Back after 4 years driving..

[TeaTrain]

Hi everyone,

It’s been a while since I was last active on here—some of you might remember me from my post a few years back about how I recorded my diary through my training which ended up being surprisingly popular!

Since then, I’ve gone from hopeful applicant to qualified driver, and I’m now 5 years into the role. It’s been a brilliant journey, and I still remember how valuable this forum was when I was preparing for the application process. There wasn’t a wealth of information outside of these forums.

I’ve decided to start this thread to answer any questions anyone may have—whether you’re just starting out, stuck in the application phase, or preparing for assessments, feel free to ask me anything. I’ll do my best to help out where I can. I actually passed the entire process twice to enhanced standard as I missed out by two days .

There is a disclosure at the bottom here. I am now in the process of building my own website and continuing my diary/ blog documenting my shifts and things I have to deal with on a daily basis!
So fire away and ask anything. There are two other people on the team with 65 years combined experience. My old Instructor and Assessor, and my old Driver Manager.

It’s not up and running yet and I don’t believe I am doing anything wrong just being honest mods!

 

[apjs87]

Hello TeaTrain.

Firstly welcome back!

I'm a new member but have been snooping around the forum for a while. I've applied as an external applicant and recently passed the DMI and currently sat in the talent pool for GWR in Plymouth .

A couple of questions if I may....

What job did you come from?
How have you adjusted to shift working?
How is family life for you now?

I have small children and one reservation of mine is how life will look in terms of work/life balance.

Thank you in advance

 

[Horizon22]

There is a disclosure at the bottom here. I am now in the process of building my own website and continuing my diary/ blog documenting my shifts and things I have to deal with on a daily basis!
So fire away and ask anything. There are two other people on the team with 65 years combined experience. My old Instructor and Assessor, and my old Driver Manager.

It’s not up and running yet and I don’t believe I am doing anything wrong just being honest mods!

This sounds like an interesting resource anyway - we're not worried about it don't fret! I'm sure many will find it useful once it is up and running.

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Are you bored yet? (Yes it’s a serious question )

 

[TeaTrain]

Hello TeaTrain.

Firstly welcome back!

I'm a new member but have been snooping around the forum for a while. I've applied as an external applicant and recently passed the DMI and currently sat in the talent pool for GWR in Plymouth .

A couple of questions if I may....

What job did you come from?
How have you adjusted to shift working?
How is family life for you now?

I have small children and one reservation of mine is how life will look in terms of work/life balance.

Thank you in advance

Hello pal! First and foremost congratulations and I hope you get to start soon! The wait can be difficult but you will get there and before you know it will be collecting your uniform and thinking what is happening .

I have done a few jobs in my time. My background was that of being a lecturer at The National Gallery in London and when I moved back home I worked as a Guard for what was ATW back then. Moved to Manchester with the mrs and tried to get back on the railway as a driver.

To be honest the shift work doesn’t bother me too much. I’m used to doing all different times. Our depot is pretty much 24hrs and I regularly start at 3am yet the next week will be starting at 9pm going to York and back overnight. I will say if you are not used to the shifts take your time, if you are fatigued or struggling always call it in. You will never be told off for it. If you’re with your instructor it may be that you can’t drive the entire shift for a while as you adapt. Don’t try and ‘get through it’ you put yourself in a position where missing AWS’s, alarms, over-speeds etc become a possibility more than usual. It’s not worth it! And yes the instructor is there to catch that stuff but the reality is it does happen.

My boy was born on the day I was supposed to start my training . They were incredible with it. I guess the work life balance depends on the depot, link, t&cs, RDW agreement. Loads of stuff. Our link allows me to feel like I have a good 4 days off at a time almost and gives me the opportunity to work rest days too.

