• 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

liampeo

Member
Joined
3 Sep 2025
Messages
5
Location
York
I can't guarantee that there will be an email, it does seem some don't ever get a response.

Can always login to the recruitment site and check the status of your application and any emails that have been sent.
Yeah that's what I have been doing, but no new correspondence and application status still showing as submitted. I completed all the initial phase 1 tests so I presume that they're satisfying enough to be in the "for discussion" pool about potentially going onto stage 2.

Was just perfect timing with a redundancy drive at my current employer but I'm not in a rush so happy to wait at the station until I'm either on the train or not for the next phase.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

longbigtoes

Member
Joined
30 Jul 2025
Messages
19
Location
Manchester
Lots of guidance on the forums around the psychometrics. Has anyone had a DMI with TPE in the last 6/12 months or so and what sort of questions will get asked or is it similar to the competency based MMI?

Thanks
 

SCDR_WMR

Established Member
Joined
17 Dec 2017
Messages
2,635
Location
Crewe
Lots of guidance on the forums around the psychometrics. Has anyone had a DMI with TPE in the last 6/12 months or so and what sort of questions will get asked or is it similar to the competency based MMI?

Thanks
It will be very similar, but with standard interview questions also such as what you know about the company, how you'll cope with shift work etc
 

ro11along

Member
Joined
3 Jul 2025
Messages
10
Location
East Riding
Has anyone from here successfully gotten through the TPE recruitment this time? If so, do you have any confirmed start dates or next stage of the process?
 

Bandit_David

Member
Joined
2 Feb 2023
Messages
25
Location
Lancashire
Has anyone from here successfully gotten through the TPE recruitment this time? If so, do you have any confirmed start dates or next stage of the process?
Had an interview the other week. Received an email saying I had passed the recruitment process and will be put in the talent pool for any upcoming positions (I can only assume that someone else got a job starting next month and I was next best option for a potential second position?).
 

longbigtoes

Member
Joined
30 Jul 2025
Messages
19
Location
Manchester
Had an interview the other week. Received an email saying I had passed the recruitment process and will be put in the talent pool for any upcoming positions (I can only assume that someone else got a job starting next month and I was next best option for a potential second position?).
Well done! Which Depot did you apply for?

This cohort starts 3rd week of October and believe the next one will be March.
 

ro11along

Member
Joined
3 Jul 2025
Messages
10
Location
East Riding
Had an interview the other week. Received an email saying I had passed the recruitment process and will be put in the talent pool for any upcoming positions (I can only assume that someone else got a job starting next month and I was next best option for a potential second position?).
Talent Pool - Well done!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

Well done! Which Depot did you apply for?

This cohort starts 3rd week of October and believe the next one will be March.
October - That’s an early start date, how would that work in terms of Notice period?
Obviously you would have to pass Medical, DBS etc before any notice could be handed in?
 
Last edited:

longbigtoes

Member
Joined
30 Jul 2025
Messages
19
Location
Manchester
Talent Pool - Well done!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==


October - That’s an early start date, how would that work in terms of Notice period?
Obviously you would have to pass Medical, DBS etc before any notice could be handed in?
I wonder if they’ve gone mostly internal for October as a result of the early start date. And then maybe continuing to interview for March?
 

Bandit_David

Member
Joined
2 Feb 2023
Messages
25
Location
Lancashire
Well done! Which Depot did you apply for?

This cohort starts 3rd week of October and believe the next one will be March.
Thanks, and fingers (or toes) crossed for you

Applied for Preston.
Was told that they had 1552 applications, and 4 made it to interview.
They mentioned there was a potential position early next year so I'm keeping my hopes up

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

Fingers crossed and good luck.
Thank you as well
 

will1989

Member
Joined
29 Jun 2025
Messages
60
Location
Scarborough
Just in case anyone had the "We'll keep your records on file email" check your emails as I've received a message about my national insurance number so they may potentially be putting on a few more assessment centres in the near future.
 

ro11along

Member
Joined
3 Jul 2025
Messages
10
Location
East Riding
Glad to hear that!
Hopefully there’ll be more assessment days coming up soon — fingers crossed!

By the way, did anyone from the last intake actually manage to secure a spot starting this month or early next year?
 

Bandit_David

Member
Joined
2 Feb 2023
Messages
25
Location
Lancashire
Glad to hear that!
Hopefully there’ll be more assessment days coming up soon — fingers crossed!

By the way, did anyone from the last intake actually manage to secure a spot starting this month or early next year?
I think those potentially for early next year are in a talent pool, that's what I've been put in.

Can't answer for anybody staying this month, but Preston were taking on 1 person for October so can only imagine that someone else got the job
 

NorthernTech

Member
Joined
12 Apr 2021
Messages
744
Location
Uk
I think those potentially for early next year are in a talent pool, that's what I've been put in.

