• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

TransPennine Trains - Trainee Driver Recruitment Discussion

Azzer88

Member
Joined
9 Mar 2023
Messages
93
Location
Liverpool
What do the opc tests consist of or are they completely random ?
What is the process of the next stage/stages you go through or an idea of what to expect ?
More tests. Group bourdon test is one I remember. Drivers fault finding test also i think one was called. I did OPC through Avanti but failed enhanced standard. This was a in person course in Preston. No idea how this one will be.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

ayaz2001

Member
Joined
9 Mar 2023
Messages
152
Location
Blackburn
Paper Tests-
Group Bourdon
- Trainability for Rules and Procedures Parts 1 and 2
- Test of Everyday Attention (Tea-occ)

Computer Tests -
- The WAFV Vigilance Test,
- The ATAVT Perception Test,
- The 2Hand Co-ordination Test,
- The Situational Judgement Exercise (SJE),
- The Multi Modal Interview,
 

MLS8149

New Member
Joined
21 Jun 2024
Messages
3
Location
Teesside
Has anyone noticed the error on the TPE application? The education section - when you complete the required boxes, they save differently and it looks like you have answered the question wrong.
 

d_urham

New Member
Joined
1 Jul 2025
Messages
2
Location
Durham
Hi guys, new to this forum, also applying for the Newcastle depot. Submitted both assessments and still not heard anything. I'm hoping no news is good news.:D
 

Kems91

Member
Joined
30 Jun 2025
Messages
13
Location
Manchester, UK
Did u not get it Friday night like everyone else ?
Yeah I got the invite to do the test friday night but was down in Wales with patchy signal so didn't want to chance it, I was worried about the 48hour thing but guess that wasnt that set in stone
 

LU2NR

Member
Joined
26 Jun 2025
Messages
28
Location
Lancs
If successful, does everyone think the courses will actually start in “autumn 2025” or will it probably be a longer wait as they already have people in a talent pool?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

Paper Tests-
Group Bourdon
- Trainability for Rules and Procedures Parts 1 and 2
- Test of Everyday Attention (Tea-occ)

Computer Tests -
- The WAFV Vigilance Test,
- The ATAVT Perception Test,
- The 2Hand Co-ordination Test,
- The Situational Judgement Exercise (SJE),
- The Multi Modal Interview,
Thank you for sharing. That’s a lot of tests!
 

Northrail127

Member
Joined
8 Jul 2024
Messages
52
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
I’d imagine they have a number of places on courses in Autumn for each depot. I would also think that if they have had a talent pool already, they would’ve filled the courses from that, rather than put external vacancies.

Of course, all of the above is just an opinion and I could be totally wrong.
 

LU2NR

Member
Joined
26 Jun 2025
Messages
28
Location
Lancs
I’d imagine they have a number of places on courses in Autumn for each depot. I would also think that if they have had a talent pool already, they would’ve filled the courses from that, rather than put external vacancies.

Of course, all of the above is just an opinion and I could be totally wrong.
Would be a very quick turnaround to be on a course in a few months from application and then the higher pay a few weeks after that!
 

Northrail127

Member
Joined
8 Jul 2024
Messages
52
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
I agree with that one. The vacancy is still open until 7th July. I would suggest if they start sending outcomes to people during that week, it could be done. Depending on when exactly the course is. Having said that, it definitely seems a very quick turnaround, especially for the railway.
 

Jordan1991

Member
Joined
25 Sep 2022
Messages
216
Location
Poynton
If successful, does everyone think the courses will actually start in “autumn 2025” or will it probably be a longer wait as they already have people in a talent pool?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==


Thank you for sharing. That’s a lot of tests!
I’d echo what someone else has said, I don’t think they would advertise for courses in autumn if they didn’t intend to put anyone on them. There might not be many spaces though, so it’s probably a talent bank job for the rest.

Northern tend to get people on courses pretty quickly and they advertise often. So not all TOCs are notoriously slow. Will have to wait and see
 

richnell

Member
Joined
30 Jun 2025
Messages
8
Location
stockton-on-tees
Still awaiting a response from hiring manager sorting like a lot of us obv. be it a rejection e mail or other wise, has anybody had an e mail to move forward in the application as of yet ? And which station ?
 

LU2NR

Member
Joined
26 Jun 2025
Messages
28
Location
Lancs
I’d echo what someone else has said, I don’t think they would advertise for courses in autumn if they didn’t intend to put anyone on them. There might not be many spaces though, so it’s probably a talent bank job for the rest.

Northern tend to get people on courses pretty quickly and they advertise often. So not all TOCs are notoriously slow. Will have to wait and see
Yes I agree. I’m sure some exceptional candidates will start in the Autumn albeit a few.

