Anyone on here know any Train Driver's?

[stevo as b4]

I've avoided asking this question for some time, I did apply for a Trainee driver position last year with London Midland, but did not get an interview. I know applicant numbers for this career is very high per positions available.

I do work in the Telecomunications industry at the moment, but the only career I feel that I'd love to leave for is working as a Train Driver either regionally, long distance, or for freight transport.

I have done some brief research into what's involved in training and qualifying for this career, and a bit about what the job is like and the responsibilities.

I know that what may seem like the ideal job could/would have some negatives or potential downsides, but I've been kind of fascinated by trains, the technology and the network since I was a kid, and wondered if there is any BCF wisdom or career experience in this area?

I also understand that as train driver opportunities are few/sought after, that it is often an advantage to would be applicants to work for the train companies in other roles first, as internal recruitment may be more favoured than external for these jobs?

Does anyone have any train driving experience or know anyone who does this for a living?

I'm generally interested in rail technology, but don't know that much specifically about things like signalling, train technology or engineering. I may be quite happy to work in any of these areas too, with the eventual aim of train driving at some point in the future.

I've done a mixture of indoor and outdoor working, and technical skilled work/ Manual heavy labour, so I've also wondered about what a career would be like working for network rail and maintaining the network/ building new infrastructure?

[sidewinder]

Do you have a steam railway near by .. you could volunteer to help out.something like this would good on the application form
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"Nitrous is like a cheap hooker, you want to hit it but are scared of the consequences

[J4mes]

Perhaps spend a few years as a guard/on board ticket collector/ train manager to get a foot in the door with a train operating company?

[CaNsA]

[mathewculver]

50k a year... What's there not to love?

My friend has just started doing it, never done it befor and Sid it's a piece of piss

[-Matt-]

[gbrand42]

I know an ex-driver, says its a brilliant job until the first person throws themself in front of you.

He told me about a young girl of 15 who had got onto the tracks with the intention of killing herself. The driver came round a bend at around 60mph and saw her about 1/4 of a mile away standing facing the train. Of course he jammed everything on but he knew he had no chance to stop in time. He said he had eye contact with her and she even gave him a little wave goodbye when he was about to hit her.

He said he used to wake up a foot above the bed several times a week for a long time after that one.
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[Wonko The Sane]

[daffy]

[covent.gardens]

[metalangel]

I worked for over six years in the industry – two for a TOC, four and a half for Network Rail. Driving was generally a well regarded position that people aspired to (the other most common being to become a signaller).

Every driver I’ve talked to really enjoys the job. I applied several times but never even got as far as the interview stage. A guy I worked with nearly got through, but failed on the final test which involves pushing buttons and switches in response to flashing lights and audible warnings. You only get one got at it, many extremely experienced drivers and driver managers fail it, but that’s how it goes. He’s ended up as a guard instead, which suits him as he gets to ogle girls.

Long distance and freight are the most sought after positions, while driving a ratty old Pacer or Sprinter on a local line is probably where a new driver would end up. Some drivers love the stopping services, but you can imagine most aspire to either going really fast or really far (intercity and freight respectively).

I don’t know nearly as much about the actual technical side of things, S&T (signalling and telecommunications) was something we generally heard about but didn’t get much firsthand knowledge of apart from ‘it’s broken’, ‘oh, they’ve gone out and fixed it’. I did make irregular visits to the training centre in Bristol and got a tour of their facilities which have a pair of tracks with a full set of signals and trackside equipment to simulate failures and allow them to carry out maintenance and repairs.

If you have any other questions I’ll be happy to try and answer them.
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Previous: 2002 Honda CB500 (sold), 2007 Suzuki SV650SK6 (crashed), 2005 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer (sold). Currently bikeless
"A faired bike will get you 10x more clunge than a unfaired one." -Marlboro Matt

[P.addy]

[andyscooter]

seeing gore on a screen is different

my sisters ex was a fireman

one of his calls was to a car thats stopped infront of a train on a crossing

the buffer of the train hit the drivers head scattering it all over the remains of the car

he said all he could smell was a sweet smell(described it as apple and blackcurrant squash)

he left just after as he kept having flashbacks he also stopped drinking squash
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
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[Triton Thrasher]

I expect the unsuccessful suicide attempts are pretty gruesome too.
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Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[N cee thirty]

london midland always seem to be short of drivers/ ticket people, hs2 might bring more opportunity
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'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30 Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

Jewlio Iglesias wrote: I actually did vote BNP once

[swampy]

[sickpup]

I applied about 10 years ago. Passed the technical tests, passed the concentration tests, passed the eyesight tests, passed the interview, got given a start date at the interview and then 2 days later had a rejection letter.

I strongly recommend that before you apply for drivers jobs you work in other jobs in the industry especially ones that have unsocial hours and if you don't have one get a car license and a car.

[sickpup]

Going to add a bit more to this.

You will be expected to own a good reliable car. Depending on where you live possibly a 4x4. This is so whatever the weather is like you will be able to get to work. In my experience a motorcycle isn't considered a reliable vehicle.

You will be expected to be able to work as part of a team and have the confidence to work by yourself. Not as an all rounder, you are expected to be brilliant at both.

You are expected to be good at engineering even though you will never need it in the job. For example at One Railway there was a whole exam purely based on engineering questions.

You need extremely high concentration levels. Again a whole exam devoted to this.

Pay in training will be around the £20k mark, can you survive on this?

When i did my testing I was placed in the highest grades for the 3 day group, was given a date to start and still didn't get a place so there is a fair bit of luck involved.
To put this in perspective I was walked to the lift by one of my interviewers with his arm around my shoulder, told where I would have problems in the training and the bits I would hate, thanked for coming and told I would have confirmation the next morning in writing and two days later received a rejection letter. This is not an easy job to get as even if you pass all the tests and pass the interview you may be turned down simply on a whim or because someone else applying has family already in the job so don't get your hopes up.

[P.addy]

[hmmmnz]

i fix the stupid things at the moment, only thing i could think of more boring than my job, is driving them,
its not something i'd ever aspire to,
ok the money is pretty damn good for an essentially a non skilled job,
but boring as all buggery.
its pretty hard to get into if you are not already employed by the railway,
id be trying to get a job with one of the rail companies first and then apply to any and every driver/guard job that comes up,
9/10 they hire from with in the company, a foot in the door is worth more than pretty much anything else
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