A general question about driver training.

[tom73]

In the world outside of railways, a person wishing to embark on HGV training generally has to already possess an ordinary driving licence.
If a potential TOC recruit is applying for a position as an "inter city" driver, does he/she first have to learn driving skills on smaller local trains or can they get straight into the cab of a locomotive (with an instructor obviously) after successfully completing their classroom training and examinations?

 

[tiptoptaff]

In theory, any TOC or FOC can take on trainees, teach them rules and traction, then send them out to learn to drive with an instructor.

As to whether the Intercity TOCs feel they need to is another question. LNER have taken trainees. Virgin West Coast have done driver apprenticeships.

 

[Red1980]

Virgin have also taken on standard trainees as well as apprenticeship trainees.

 

[221129]

Are there any TOCs/FOCs that haven't taken on trainees in the last 12 months or so?

 

[Eccles1983]

In the world outside of railways, a person wishing to embark on HGV training generally has to already possess an ordinary driving licence.
If a potential TOC recruit is applying for a position as an "inter city" driver, does he/she first have to learn driving skills on smaller local trains or can they get straight into the cab of a locomotive (with an instructor obviously) after successfully completing their classroom training and examinations?

No.

A train is a train, with each handling differently dependant on class. The rails, signals and rules are virtually the same with a few tiny oddities.

If you pass mainline rules it doesn't matter if you go at 20mph or 125mph.

 

[notadriver]

Most intercity tocs generally only recruit qualified drivers.

 

[221129]

Most intercity tocs generally only recruit qualified drivers.

Apart from the fact they have all recently recruited trainees.

 

[baz962]

Cross-country and grand Central don't as far as I know. Been posted on this forum before that at gwr you have to work up the links before doing hss and intercity. East Midlands you have to start as a depot driver or be already qualified.

 

[221129]

Cross-country and grand Central don't as far as I know. Been posted on this forum before that at gwr you have to work up the links before doing hss and intercity. East Midlands you have to start as a depot driver or be already qualified.

CrossCountry has taken on trainees recently.

 

[2619]

Cross-country and grand Central don't as far as I know. Been posted on this forum before that at gwr you have to work up the links before doing hss and intercity. East Midlands you have to start as a depot driver or be already qualified.

East Midland have recruited trainee mainline drivers this year.

 

[theironroad]

CrossCountry has taken on trainees recently.

Tbf, I think that's the first time in their history.

 

[baz962]

East Midland have recruited trainee mainline drivers this year.

And that will be for a depot not yet open. And they won't do the Sheffield , Derby , Nottingham work , so I believe

 

[craigybagel]

Virgin and XC have indeed taken on trainees recently, but in both cases it was only for internal candidates. Even then, at XC it was the first time ever and at Virgin it was only the second time this decade. The vast majority of recruitment for Intercity driving is still made up of already qualified drivers, either moving internally through links/depot transfers or coming in from other TOCs.

 

[whoosh]

When Cross Country was run by Virgin they recruited Trainee Drivers. It would've been around the time of Voyagers being introduced.

Occasionally Intercity operators recruit trainees, usually when there is a big project coming up, such as a frequency increase, new type of traction, or a new route being introduced. Something that needs quite a large number of extra drivers.
The rest of the time, a trickle of already qualified drivers looking for a change from their inner suburban stop/start work is sufficient to meet intercity operator's needs.