At the beginning the biggest adjustment is not us but the family. My Mrs struggled with me not being home for meals as a family, being there to do school runs etc. then my boy needed time to understand daddy isn’t there when he wakes up or goes to bed sometimes. Those are the hardest moments but it does get easier. You will miss things and that’s something that needs to be accepted to give your family a better life financially with stability. It’s a very hard balance. I think people see the glamour of Train Driving (no idea what glamour please give me some ) but don’t realise the reason we are paid well is because of these aspects of the job. It’s why I am building my website with my old instructor and manager. A place that people can come to and learn what the role actually is. No bull.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Jun 2025 ==

Are you bored yet? (Yes it’s a serious question )

ROFL well what is driving a train without a little bit of (a lot) of complaining on the railway!!

No I am not bored. I have to say that it is my perfect job. I am happy to be left alone. Having to concentrate and carry out the same procedures and tasks over and over. I never feel I am in work and that it is tiresome. Then again ai am still young in my career. I am happy to go over the same routes day in and day out and happy to continue doing it for the foreseeable future. I genuinely enjoy knowing my routes well and my traction.

I get incredibly bored if I get spare for a week. Sounds amazing but the novelty wears off quick

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Jun 2025 ==

This sounds like an interesting resource anyway - we're not worried about it don't fret! I'm sure many will find it useful once it is up and running.

Hello thanks for that and yes it will be very useful to those who need practice materials ON ALL the tests that need to be completed in the application process. We are in a unique position to offer actual examples of the tests. Including the WAFV, ATAVT and 2 handed coordination ‘joystick’ test. I’m genuinely passionate and excited to see where it all goes! But I’m happy being here once again. Just on the other side

 

[Dippa]

Really appreciate you putting this together. It’s great to see someone giving back after going through the process. I’ve actually just passed my DMI and been offered a trainee driver position, due to start in July.

To be honest, I never really considered becoming a train driver before applying, so I feel incredibly lucky to have got through first time without any setbacks.

What’s the training really like? I’ve heard it’s full-on and pretty intense, is it as extreme as people say? Would be great to get a bit of insight from someone who’s been through it and is now five years in.

 

[TeaTrain]

Really appreciate you putting this together. It’s great to see someone giving back after going through the process. I’ve actually just passed my DMI and been offered a trainee driver position, due to start in July.

To be honest, I never really considered becoming a train driver before applying, so I feel incredibly lucky to have got through first time without any setbacks.

What’s the training really like? I’ve heard it’s full-on and pretty intense, is it as extreme as people say? Would be great to get a bit of insight from someone who’s been through it and is now five years.

First congratulations are in order! So congratulations on starting your very rewarding and tiring railway career as a Trainee Driver!

The training is easier if you come from a safety related background or from one of the forces etc. There is a reason so many ex forces get the job. It’s because they are equipped to deal with a level of pressure that frankly the general public cannot imagine. It looks great seeing someone drive a train and looks super fun! It is! But when you have someone on the track in front of you bombing at 100mph you know you are not stopping quick enough. Either you hit them or they move out the way. Then you have to remember where you are, who you are and the entire procedure. An extreme example but a real and relevant one nonetheless. That’s where your training comes in. You will ALWAYS use the intitial training for the rest of your career. Rules, PTS, signalling, route knowledge, traction and everything in between. It’s your bread and butter that you rely on everyday. It protects you, your colleagues and passengers. So yes it is intense and a hell of a lot to learn. Even more so if you have no safety or railway background. But you have proven you have the right skills and now it’s about putting them into practice and working under extreme pressure. It’s great when things are normal but in a split second it can change. That’s where all that training comes in. I am the jinx in my depot from basically dealing with just about everything in 5 years .

It will indeed be intense. BUT it’s like pieces to a puzzle. And numerous times it will feel like it doesn’t make sense. But at the end of it all it will click. And when it does you will be ready to go off on your own. THEN the real learning will begin. The first time you get a call for aid, passcom or something else you will glance over for help from your instructor and they won’t be there. It’s all on you! You need to keep on top of your rules, your traction, your route knowledge. Sure a lot of it will eventually become second nature. But it doesn’t mean complacency. That’s when you will have your first incident.

