Other Duties Done By Train Drivers?

[al.currie93]

Hi people!

I'm interested in potentially applying for a trainee train driver role if one comes up once I graduate from university. I was just wondering what the general duties of a train driver are? Obviously driving trains is one of them, but is that the only duty or are others such as guard duty or ticket office duty undertaken?

Thanks!

Also, I've noticed that TOCs often recruit qualified train drivers more than trainees. Is there any other way of getting qualified other than through a trainee train driver role?

 

[driver9000]

Hi people!

I'm interested in potentially applying for a trainee train driver role if one comes up once I graduate from university. I was just wondering what the general duties of a train driver are? Obviously driving trains is one of them, but is that the only duty or are others such as guard duty or ticket office duty undertaken?

Thanks!

Also, I've noticed that TOCs often recruit qualified train drivers more than trainees. Is there any other way of getting qualified other than through a trainee train driver role?

No. Train Drivers drive trains, they don't work in booking offices or do Guard duties and the only exception to this that I know of is Island Line where Drivers work Guard duties too. There was a clause brought about in the Trainman concept that post-1988 Drivers could work as non commercial Guards if trained to do so but as far as I know this never happens. Some companies have even removed the clause.

The only way to become a Qualified Driver is to get a job as a Trainee Driver with a TOC/FOC. You can apply for other jobs with companies but there is no definitive route to the driving seat apart from applying for the job itself. The advantage of taking another role in a TOC/FOC is access to the internal vacancy list.

 

[Beveridges]

In my TOC (Northern) they spend the vast majority of the 'working time' Driving. Unless your an MDD it's 95% driving, the remaining 5% is cab prep / booking on & off / coupling & uncoupling / answering the odd customer question / walking to the unit.
Full Unit prepping if applicable (not normally in this TOC). Some communication involved (e.g. with the signaller) but a typical shift will have almost none. Very occasionally, fault finding. Then there are extremely rare out of course events that involve more than just driving, too many to list.

 

[302PS]

Thankfully it's not a career you can walk into with a mickey mouse degree when you can't find a role relevant to your degree like people often do with teaching

 

[SPADTrap]

Thankfully it's not a career you can walk into with a mickey mouse degree when you can't find a role relevant to your degree like people often do with teaching

Don't even need a Mickey Mouse degree, whatever that is.

 

[Clip]

Don't even need a Mickey Mouse degree, whatever that is.

I think you need one to work at Disney.

 

[E&W Lucas]

Hi people!

I'm interested in potentially applying for a trainee train driver role if one comes up once I graduate from university. I was just wondering what the general duties of a train driver are? Obviously driving trains is one of them, but is that the only duty or are others such as guard duty or ticket office duty undertaken?

Thanks!

Also, I've noticed that TOCs often recruit qualified train drivers more than trainees. Is there any other way of getting qualified other than through a trainee train driver role?

Plenty of graduates driving trains, so ignore the anti - graduate BS, but this is a career that needs life experience too.
A degree won't get you through the selection process, but it may land you in a job that will get you through it in a couple of years time.
If you've got the basic aptitudes, a couple of years in a management role should see you nicely.

 

[al.currie93]

No. Train Drivers drive trains, they don't work in booking offices or do Guard duties and the only exception to this that I know of is Island Line where Drivers work Guard duties too. There was a clause brought about in the Trainman concept that post-1988 Drivers could work as non commercial Guards if trained to do so but as far as I know this never happens. Some companies have even removed the clause.

The only way to become a Qualified Driver is to get a job as a Trainee Driver with a TOC/FOC. You can apply for other jobs with companies but there is no definitive route to the driving seat apart from applying for the job itself. The advantage of taking another role in a TOC/FOC is access to the internal vacancy list.

Thank you for the answers I thought that would be the case but just thought I'd ask to clarify

Thanks again for the help and information

Thankfully it's not a career you can walk into with a mickey mouse degree when you can't find a role relevant to your degree like people often do with teaching

Rest assured that that is not the case. Firstly my degree is in Electrical Power Engineering, and I'm not struggling to find a relevant role either. The reason I'm considering the option of going into train driving is because I have had a very long standing interest and passion for the railways, I believe they form the most sustainable method of transportation and want to contribute to their operation. I have also been considering it as an option for over a year, and know that I would love and enjoy a train driving role and get up for work looking forward to doing my job, which is something I cannot say for the office based engineering job I had for my placement year.

Apologies for taking a bit of offence if you didn't mean any, but hopefully that will calm anyone's fears and show that I'm not just a mickey mouse soon-to-be-graduate who simply cannot find a job.

Plenty of graduates driving trains, so ignore the anti - graduate BS, but this is a career that needs life experience too.
A degree won't get you through the selection process, but it may land you in a job that will get you through it in a couple of years time.
If you've got the basic aptitudes, a couple of years in a management role should see you nicely.

Okay great, thanks for sticking up for me and for the advice