda2194]

It may depend on company specific rules, but we can use our phones or iPads if we’re clearly at a stand and the train secure. Depending on the time of day, snack time and the brew flask might put in an appearance. My favourite would probably be, knowing a rough time I could be sat there, the seat goes back and I inspect the inside of my eyelids lol, whilst letting the signaller know of course in case they pull off earlier than expected.

Okay. So you can use an iPad in a station if you confirm at a stand. I never knew that. We aren’t allowed any electronic equipment on ops floor

I had that last not actually. Can you give me a contact signaller when you’re ready for me to proceed. I understand why now.

 

[RiverDon]

Okay. So you can use an iPad in a station if you confirm at a stand. I never knew that.

It must be company dependent. Phones and tablets are totally forbidden at my company.

 

[Manda2194]

It must be company dependent. Phones and tablets are totally forbidden at my company.

How about a book or a newspaper?

 

[Unobrow]

It must be company dependent. Phones and tablets are totally forbidden at my company.

Yes it is, I know other companies don’t allow them at all where others do. Obviously when not at a secured stand, phones are off and away out of sight and reach. Our iPads are also used for our timings and delay attribution so are on for the former.

 

[bluesfromagun]

How about a book or a newspaper?

Again that'll be company dependent. At my TOC it's a firm no, however that doesn't mean that nobody does it (at a stand).
You have to remember that there's a lot of these wee company specific rules in some places, but ultimately the nature of your job is that you sit in your own cab with no CCTV. Who knows what people do.

 

[Unobrow]

Okay. So you can use an iPad in a station if you confirm at a stand. I never knew that. We aren’t allowed any electronic equipment on ops floor

I had that last not actually. Can you give me a contact signaller when you’re ready for me to proceed. I understand why now.

Not necessarily just stations. I’m freight so we can spend plenty of time being held as part of our schedules, so can use that time for ourselves. I’d suspect that when you’re on the ops floor, you’re either working anyway or risk distracting others around you hence the obvious common sense approach. As lone workers effectively, we don’t have that latter issue.

 

[jaybon92]

What about cheeky fag breaks. Do you have time for them or is it just on your main break?

 

[AverageJoe]

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

This is why I appreciate it when signallers call me and give me an estimated time after I have SG’d.

If I know I’m going to be sat in place for 10 minutes or more it at least allows me to use the onboard toilet or even sometimes I’d sit in the carriage with the cab door open and use my phone (would only do the latter if empty stock) or if on a platform as others have said I’d stand on the platform and use my phone.

Also having an idea of the waiting time lets us pass this message on to passengers so they can start to plan connections / pick up times or let work know what is going on.

Generally though if I’ve got a red and I SG and just get WAIT I’ll look out the window or dig in my bag for some snacks, it’s a nice time to stand up and stretch the legs too if it’s been a long journey.

 

[Manda2194]

Again that'll be company dependent. At my TOC it's a firm no, however that doesn't mean that nobody does it (at a stand).
You have to remember that there's a lot of these wee company specific rules in some places, but ultimately the nature of your job is that you sit in your own cab with no CCTV. Who knows what people do.

yes I see what your saying about not being monitored in the middle of nowhere.

The instance I mentioned got me thinking because the driver was in a station so it would be very risky but at the same time how do they keep themselves occupied waiting for nearly 2 hours just staring at the signal.

To be fairs once I cleared the signal the drivers were moving quickly

 

[Unobrow]

yes I see what your saying about not being monitored in the middle of nowhere.

The instance I mentioned got me thinking because the driver was in a station so it would be very risky but at the same time how do they keep themselves occupied waiting for nearly 2 hours just staring at the signal.

To be fairs once I cleared the signal the drivers were moving quickly

I think TOC drivers have stricter rules than FOC as can be seen. In theory, we could sit at a platform on a red with the brake in and be on our phone, iPad or seat cranked back lol. Just as long as you signallers call to ask why we’re still sat at a green as quick as we SG you, it’s all good……….

 

[dk1]

I think TOC drivers have stricter rules than FOC as can be seen. In theory, we could sit at a platform on a red with the brake in and be on our phone, iPad or seat cranked back lol. Just as long as you signallers call to ask why we’re still sat at a green as quick as we SG you, it’s all good……….