Just take it easy. Don’t try and read or learn before the course starts. Wait and they will teach you properly.

I’m here to answer any specific questions you may have further pal.

PS my new Diary starts on Monday. As I begin to learn a new traction again. 802. Website will be fully ready in a few weeks.

 

[eSTeeSCe]

Hi there.
I found out yesterday that I have been accepted to become a trainee train driver at a depot near me, my perfect destination. I hopefully start in mid-August.
I am thinking of doing similar to you and documenting my progress and my journey to get to this point which spans 11 years. Something for other people to read and hopefully take something away that might be of assistance to them.
I already have a blog about living with someone who has cancer and another about thrifty travel and adventures as a family, so it won’t be my first rodeo!

I look forward to reading more about what you’re getting up to.

Regards,

 

[TeaTrain]

Hi there.
I found out yesterday that I have been accepted to become a trainee train driver at a depot near me, my perfect destination. I hopefully start in mid-August.
I am thinking of doing similar to you and documenting my progress and my journey to get to this point which spans 11 years. Something for other people to read and hopefully take something away that might be of assistance to them.
I already have a blog about living with someone who has cancer and another about thrifty travel and adventures as a family, so it won’t be my first rodeo!

I look forward to reading more about what you’re getting up to.

Regards,

Congratulations on getting to your training!! I hope you have a great time and that you enjoy it very much pal!

I say any help that you can provide to others who are in the process is always beneficial! I thoroughly enjoyed writing my diary but as you get into the nitty gritty of the training you will find that there is a lot less time to do it.

Even myself I have been learning new traction this week and while I was supposed to upload each day it is simply not feasible and so will carry out a weekly update which is far more manageable! It will be a better read as well as more can be talked about!

 

[HeelBurton]

Really appreciate you putting this together. It’s great to see someone giving back after going through the process. I’ve actually just passed my DMI and been offered a trainee driver position, due to start in July.

To be honest, I never really considered becoming a train driver before applying, so I feel incredibly lucky to have got through first time without any setbacks.

What’s the training really like? I’ve heard it’s full-on and pretty intense, is it as extreme as people say? Would be great to get a bit of insight from someone who’s been through it and is now five years in.

Congratulations mate where are you starting?
It is full on and intense. Trust the process, stick with the program, do not read ahead and do not be afraid to ask questions. Put the work in and you will succeed. I have delivered training for a long time and with this advice, very few people struggle.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Jun 2025 ==

Hi there.
I found out yesterday that I have been accepted to become a trainee train driver at a depot near me, my perfect destination. I hopefully start in mid-August.
I am thinking of doing similar to you and documenting my progress and my journey to get to this point which spans 11 years. Something for other people to read and hopefully take something away that might be of assistance to them.
I already have a blog about living with someone who has cancer and another about thrifty travel and adventures as a family, so it won’t be my first rodeo!

I look forward to reading more about what you’re getting up to.

Regards,

Congrats and welcome to the role!

 

[Dippa]

First congratulations are in order! So congratulations on starting your very rewarding and tiring railway career as a Trainee Driver!

The training is easier if you come from a safety related background or from one of the forces etc. There is a reason so many ex forces get the job. It’s because they are equipped to deal with a level of pressure that frankly the general public cannot imagine. It looks great seeing someone drive a train and looks super fun! It is! But when you have someone on the track in front of you bombing at 100mph you know you are not stopping quick enough. Either you hit them or they move out the way. Then you have to remember where you are, who you are and the entire procedure. An extreme example but a real and relevant one nonetheless. That’s where your training comes in. You will ALWAYS use the intitial training for the rest of your career. Rules, PTS, signalling, route knowledge, traction and everything in between. It’s your bread and butter that you rely on everyday. It protects you, your colleagues and passengers. So yes it is intense and a hell of a lot to learn. Even more so if you have no safety or railway background. But you have proven you have the right skills and now it’s about putting them into practice and working under extreme pressure. It’s great when things are normal but in a split second it can change. That’s where all that training comes in. I am the jinx in my depot from basically dealing with just about everything in 5 years .

