Training to become a train driver?

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Dh wants a career change and has been looking into train driver jobs. Tbh he has no idea where to start but is keen on applying. I’m reluctant because we have 2 small dc and I work full time so not sure how this can work with our childcare (can’t afford to pay for daycare and have no external help).

Can anyone explain to me how to even get into the industry please?
There’s an overload of info and it is overwhelming.
Also, my Dh is European and his English is not fluent (can converse and understand English competently).
Will language be a factor, if he can even get his foot in??

Hope someone can help.
Thank you

Bump

I’m hoping that it’s bcs I posted this 2am that I’ve had no answers so far!

Hiya, where in the county are you?
My husband is now a train driver. It's very difficult to get in as a driver from outside the industry. He may be better to apply for any job on the railway, eg a guard or dispatcher then once in apply for driver. The application process is very difficult with lots of tests prior to even getting an interview. If successful candidates are often put in to a talent pool and can be in that for up to 3 years before being called for training. Training is for about a year. Much of it mon-fri. My husband was training away from home so I had to work nights over the weekend for a year to ensure we had child care. Once qualified he now works 5 days a week it's all shifts. Earlies start as early as 03:30am lates can finish as late at 01:30am and there are nights too. If he went for a guard the process is pretty similar and shifts the same. Great job and great pay and benefits but sacrifices to be made on the road to getting there.

Any other questions feel free to ask and I'll try and help.

Hi @beckslovestimmy thank you for your detailed response. It sounds very tough. And tbh off putting to me in terms of the childcare front.
Will need to rethink this. Thank you for your input though. Take care :)

It was definitely difficult for us and I only work 2 days a week. (12hr shifts) worth it in the end but I can see it could be very difficult if you have no help with child care. Good luck

If you go to a website called Pistonheads and on to the forum, go quite far down and you'll find a Jobs, Work etc sub forum

There was a huge thread in there about becoming a train driver with lots of ppl telling you about how it's going

With two young DC the hours might be an issue

Most of the drivers seem to be ex-guards.

I'm a Train Driver - have been doing it for around 5yrs now.

Most TOCs require you to live within 60mins via car from the depot, so get him to start working out which company's are based nearby (Southern, LNER, Hull etc).

My training took 18 months and I was on trainee wage - it was approx a third of my current wage and I took a substantial pay cut from my previous job. With my TOC, once you pass out you go onto full drivers wage. We also get paid extra for Sundays.

DH also works shifts (emergency services), but between us we work out child care for DS6 and DS1 quite easily. If anything, I'm around more than if I was doing a Mon-Fri 9-5 job. We get given our start and finish times for that part of the timetable (ours changes twice a year) in advance, so I could work out what train I'd be driving in 9 weeks time if needed.

Railforums.co.uk is the best website for him to join. The admin on there post all the jobs before most find out. I don't come from a railway background - 85% of my depot don't- but Shunter rolls are a great way in.

DH is a very capable worker. When he was made redundant a couple of years ago he looked at becoming a train driver as a possibility. It was a very difficult and long process.

There was an online questionnaire with very detailed procedural questions that really only a person who was actually already a train driver would be able to answer. If you didn't score highly enough you had to wait 6 months before being allowed to try again. He decided against it in the end and got a well paid, more conventional job elsewhere. Without contacts or direct railway experience in another role it is very difficult to get into.