Northern - Trainee Driver - Hull/Sheffield/Doncaster/Newcastle (16/01/25)

[nolypops83]

Thought I'd start a new recruitment thread as there have been a few questions lately on here and the process has changed since last year so I imagine there will be more!

Current Recruitment Process

Stage 1 - Application form
Stage 2 - Telephone interview
Stage 3 - Group assessment and DMI
Stage 4 - Psychometric assessments in Leeds
Stage 5 - Talent Pool
Stage 6 - Medical
Stage 7 - Formal offer

Salary

East

SALARY: £27,098 per annum during training (approx. 12 months) rising to £46,824 in Year 1, £51,667 in Year 2 and £62,642 in Year 3.


West

SALARY: £26,016 per annum during training (approx. 12 months) rising to £49,652 in Year 1, £54,496 in Year 2 and £62,642 in Year 3.

Hours as per application form

HOURS: Rolling 35 per week. Shift Pattern includes evenings, nights and weekends (for example: 03:00 – 10:30, 15:30 – 12:30, 21:00 – 06:00).

Requirements:

The role of a Train Driver is safety critical and is subject to Rail Safety Standards Board (RSSB) regulations. You MUST meet the following criteria for this position, or your application will be automatically rejected:
• Currently live within a 45-minute car journey from the station you work from.
• Be at least 20 years of age at the time of application.
• Pass the TDLCR Train Driver medical assessment, including drugs and alcohol screening.
• Not have defective colour vision.
• Obtain a pass to an enhanced level on the Train Driver Psychometric Assessments, which will be taken as part of the recruitment process. If you pass the test, it is valid for 5 years. Please note you have only two attempts to complete the psychometrics – if you fail on your second attempt you are unable to re-take them and cannot qualify for a train driver position.
• Commit to working early, late and weekend shifts – without relying on public transport (for example: 03:00 – 10:30, 15:30 – 12:30, 21:00 – 06:00).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jan 2025 ==

Current live jobs - Closing date 02/02/2025 for all

The first course we are recruiting for is scheduled to start around June 2025.


Hull - https://northern.engageats.co.uk/Vacancies/W/6243/0/444601/23565/trainee-train-driver

Newcastle - https://northern.engageats.co.uk/Vacancies/W/2972/0/444621/23565/trainee-train-driver

Doncaster - https://northern.engageats.co.uk/Vacancies/W/3250/0/444638/23565/trainee-train-driver

Sheffield - https://northern.engageats.co.uk/Vacancies/W/1514/0/444652/23565/trainee-train-driver

 

[Twingo37175]

Thanks for sharing. Quite a basic question from me, do I read this correctly that you don't need GCSE English for this as you will have to pass a level 2 Maths and English assessment? Currently wrong side of 50, but always have that thought of what if..... LNER have advertised a few times for Doncaster, but always need GCSE English which I don't have.

 

[nolypops83]

Thanks for sharing. Quite a basic question from me, do I read this correctly that you don't need GCSE English for this as you will have to pass a level 2 Maths and English assessment? Currently wrong side of 50, but always have that thought of what if..... LNER have advertised a few times for Doncaster, but always need GCSE English which I don't have.

Correct. You'll just do some extra tests at the end as part of the apprenticeship.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jan 2025 ==

Just noticed the adverts say the first course they are recruiting for is June 2025 which in railway terms is pretty quick.

The first course we are recruiting for is scheduled to start around June 2025.

 

[LokiB]

Thanks for sharing. Quite a basic question from me, do I read this correctly that you don't need GCSE English for this as you will have to pass a level 2 Maths and English assessment? Currently wrong side of 50, but always have that thought of what if..... LNER have advertised a few times for Doncaster, but always need GCSE English which I don't have.

Yeah that's correct. If you can't find your certificates/don't have them you do assessments in a functional skills week.

Don't let being 50 put you off, a couple of people on my course were into their mid 50's.

 

[blourd]

Thanks for sharing. Quite a basic question from me, do I read this correctly that you don't need GCSE English for this as you will have to pass a level 2 Maths and English assessment? Currently wrong side of 50, but always have that thought of what if..... LNER have advertised a few times for Doncaster, but always need GCSE English which I don't have.