I was often very jealous of the laid back attitude FOC drivers seemed to be blessed with compared to us TOC boys & girls. We are watched constantly at my operator and it’s drilled into us that absolutely no phones, tablets or any other electrical items are permitted in any live driving cab with no exceptions considered.

 

[Manda2194]

I was often very jealous of the laid back attitude FOC drivers seemed to be blessed with compared to us TOC boys & girls. We are watched constantly at my operator and it’s drilled into us that absolutely no phones, tablets or any other electrical items are permitted in any live driving cab with no exceptions considered.

Books and newspapers forbidden to. Like I say if you stuck at a signal for an hour in the middle of nowhere how do you keep occupied

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Dec 2025 ==

I think TOC drivers have stricter rules than FOC as can be seen. In theory, we could sit at a platform on a red with the brake in and be on our phone, iPad or seat cranked back lol. Just as long as you signallers call to ask why we’re still sat at a green as quick as we SG you, it’s all good……….

Sounds a decent life

 

[dk1]

Books and newspapers forbidden to. Like I say if you stuck at a signal for an hour in the middle of nowhere how do you keep occupied

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Dec 2025 ==


Sounds a decent life

Books & newspapers are fine. You can’t get traced for looking at those. Doesn’t really matter about keeping yourself occupied as a major part of train drivers job is very mundane. Anyone who struggles with doing nothing may find it to be an unsuitable career choice.

 

[railwaymania27]

Hi all,

If this is not allowed can be deleted.

I was just wondering in regards of terms and conditions for each TOC and specific diagrams. Sundays in Sundays out. What spares are like and what rest days are like. Earliest shifts and later ones and job lengths if starting before 4am etc.

This is for the driver grade only. It would be good to know.

 

[bluesfromagun]

ScotRail are a 36hr four day week (Sundays outside), maximum turn length 10hrs, minimum turn length 7hrs 30. Three weekly rest day cycle:

Week 1 Fri Sat
Week 2 Mon Tue
Week 3 Wed Thu

Spare turns are based on average turn length, so generally around 9hrs. No "booked spare" turns (except on Sundays) any more, so they all have a 3hr swing if you pick up a job on them. That's to say that if you're 1500 spare, you can pick up any job that starts between 1200 and 1800 on the weekly or daily sheets.

Regards the start and finish times, those are entirely dependent on depot. Its a 24hr job, so you can in theory start any time, like 0100 etc.

---

Generally speaking, most depots earliest starts will be between 0300 and 0400, and latest finishes 0100 to 0200. Some depots also have nightshift "shed" turns.

Jobs starting before 0500 must be less than 9hrs in length, and nightshift "shed" drivers cannot be used to drive main line trains in the morning.

The longest turns are normally the ones that aren't extremes - so jobs that start between 0600 and 1400 tend to be longest, whereas those that start at 0400 or 1600 tend to be shorter. Mainly, anyway.

This is just an example of one TOC, they all have their own terms and conditions.

 

[railwaymania27]

Cheers for your input. I am already at a TOC as a driver and am aiming to get some insight just incase I wanted to move .

 

[stbtraindriver]

Does anyone know if there are any trainee train driver roles out

 

[Brickz]

Does anyone know if there are any trainee train driver roles out

Best way is to actively go onto each toc and foc that is within the travel distance to yourself and look.

 

[Martyn]

Hi all.

I wondered, if I may, ask some questions about the training process. I appreciate these will be different across the board but....

1. How detailed does route knowledge have to be? To what level of detail?
2. Is the rules exam an open book exam?
3. Is the rules exam multiple exams for each section or one big final exam at the end.
4. Do you only need examination on the parts of the rules that pertain to you? Ie. A freight driver not needing to know about passenger specific areas.

Im really nervous as my start date approaches. Its totally a fear of the unknown at the momment. But I am genuinely questioning if I'm doing the right thing at >40

 

[choochoochoo]

Hi all.

I wondered, if I may, ask some questions about the training process. I appreciate these will be different across the board but....

1. How detailed does route knowledge have to be? To what level of detail?
2. Is the rules exam an open book exam?
3. Is the rules exam multiple exams for each section or one big final exam at the end.
4. Do you only need examination on the parts of the rules that pertain to you? Ie. A freight driver not needing to know about passenger specific areas.