Can't answer for anybody staying this month, but Preston were taking on 1 person for October so can only imagine that someone else got the job
Congratulations on getting into talent pool. I believe Preston is a good depot from speaking to various staff when passing. Were they taking a trainee in October or a qualified? One staff member told me a few vacancies were coming up due to staff moves within the company and one going to Lumo apparently.
 

Northrail127

Member
Joined
8 Jul 2024
Messages
52
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
Received an email today inviting my to assessment centre day. Although I have completed the psychometric assessment previously with Northern rail at an ‘Enhanced’ standard. Clearly this hasn’t met the TPE standard. So we go again. Good luck to anyone who has got the same email recently.
 

ro11along

Member
Joined
3 Jul 2025
Messages
10
Location
East Riding
Received an email today inviting my to assessment centre day. Although I have completed the psychometric assessment previously with Northern rail at an ‘Enhanced’ standard. Clearly this hasn’t met the TPE standard. So we go again. Good luck to anyone who has got the same email recently.
Fantastic News
Good luck with the next steps!
 

NorthernTech

Member
Joined
12 Apr 2021
Messages
744
Location
Uk
Received an email today inviting my to assessment centre day. Although I have completed the psychometric assessment previously with Northern rail at an ‘Enhanced’ standard. Clearly this hasn’t met the TPE standard. So we go again. Good luck to anyone who has got the same email recently.
Could be a generic invitation until they check your results, or it may be just one or two that you may need to do to lift your score… it’s the mystery of the ‘enhanced’ tests, even an Enigma code breaking machine wouldn’t crack the code of the exact test scores…it’s all speculation! Either way, the invitation is a good sign
 

SCDR_WMR

Established Member
Joined
17 Dec 2017
Messages
2,635
Location
Crewe
Received an email today inviting my to assessment centre day. Although I have completed the psychometric assessment previously with Northern rail at an ‘Enhanced’ standard. Clearly this hasn’t met the TPE standard. So we go again. Good luck to anyone who has got the same email recently.
How long ago did you sit then for Northern? If it was recent I'd email back stating when you sat them previously, don't want to sit them again if you don't need to, especially as there's always a chance of not performing and then having a failed assessment against you.

I've clarified mine, but my enhanced testing is now out of date, so I will be resitting again.
 

Northrail127

Member
Joined
8 Jul 2024
Messages
52
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
Yeah I emailed and got the thanks but no thanks email shortly after. Apparently I didn’t meet the standard in the 2hand. So seemingly TPE have a higher standard than Northern for that part. It’s a kick in the teeth tbh but it is what it is, we go again at some point.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==

Yeah I emailed and got the thanks but no thanks email shortly after. Apparently I didn’t meet the standard in the 2hand. So seemingly TPE have a higher standard than Northern for that part. It’s a kick in the teeth tbh but it is what it is, we go again at some point.
Just to further clarify this, I sat the psychometric for Northern in Feb this year, so can’t sit the 2hand part for TPE until Feb 26. So rules me out of this current recruitment drive.
 
Last edited:

bryans

New Member
Joined
8 Oct 2025
Messages
1
Location
scarborough
I’ve got an assessment day next week. Am trying to work out whether it’s a casual thing, or whether I should be dressed smart as for an interview? As I can’t see anything in the guidance. If anyone can let me know that would be great. Thanks Bryan
 

chalkijr

Member
Joined
13 Apr 2023
Messages
188
Location
Crewe
I’ve got an assessment day next week. Am trying to work out whether it’s a casual thing, or whether I should be dressed smart as for an interview? As I can’t see anything in the guidance. If anyone can let me know that would be great. Thanks Bryan
Smart casual is fine, Trousers and a shirt I'd recommend.
 

ro11along

Member
Joined
3 Jul 2025
Messages
10
Location
East Riding
I’ve got an assessment day next week. Am trying to work out whether it’s a casual thing, or whether I should be dressed smart as for an interview? As I can’t see anything in the guidance. If anyone can let me know that would be great. Thanks Bryan
On my assessment day, there was a mix of outfits. I wore a suit and tie, and a couple of others did too, but most people went for smart casual—trousers and a shirt. A few even wore trousers with a smart polo.
 

nical

Member
Joined
9 Oct 2025
Messages
11
Location
York
Got my assessment day next week, it lasts for 5 hours does anyone know if this will be all tests including the paper tests, computer tests and the interview or is this normally just the paper ones?
 

ro11along

Member
Joined
3 Jul 2025
Messages
10
Location
East Riding
Got my assessment day next week, it lasts for 5 hours does anyone know if this will be all tests including the paper tests, computer tests and the interview or is this normally just the paper ones?
Assessment Day 1 - Paper Tests (lasted about 3 hours)

Pass that

Assessment Day 2 - Computer Tests including MMI Interview
 
Last edited:

Top