Eyesight Requirements

[Magic1]

Hi guys, I’ve been looking in to applying to become a train driver recently but I’m worried about what is involved in the eye tests??? I have perfect vision in my right eye, but slightly reduced in my left, (cam read about 3/4 lines down a chart un aided with my bad eye, and about 5/6 lines down aided. Can read bottom line with right eye and both eyes together. No issues with colour blindness. Should I be ok and what exactly are the tests involved???

 

[Liveforeverman]

Hi, I only went through the process last year and you have to do the standard eye test where you have to read the letters from about 5m away or so. They check both eyes together and each eye separately. They expect 20/20 vision in both eyes and I can't remember the requirement for each eye individually but it's quite high. Glasses or contact lenses are allowed for this. I failed the test initially, so they gave me a form to take to the opticians with the required standard i needed to meet, I had my eyes retested and the opticians gave me glasses, I was then able to meet the standard. I sent the form off to the medical team and eventually passed the medical.

Like you, it was only one eye that let me down, I have a lazy eye, but thank god it could be corrected by glasses.

So I now only have to wear glasses for driving trains. I hope that helps

 

[Magic1]

Hi, I only went through the process last year and you have to do the standard eye test where you have to read the letters from about 5m away or so. They check both eyes together and each eye separately. They expect 20/20 vision in both eyes and I can't remember the requirement for each eye individually but it's quite high. Glasses or contact lenses are allowed for this. I failed the test initially, so they gave me a form to take to the opticians with the required standard i needed to meet, I had my eyes retested and the opticians gave me glasses, I was then able to meet the standard. I sent the form off to the medical team and eventually passed the medical.

Like you, it was only one eye that let me down, I have a lazy eye, but thank god it could be corrected by glasses.

So I now only have to wear glasses for driving trains. I hope that helps

That’s really helpful thank you, were there any other tests involved??

 

[Liveforeverman]

As far as eyesight is concerned just the colour blind test. Might be worth trying to get tested before the medical, it did delay things slightly after I failed the initial medical as I had to get an optician appointment, order 2 pairs of glasses that met the standards, go back and be retested, then I passed the medical. Took about a month to sort it all out. I found this online which should help.

Train drivers, like pilots, are responsible for large numbers of passengers. Similar visual standards are therefore required, as well as the ability to distinguish coloured signal lights. Their requirements are at least 6/9 corrected in the better eye, 6/12 in the worse seeing eye, and 3/60 in each eye unaided. Colour vision is assessed with a standard set of Ishihara plates. London Underground drivers must meet similar requirements, except their vision must be at least 6/60 in each eye unaided. These visual standards are tested at renewal for licences, and this is done every three years for those <55, and every year thereafter

 

[Lucan]

were there any other tests involved??

For colour blindness.

 

[TheGoldfish]

That’s really helpful thank you, were there any other tests involved??

Also depth perception and peripheral vision (had mine on Thursday)!

 

[Magic1]

Also depth perception and peripheral vision (had mine on Thursday)!

Oh ok, what does that entail???

 

[TheGoldfish]

Oh ok, what does that entail???

They had like a 3d viewer which you look into and you see 6 road signs. 4 look the same but one looks closer and another looks further away than the others .. you just had to pick which ones … then it flashes a little light randomly to each side of the eye pieces and you just call out left or right when it flashes … all pretty straightforward really