Oh ok. Yes let’s see, I’m sure a few from here will make it all the way.
 

coxxy

Member
Joined
16 Aug 2013
Messages
375
Yes, at TPE it goes up to £66,664 after 8 weeks. Was brought in as a part of the current RDW agreement to speed up training and get more people applying from within the business. However some may argue it's had the opposite effect as people purposefully prolong their training as they are making shed loads of money with zero responsibility driving on their instructors license.

How would someone purposefully prolong their training exactly?

Surely once a trainee has done their time with an instructor they are ready?
 

SCDR_WMR

Established Member
Joined
17 Dec 2017
Messages
2,631
Location
Crewe
How would someone purposefully prolong their training exactly?

Surely once a trainee has done their time with an instructor they are ready?
As a trainee it's party up to you to say when you're ready to pass out. No driver manager is going to force you to have your pass out rides and be out on your own if you say you're not comfortable or confident for whatever reason.

Training over the summer always has risk of taking longer as there are far fewer dark hours to work in. Some TOCs sign multiple diversions which you may say you need to go over more times, or some specifically complicated route even.

We've had an internal trainee transfer who'd already done 150+ hours of handling but has reset their hours to zero as they wanted to do 'the full trainee course' again. No way did they need to, just wanted to prolong their training before they were in their own
 

fabs

Member
Joined
22 Apr 2014
Messages
121
Unfortunately the 8 week full pay thing has garnered poor attitudes. But while the union continue to ‘back’ these people at the expense of their workmates that’s not going to stop.

You can only try and get the recruitment right, which bodes slightly better for the external candidates as, mostly, they ‘appear’ less entitled.
(Except for a couple on these forums).
 

JDAWC

Member
Joined
29 Nov 2023
Messages
87
Location
Newton-Le-Willows
Agreed, however it isn't every trainee, there are still loads and probably the vast majority of trainees who have a great attitude to learning and there's many who actually push to pass out asap to gain their 'freedom'
 

Azzer88

Member
Joined
9 Mar 2023
Messages
93
Location
Liverpool

Agreed, however it isn't every trainee, there are still loads and probably the vast majority of trainees who have a great attitude to learning and there's many who actually push to pass out asap to gain their 'freedom'
So you’re on the 28k for just the 8 weeks training if successful?
 

zoomzoom123

Member
Joined
3 Jun 2023
Messages
18
Location
UK
Has anyone applying for Newcastle had any correspondence following the online assessments, either good or bad? Thank you
 

fabs

Member
Joined
22 Apr 2014
Messages
121
Agreed, however it isn't every trainee, there are still loads and probably the vast majority of trainees who have a great attitude to learning and there's many who actually push to pass out asap to gain their 'freedom'
True
 

zoomzoom123

Member
Joined
3 Jun 2023
Messages
18
Location
UK
It won’t be for a while yet. They will have 1000s to sift through and the advert isn’t even closed yet
Some people on here have had emails back straight after their tests who are applying for other depots, the vacancies are still open for those depots too from what I can see…
 

Azzer88

Member
Joined
9 Mar 2023
Messages
93
Location
Liverpool
Some people on here have had emails back straight after their tests who are applying for other depots, the vacancies are still open for those depots too from what I can see…
I think that is mostly just to say it’s been sent to hiring manager for review. Not to that they’ve passed or the next steps etc.
 

kepler

Member
Joined
1 Jul 2025
Messages
8
Location
Yorkshire
Hi all, first post here!

Just to add another data point, I've applied to York, done the initial application, sapia ai interview, and the error checking concentration test.

Received emails pretty quickly for the first 2, but not received anything for the error checking yet.

I expect we'll receive something after the closing date. But who knows! Just got to be patient I guess.
 

mld

Member
Joined
5 Jul 2017
Messages
42
Hi all, first post here!

Just to add another data point, I've applied to York, done the initial application, sapia ai interview, and the error checking concentration test.

Received emails pretty quickly for the first 2, but not received anything for the error checking yet.

I expect we'll receive something after the closing date. But who knows! Just got to be patient I guess.
Yep I've applied to York too and exactly the same as you, good luck
 

CarlG

Member
Joined
18 Aug 2022
Messages
34
Location
Darlington
Applied for the Newcastle position, does anyone know there earliest start time and latest finish time by any chance?
 

zoomzoom123

Member
Joined
3 Jun 2023
Messages
18
Location
UK
Applied for the Newcastle position, does anyone know there earliest start time and latest finish time by any chance?
I think it’s around 0300 earliest start and 0130 latest finish approximately looking at the running times of their services without disruption.
 
Joined
8 Feb 2021
Messages
1,062
Location
Manchester
Newcastle is a 4 on 4 off rota for drivers, 802 only, sign Edinburgh - Leeds, Heaton Depot and then Methley Diversion.

Earliest start 0300, latest finish 0150
 

Top