Im really nervous as my start date approaches. Its totally a fear of the unknown at the momment. But I am genuinely questioning if I'm doing the right thing at >40

Route Knowledge is pretty detailed. By the end of my training, I could drive most of my route with the window blind down (My instructor obviously could still see from their side of the cab)

Rules exams are not open book exams. (You don't get time to refer to a book in an emergency)

Usually there is a Rules exam at the end of each topic you're covering. Normally one week per topic. Then there are big rules exams normally half way through the syllabus and at the end.

Freight drivers DON'T need to know passenger specific rules and vice versa

If you've made it through the psychometrics you should be ok. That's why they do the assessments to see if you're suitable.

 

[Martyn]

Route Knowledge is pretty detailed. By the end of my training, I could drive most of my route with the window blind down (My instructor obviously could still see from their side of the cab)

Rules exams are not open book exams. (You don't get time to refer to a book in an emergency)

Usually there is a Rules exam at the end of each topic you're covering. Normally one week per topic. Then there are big rules exams normally half way through the syllabus and at the end.

Freight drivers DON'T need to know passenger specific rules and vice versa

If you've made it through the psychometrics you should be ok. That's why they do the assessments to see if you're suitable.

Thank you.
Do you need to be able to quote signal numbers and names of crossings or just that there is one at x location. I know in respect of a crossing youd need to know its name to give it a location. Not sure if I'm articulating this very well.

Im genuinely stressing out.

 

[Unobrow]

Thank you.
Do you need to be able to quote signal numbers and names of crossings or just that there is one at x location. I know in respect of a crossing youd need to know its name to give it a location. Not sure if I'm articulating this very well.

Im genuinely stressing out.

Crossing names and types, yes. Signal numbers, no. Don’t stress it, you’ll get plenty of time to learn routes, and that’s usually only after you’ve passed out as a driver.

 

[Martyn]

Crossing names and types, yes. Signal numbers, no. Don’t stress it, you’ll get plenty of time to learn routes, and that’s usually only after you’ve passed out as a driver.

Hang on? Learn routes AFTER passing as a driver? Don't you need to know the route TO pass as a driver?

 

[RiverDon]

Thank you.
Do you need to be able to quote signal numbers and names of crossings or just that there is one at x location. I know in respect of a crossing youd need to know its name to give it a location. Not sure if I'm articulating this very well.

Im genuinely stressing out.

I was really worried about picking up the route knowledge too but once you're out driving with your instructor you pick it up quickly and the instructor should talk you through as you drive it over and over until it goes in your head. It becomes like driving a car from your house to the supermarket, you become familiar with it through repetition. Some of the big stations like Edinburgh you think how am I ever going to remember all of this? but you do, somehow. When it come to signal numbers, I only know the ones I have to use to set up the cab radio at my home depot station. My company has a website with maps and route videos you can watch on your tablet at home too. I cast it to the big TV and drive my wife mad.

I think some companies separate it and leave the route learning until after you've passed out but mine does it while you're still with your instructor, so we get passed out on all the routes at the same time as we get passed out to be a driver.

Theres no denying there is a lot of information to take in with the rules but there are lots of little tricks the trainers will give you to remember it all and get it to stick in your brain - eg. "42DD" (don't google that at work!). Our exams were closed book and done on the company tablet. A mix of multiple choice, labelling pictures, typed out answers and stuff like rearranging a sentence or picking the right word to go in a sentence. The trainers were great and would help you as much as they could.

Good luck!

 

[northernbadger]

Hang on? Learn routes AFTER passing as a driver? Don't you need to know the route TO pass as a driver?

When are you starting? I'm starting in Feb and whilst yes it is on my mind, I'm not worrying about the specifics of any of it as I trust their training process.

 

[Unobrow]

Hang on? Learn routes AFTER passing as a driver? Don't you need to know the route TO pass as a driver?

It’s possible TOC’s route learn at the same time as handling hours if they travel pretty much the same route everyday. Our FOC covers a lot of different routes, so we learn to handle the train first especially braking styles with different weights and wagon types. Obviously you’ll pick up route knowledge as you go along, especially if you travel your core route regularly whilst handling, making the route knowledge phase not as long as you might first think.

 

[TheAnswer89]

Hang on? Learn routes AFTER passing as a driver? Don't you need to know the route TO pass as a driver?

You will become qualified train driver with core route signed off, but later on in your career you have to expand your route knowledge, so you have to learn more.