It will indeed be intense. BUT it’s like pieces to a puzzle. And numerous times it will feel like it doesn’t make sense. But at the end of it all it will click. And when it does you will be ready to go off on your own. THEN the real learning will begin. The first time you get a call for aid, passcom or something else you will glance over for help from your instructor and they won’t be there. It’s all on you! You need to keep on top of your rules, your traction, your route knowledge. Sure a lot of it will eventually become second nature. But it doesn’t mean complacency. That’s when you will have your first incident.

Just take it easy. Don’t try and read or learn before the course starts. Wait and they will teach you properly.

I’m here to answer any specific questions you may have further pal.

PS my new Diary starts on Monday. As I begin to learn a new traction again. 802. Website will be fully ready in a few weeks.

Thanks so much for the detailed insight and encouragement!

Really appreciate you sharing your experience, it’s great to hear how the training all comes together in the end. I’ll definitely take your advice and not try to get ahead of myself before the course starts. Good luck with blog! I’ll be sure to reach out if I have any questions along the way.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Jun 2025 ==

Congratulations mate where are you starting?
It is full on and intense. Trust the process, stick with the program, do not read ahead and do not be afraid to ask questions. Put the work in and you will succeed. I have delivered training for a long time and with this advice, very few people struggle.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Jun 2025 ==

Thanks a lot!

I’ll be based at Stourbridge and believe my training will be in Banbury. Appreciate the advice. I’ll trust the process and make sure to ask plenty of questions. Looking forward to putting the work in and getting stuck in

 

[HeelBurton]

Thanks so much for the detailed insight and encouragement!

Really appreciate you sharing your experience, it’s great to hear how the training all comes together in the end. I’ll definitely take your advice and not try to get ahead of myself before the course starts. Good luck with blog! I’ll be sure to reach out if I have any questions along the way.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Jun 2025 ==



Thanks a lot!

I’ll be based at Stourbridge and believe my training will be in Banbury. Appreciate the advice. I’ll trust the process and make sure to ask plenty of questions. Looking forward to putting the work in and getting stuck in

Oh. You'll be in the bottom room in my profile picture, whilst I will be in the top.

All the best and see you soon

 

[Juliet Barvo]

Back after 4 years driving..

Just becareful: drivers are at their highest risk of having a Spad between the 4th and 5th anniversary of Qualifying and I believe their 14th and 15th anniversary, which is believed to be due to getting comfortable in the role and switching off.

 

[Dippa]

Oh. You'll be in the bottom room in my profile picture, whilst I will be in the top.

All the best and see you soon

Oh no way! Will you be involved in delivering the training?

 

[iwasyoungonce]

Back after 4 years driving..

Just becareful: drivers are at their highest risk of having a Spad between the 4th and 5th anniversary of Qualifying and I believe their 14th and 15th anniversary, which is believed to be due to getting comfortable in the role and switching off.

I was told recently by a manager the biggest group are PQA drivers who have been driving for about 6 months ? also for the same reason you mentioned.

I also know of a driver who SPAD'd in their 25th year as a qualified driver, go figure !

 

[HeelBurton]

Oh no way! Will you be involved in delivering the training?

I was told recently by a manager the biggest group are PQA drivers who have been driving for about 6 months ? also for the same reason you mentioned.

I also know of a driver who SPAD'd in their 25th year as a qualified driver, go figure !

I think we are all at risks equally and we need to be responsible for putting barriers in to reduce that risk. Whether it is PPS's to combat things like complacency or inexperience.