If the only thing stopping you applying to LNER is a GCSE in English I'm sure you could do it fairly easily at a local college or something in your spare time.

Also 500-1000 words each for the 3 application questions?! Seems an awful lot of waffle for them to read through when I'm sure you could get the same point across in 300 words or so. Is it just to put people off that aren't really that committed? I already have an application 'under consideration' for this exact job from last June and now they want another 3000 words out of me!

 

[nolypops83]

If the only thing stopping you applying to LNER is a GCSE in English I'm sure you could do it fairly easily at a local college or something in your spare time.

Also 500-1000 words each for the 3 application questions?! Seems an awful lot of waffle for them to read through when I'm sure you could get the same point across in 300 words or so. Is it just to put people off that aren't really that committed? I already have an application 'under consideration' for this exact job from last June and now they want another 3000 words out of me!

Yeah, thats entirely possible. A few people have commented that driver managers were having to interview people that had no idea about the job or the company, so I think they are trying to separate those who are serious about the role and those who are just chancing their arm. Sucks for us applicants but I managed to churn out 3000 words fairly quickly. I guess they were getting lots of half arsed AI generated application too.

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

Speaking of interviews, this has been published today so might be useful to mention if you've got an interview coming up.

“Game-changing for the North” - Northern sets its sights on up to 450 new trains | Northern News

Northern Trains has moved a step closer to the largest ever investment in its fleet which could eventually see up to 450 new trains.

media.northernrailway.co.uk

 

[blourd]

Yeah, thats entirely possible. A few people have commented that driver managers were having to interview people that had no idea about the job or the company, so I think they are trying to separate those who are serious about the role and those who are just chancing their arm. Sucks for us applicants but I managed to churn out 3000 words fairly quickly. I guess they were getting lots of half arsed AI generated application too.

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

Speaking of interviews, this has been published today so might be useful to mention if you've got an interview coming up.

“Game-changing for the North” - Northern sets its sights on up to 450 new trains | Northern News

Northern Trains has moved a step closer to the largest ever investment in its fleet which could eventually see up to 450 new trains.

media.northernrailway.co.uk

I am struggling a bit with the word count to be honest. Surely they are going to end up with a lot of filler to read through from people just trying to hit the word count? All the previous applications had a 2000 character limit, taking it up to 1000 words seems a bit extreme. At least I know I'll never become a writer!

 

[BrokenSam]

I am struggling a bit with the word count to be honest. Surely they are going to end up with a lot of filler to read through from people just trying to hit the word count? All the previous applications had a 2000 character limit, taking it up to 1000 words seems a bit extreme. At least I know I'll never become a writer!

It's honestly bonkers.

 

[CC 72100]

It's honestly bonkers.

It's a 60k a year job once qualified. I'm not sure asking for quite a lot of effort to go into the application is unjustified?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jan 2025 ==

Don't let being 50 put you off, a couple of people on my course were into their mid 50's.

Put your hat in the ring, worst they can do is say no. I've seen many trainees in their 50s.

 

[nolypops83]

It's a 60k a year job once qualified. I'm not sure asking for quite a lot of effort to go into the application is unjustified?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jan 2025 ==


Put your hat in the ring, worst they can do is say no. I've seen many trainees in their 50s.

Just to put it into context an undergraduate dissertation is about 10,000 words. Anyway, it is what it is. If you want the job then these are the hoops we need to jump through. I had less than 24 hours to turn around my application in October and it was rejected a few days later. Brutal. Don't know if anyone even read it.

 

[piers1234]

Just to put it into context an undergraduate dissertation is about 10,000 words. Anyway, it is what it is. If you want the job then these are the hoops we need to jump through. I had less than 24 hours to turn around my application in October and it was rejected a few days later. Brutal. Don't know if anyone even read it.

It's complete bonkers. But that's what they want.

There just looking for folk who write long boring essays.

A bit like the long waffle people put on ere. Lol.

