Has anyone retrained as train driver?

[BoogieBoogieWoogie]

I’m interested to hear of anyones experiences of training to be a train driver and starting their career in that role.

I have a 25 year career and have worked at the same place for the entirety. But I want a change. And am really drawn to retraining as a train driver.

Any experience?

No - but this would be wonderful on the new-ish ‘Mature Study and Retraining’ board!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mature_students

Oh yes! Thank you. Didn’t realise that board existed

Im looking at doing this too. Apparently they are desperate for more women to become drivers.
I'm a bit worried about the tests though, lots of those weird psychometric ones and others. I've heard it's quite difficult. Can't find much information to prepare with either.

Pleasure!

Definitely no other potential train drivers there atm. I’d happily drive a train along the Edinburgh to York line. Or Chester to Bangor. Or the last hour or so to Truro. Only partly joking - is it landscape you’re craving, or something else?

It’s like busses …

One of the dm's at the school gate is one!! Trained (!!) in her late 30's.
She had to go away for some courses whilst her and dh juggled the 2 x dc. She absolutely loves her job and says she can't understand why more women don't do it! She does some night shifts also.

What a great thread I would love to hear if anyone has similar experiences too.

I have to say though, I was put off by a documentary about tube drivers and the awful awful experience for some of them who have had a "one under". I have to be honest with myself and say I could not cope with that.
Mine wouldn't be tubes though as not in London but I would imagine you do get it on none underground lines too.

You have to live within a certain distance of a base, I looked at this but was outside the area by about 12 miles. Unless it’s changed now.

They just say within an hour of the base now.

Yes I know someone. You go through aptitude tests (things like speed of reaction, quick decision making which can be practiced with games etc) then get the opportunity to interview etc , but its a long process as they only do each stage every couple of months. As a pp says you are also asked how you feel about having the responsibility of 100’s of lives .

The initial training was about a year with regular (weekly? ) pass or fail tests . I remember lots of thick manuals on things like signalling to be memorised. The pay in the first training year started off low but increased as each stage was passed but there was a big jump once qualified.

Overall they are glad they’ve made the move but shifts are very random and I think are only released every few months so it makes planning difficult. On the other hand lots of time off .. but also lots of sitting around.

www.practiceaptitudetests.com/industry/train-driver/

I am a train driver. I've been one for almost 18 years. Started when I was 25

Thanks for all the responses.
chesney and anyone else with experience, what are the shifts like? What is the length of a shift?

@BoogieBoogieWoogie they vary. We have some which are 6 hours something. Some which are 9 hours something.

Personally for the first 17 years I loved shift work. I especially liked nights and 2am starts. The antisocial hours.

Last year I was ill and now I really don't sleep as well. So I'm finding being back at work and working shifts tough tbh.

I still love my job, it just takes a lot more of my energy than it used to.

Last week I was starting at 6am, this week it's 6pm, so having a sleep pattern is impossible.

I would highly recommend it as a career though. I will never leave 😂 they will have to sack me or I'll be there until retirement.

Obviously Covid has had an impact on our passenger numbers. And the unions no longer have the power they used to. But at my TOC they are currently training drivers as we don't have enough

My (male) partner did this and has been a driver for about eight years now I think. Or nine. I've no concept of time.

He's on the tubes. They want more women, he has a few female coworkers but there's definitely more men doing it.

He worked on the stations for some years prior to applying.

Think this thread deserves a bump for the sake of any other prospective train drivers here!

Are you also looking to retrain or already in the role?

I did apply for trainee driver position and passed all the tests and interviews and was offered a place in the resource pool. Really pleased. Although in reality I don’t think the shift pattern would work for me at this time. Might suit me better in 3 or 4 years.
will wait and see if/when I get the call!