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Initial training for a train driver

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railman73

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Hi,

There is a lot of really good info and advice about how to become a train driver. I would like to take it even further. I have finally gone through the process and have been successful and am awaiting a start date ( i have been told this will be within 8 weeks).

Here's my question - what to expect next? What is the initial training like and what to expect. From what i have read, for example, you are at least 3 months in the classroom before you get anywhere near a train! Also among the first things you cover is PTS, but what next? If there are any drivers going through the training - an insight of what to expect would be great.

Perhaps if there's enough response to this - we could make it sticky and put it up with the other information about how to become a driver?

Thanks.
 
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Pugland53

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It might be worth you starting to read through the online rule book. You are going to have to learn a lot of it so you might as well become familiar with it.
 
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A-driver

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You'll do about 3 months rules. As you say PTS first, then probably look at publications and either before or during the actual rules bit you shadow a driver on the footplate for a week or so to see what it's like up front (no driving, just watching).

You then do the traction both in the classroom and in the yard on the trains themselves and normally do some driving in the yard and on the mainline during this. The traction also covers a lot of rule book stuff about defective equipment etc-often traction is the hardest part-it's certainly the hardest part to retain once qualified as you hardly ever have to deal with faults unless very un lucky.

Then out with an instructor for 250+ driving hours before road learning.

As for reading up on the online rule book I would be very cautious about doing that. You are given plenty of time during the course to get familiar with it and a little knowledge can be very dangerous. I know someone who did that on my rules course and it was a very bad move as he had learnt things not quite right as the book hadn't been explained to him. He would have found the course much easier knowing nothing like the rest if us and GE admitted that himself.

And of course you will have a lovely propaganda filled induction week at the start where some bubbly manager will tell you how that TOC is so different from the rest and is genuinely customer focused and how important it is to smile and be friendly and how they are revolutionising the industry putting the customer first...(sorry to be sinicle but hard not to when you have been on 3 of them!)

Good luck with it all.
 
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railman73

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Interesting conflicting points of view. I see both sides. I was thinking i could get a jump on the training as i have several weeks to go, but i also see that if you pick up something wrongly - it can be really difficult to re-learn it correctly!

I suppose thats the point of a structured course where everyone learns the same thing the same way.

I guess i just feel i should be doing something other than sitting on my hands or watching YouTube videos of cab rides!! :lol:
 
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Pugland53

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A-driver said:
You'll do about 3 months rules. As you say PTS first, then probably look at publications and either before or during the actual rules bit you shadow a driver on the footplate for a week or so to see what it's like up front (no driving, just watching).

You then do the traction both in the classroom and in the yard on the trains themselves and normally do some driving in the yard and on the mainline during this. The traction also covers a lot of rule book stuff about defective equipment etc-often traction is the hardest part-it's certainly the hardest part to retain once qualified as you hardly ever have to deal with faults unless very un lucky.

Then out with an instructor for 250+ driving hours before road learning.

As for reading up on the online rule book I would be very cautious about doing that. You are given plenty of time during the course to get familiar with it and a little knowledge can be very dangerous. I know someone who did that on my rules course and it was a very bad move as he had learnt things not quite right as the book hadn't been explained to him. He would have found the course much easier knowing nothing like the rest if us and GE admitted that himself.

And of course you will have a lovely propaganda filled induction week at the start where some bubbly manager will tell you how that TOC is so different from the rest and is genuinely customer focused and how important it is to smile and be friendly and how they are revolutionising the industry putting the customer first...(sorry to be sinicle but hard not to when you have been on 3 of them!)

Good luck with it all.
Click to expand...


I think we will just have to disagree on that one then. For a start I didn't suggest he learn it all, all I said was that he start reading through it to become familiar with it.
If you use common sense it becomes obvious what stuff you will need to learn, browse through S1 for example, as a driver it's pretty obvious that nearly all of it will need to be learnt.
I have been contacted in the past from trainee drivers in a similar position to the OP, and have told them which bits they definately will need to learn for their rules, and it certainly gave them an advantage over their colleagues.
As for plenty of time during the course, everyone I've ever spoken to has said rules was really hard work as they had so much to learn in a short period of time, surely any help they can get (provided its the right help) will make the course slightly easier.
I do agree that you shouldn't start learning every part of every rule book though, there is a lot of stuff in there which you don't need to know.
 
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A-driver

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My point is that you must tread carefully. Reading it without fully understanding it can be worse than not reading it at all as you jump ahead in lessons and convince yourself what you know is correct when it isn't. The training courses are well set up to help you fully understand everything by teaching things in the correct order, not just the order of the rule book.
 
Old-School

Old-School

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May I also add a little advice that if anyone is thinking of reading up on the online rule book, please bear in mind that the rule book gets amendments on a regular basis which are printed in two Network Rail Publications: Weekly Operating Notice and Periodical Operating Notice, as far as I am aware these Notices cannot be accessed online. Therefore the rules may not necessarily be correct at the time of reading.
 
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Pugland53

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Mine took just over 8 months with ATW. Half the course qualified a few weeks early as we had got our driving hours and were ready to sign the routes, the other half weren't quite ready so waited another few weeks.
 
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railman73

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Nice blog -- i will look at that in more detail tonight, but looks good. Just what i am after.

I found a much older one -- i think the guy was going through training in 2005 - i wanted something up to date -- this is just the ticket (no pun intended! :) )
 
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Beveridges

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I dont know about anyone else but trying to self-teach myself the rulebook used to give me a headache, I used to do it when I worked on the Platforms when I tried to learn all the modules so that I could give myself an advantage at becoming a Driver. Much easier going through it with a Trainer
 
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francisoldfield

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the older blog is what i read to get an idea of the job.

at swt at my depot from day 1 to the first time you drive alone is about 12 months. im almost at the route learning stage. other depots have more routes and take longer!

as for reading the rulebooks, i thought it would be a good idea. I was wrong. focus purely on what you do with the trainer and dont read ahead. it is so tempting but you mislearn and make it harder for yourself!!

good luck
 
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E&W Lucas

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francisoldfield said:
as for reading the rulebooks, i thought it would be a good idea. I was wrong. focus purely on what you do with the trainer and dont read ahead. it is so tempting but you mislearn and make it harder for yourself!!
Click to expand...

Totally agree. The rules need to be put into context, and that is what the trainer is there for. Do not be tempted to read ahead.
 
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railman73

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22 May 2012
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Ok, first of all many thanks for those who have responded so far.....

It looks like however tempting it may be i think i wont be trying to learn the rule book by myself. It looks like that is not the way to go. I did sneak a quick look and that is a scary amount of info! I had a quick look at the signals and quickly which i thought would may be one of the smaller sections - i mean how many type of signs can there be ??? :oops:

So i think i will confine myself to reading the blog and relax a bit ! :D
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
just wondered...... does anyone know where Scotrail does the initial classroom training?
 
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lvaxb24

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You could try 4th Edition Modern Signallers handbook by Stanley Hall. A good general foundation and recomended for additional reading on my course.
 
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