 

[NorthernTech]

It's complete bonkers. But that's what they want.

There just looking for folk who write long boring essays.

A bit like the long waffle people put on ere. Lol.

*They’re, as being short for ’they are’. So if you are going to complain about what the company are looking for, I’d say having a quick read through what you have written before sending may help you to not get sifted out! If a computer if doing the initial sift, both grammar and essential buzz words in your content may help you get through. I heard about this early on, re-wrote my application and strangely the applications started going through to the next stage.

 

[BrokenSam]

It's a 60k a year job once qualified. I'm not sure asking for quite a lot of effort to go into the application is unjustified?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jan 2025 ==

An ability to be concise and use as little words as possible is more in line with train driving I would say.

 

[piers1234]

An ability to be concise and use as little words as possible is more in line with train driving I would say.

Concise and straight to the point. Thanks drive

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jan 2025 ==

*They’re, as being short for ’they are’. So if you are going to complain about what the company are looking for, I’d say having a quick read through what you have written before sending may help you to not get sifted out! If a computer if doing the initial sift, both grammar and essential buzz words in your content may help you get through. I heard about this early on, re-wrote my application and strangely the applications started going through to the next stage.

Thanks for the grammar lesson dude but it went straight over your head. Lol.

 

[43066]

It's a 60k a year job once qualified. I'm not sure asking for quite a lot of effort to go into the application is unjustified?

Indeed. I’m reminded of the threads where people ask “do I need to dress smartly for the interview?”.

The word count also isn’t necessarily a target. If you can say what you need to in less, by all means do that.

 

[357]

Please note you have only two attempts to complete the psychometrics – if you fail on your second attempt you are unable to re-take them and cannot qualify for a train driver position.

RIS-3751-TOM has been updated to allow three attempts now.

 

[nolypops83]

RIS-3751-TOM has been updated to allow three attempts now.

I copied that directly from Northern's website. I guess they haven't updated their adverts or they don't want to go into too much detail as this will only apply to certain people.

 

[357]

I copied that directly from Northern's website. I guess they haven't updated their adverts or they don't want to go into too much detail as this will only apply to certain people.

Most likely the person publishing the advert doesn't know and isn't interested. This stuff is rarely done by the ops team.

 

[dalesrail]

Just to point out, Northern now allow three attempts to pass the psychometrics.

 

[nolypops83]

Just to point out, Northern now allow three attempts to pass the psychometrics.

Only if you haven't taken the tests before.

RIS-3751-TOM Iss 3 - Rail Industry Standard for Train Driver Selection

This document provides requirements and guidance on the selection process for train driver candidates who will drive on the GB mainline network. It has been developed for any member of RSSB to adopt if they with to do so. It refers to the standardised psychometric assessment of train driver...

www.rssb.co.uk

 

[Brickz]

Thanks for sharing. Quite a basic question from me, do I read this correctly that you don't need GCSE English for this as you will have to pass a level 2 Maths and English assessment? Currently wrong side of 50, but always have that thought of what if..... LNER have advertised a few times for Doncaster, but always need GCSE English which I don't have.

There are companies online where you can do your level 1 & 2 in maths and English for free via the online learning/college things it's all government funded if you don't already hold that qualification or the equivalent level 2 I believe is equivalent to a gcse C grade, so being that normally the application process is alittle on the slow side you could gain these while going through the process so you have it before you get hired. If you Google it and just research the companies before picking one to ensure it's not a scam.

 

[RailLady]

As it currently stands, the only computers used in the process, is the ones used to access the applications. Every application is reviewed by a person and they look at everything, what you’re saying, grammar spelling. Why? Well you’re going to have complete reports; incorrect spelling and grammar can result in information being interpreted incorrectly which can impact safety.

With word count, 500-1000 words isn’t alot. It’s enough to give a great answer, without it being waffle. It also allows them to see if you can follow instructions.

If people don’t agree with the process for applying to Northern, and don’t see any value in it, then I would politely say the role might not be for you… Because each stage represents aspects of the role duties, you’re applying for.