Statically speaking PQ/PQA drivers with a lack of experience are high risk but then so are drivers who are experienced.

It can happen to anyone at any time and as long as we respect the signals they in turn will respect us.

 

[TeaTrain]

Back after 4 years driving..

Just becareful: drivers are at their highest risk of having a Spad between the 4th and 5th anniversary of Qualifying and I believe their 14th and 15th anniversary, which is believed to be due to getting comfortable in the role and switching off.

Yes pal we have had many a conversation in work about this. I am always kept on my toes and we have a good bunch here who always lean on each other to excel and not get complacent. It can happen to anyone but no one wants it to happen to each other! Best thing to do is look out for one another.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jul 2025 ==

I was told recently by a manager the biggest group are PQA drivers who have been driving for about 6 months ? also for the same reason you mentioned.

I also know of a driver who SPAD'd in their 25th year as a qualified driver, go figure !

I think each manager and depot have their own stats and theories about when we are vulnerable to these incidents but the truth is that if you look at old spad notices it can happen to anyone at any time. For numerous different reasons. Just need to stay safe out there and keep ontop of your route commentary and knowledge for a great foundation.

 

[Steprenity]

Hi TeaTrain,

I'm new here and just starting on my journey to apply for driver, I've spent quite a lot of time reading through old threads trying to build up a picture of the whole process and what tests and assessments I have to endure, and it's been quite difficult because the information is so fragmented, I could not find one definitive reference for all the assessements and tests along with explanations of what the tests are.... I just find people talking about individual tests and so I don't know if I'm missing out any.

While researching/reading I've been making notes as I go along trying to figure out what all the assessments are, there are probably errors and omissions in my notes which is why I'm posting here to see if someone can fill in the gaps if I've missed anything.

p.s.my local TOC's are SWR and GTR (southern) and are the only ones I can apply to based on distance from Depots.


-- start notes ---------------------
My Personal Notes:

-Check RSSB Web site for regulations on this stuff
-Southern (GTR) use some enhanced requirements in testing.
-Sounds like OPC is used for tests?

Initial application, and within 72 hours apparently doing an online:
-SJT (Situational Judgement).

Followed by:
mini SCAAT (Safe concentration and awareness test) - sounds like this might be alternative to group bourdon (dots)?

Someone said there are 7 tests nationally recognised to all TOCs
The only tests I could find talked about are as follows:

-MMI (some kind of interview but is part of the set of tests)
-SIFT testing
-Lift counting with distractions
-group bourdon
-RAAT test? (Just one mention found)
-DFFT (Driver Fault finder)
-coordination test (someone mentioned with no further detail)

Possible extra tests above the 7 by some TOCs but not all:
VSE (Visual Search Exercise) - Apparently GTR do do this?


-DMI (Driver Manager interview) interview with managers using STAR method.
-CBI (competency based interview) seems Avanti use this instead of MMI that other TOCs use.

- Finally a Medical

-- end notes --------------------------

It would be great if someone in the "know" could tidy this list up a bit, and add anything I've missed, and perhaps include some info on what the test actually is, like I'm clueless about what a RAAT is, or what the coordination test is. And I'm confused as to whether the group bourdon test is part of the assessments done on assessment day, or something you do online like mini SCAAT.

One final question, I have read that if you get to the assessment stage that they would send you all the relevant information about the tests so you can practice, but how long do you get between getting this information and having to go and do the tests? i.e. how long would I have to practice? (this is why I'm looking for the information now in advance of them sending it).

thanks and bfn.
S.

 

[Coledj]

Back after 4 years driving..

Just becareful: drivers are at their highest risk of having a Spad between the 4th and 5th anniversary of Qualifying and I believe their 14th and 15th anniversary, which is believed to be due to getting comfortable in the role and switching off.

 

[jjjjjjonny]

Hey! I've got an assessment day booked for a trainee train driver role. What advice can you give me to prepare for this and hopefully pass it?