 

[nolypops83]

As it currently stands, the only computers used in the process, is the ones used to access the applications. Every application is reviewed by a person and they look at everything, what you’re saying, grammar spelling. Why? Well you’re going to have complete reports; incorrect spelling and grammar can result in information being interpreted incorrectly which can impact safety.

With word count, 500-1000 words isn’t alot. It’s enough to give a great answer, without it being waffle. It also allows them to see if you can follow instructions.

If people don’t agree with the process for applying to Northern, and don’t see any value in it, then I would politely say the role might not be for you… Because each stage represents aspects of the role duties, you’re applying for.

They must use some sort of AI detection tool to weed out AI generated answers?

 

[357]

They must use some sort of AI detection tool to weed out AI generated answers?

There is currently no tool to reliably detect AI generated text, and it is likely to be even less detectable in the future as AI continues to improve.

 

[nolypops83]

So I had a telephone interview for Manchester last week and just wanted to add a few tips here. It's a fairly new part of the process. The call was about 25 mins with the recruitment team. They asked the following:-

1. Why do you want to be a driver? This used to be part of the old application form.
2. Can you get to the depot without relying on public transport?
3. How will you cope with the irregular hours and shift work?
4. Are you adaptable? How will you react to changing conditions while driving trains?

It was fairly informal but they are definitely stressing the importance of being able to cope with the shift patterns and the impact that will have on your social life. Thankfully I'm an introvert so the impact will be minimal.

Of course these questions could change so don't take it as gospel.

 

[MoraleSponge]

So I had a telephone interview for Manchester last week and just wanted to add a few tips here. It's a fairly new part of the process. The call was about 25 mins with the recruitment team. They asked the following:-

1. Why do you want to be a driver? This used to be part of the old application form.
2. Can you get to the depot without relying on public transport?
3. How will you cope with the irregular hours and shift work?
4. Are you adaptable? How will you react to changing conditions while driving trains?

It was fairly informal but they are definitely stressing the importance of being able to cope with the shift patterns and the impact that will have on your social life. Thankfully I'm an introvert so the impact will be minimal.

Of course these questions could change so don't take it as gospel.

Congratulations on getting the telephone interview and best of luck for the rest of the process!

 

[S Lowes]

• The training program begins with a 5-month intensive classroom-based learning phase

• Our training centres are in Leeds and Manchester, so you may be required to travel to attend. However, hotels are provided to those living over 1.5 hours away.

Would they provide a travel pass type ticket for you to travel down each day during the classroom based training?. 5 Months in a hotel Mon - Fri seems like a very long time.

 

[skyhigh]

Would they provide a travel pass type ticket for you to travel down each day during the classroom based training

Arrangements can be made to allow travel, even where there are no direct services - but the course is intensive and pretty tiring, you would definitely struggle commuting from Newcastle to Leeds/Manchester on top.

There is a good reason why they offer hotels in this circumstance.

 

[Virgin Voyager]

Stage 1 - Application form
Stage 2 - Telephone interview
Stage 3 - Group assessment and DMI
Stage 4 - Psychometric assessments in Leeds
Stage 5 - Talent Pool
Stage 6 - Medical
Stage 7 - Formal offer

Is there no online assessments to complete now? I seem to recall Northern making candidates do Mechanical / Verbal reasoning tests made by a company called SHL after the application stage.

 

[Unobrow]

• The training program begins with a 5-month intensive classroom-based learning phase

• Our training centres are in Leeds and Manchester, so you may be required to travel to attend. However, hotels are provided to those living over 1.5 hours away.

Would they provide a travel pass type ticket for you to travel down each day during the classroom based training?. 5 Months in a hotel Mon - Fri seems like a very long time.

It is a long time, but part of the commitment process. I did 4 months doing exactly that when I did my course for a different company. We all travelled down on Sunday (3hrs in provided hire cars for most of us) and stayed until Friday before travelling back home. They won’t let you commute that sort of distance for the reason already stated. Plus, in the event of travel disruption, you’d miss tuition, which being so intensive, you’d find hard to catch up with.