Mainline Drivers' Role

[JCLeeds]

All you drivers out there; as I have applied for a role as trainee driver (mainline not depot) I am interested to find out apart from the obvious - ie driving trains - what your role consists of. In particular I have heard people talking about the checks you have to make on the trains, and finding / fixing faults. Obviously you are not engineers; so what does this consist of? And also, is there much paperwork involved? And to what degree of your working days involve work that isnt actually driving? Any info about your role appreciated, cheers

 

[A-driver]

It really depends on the individual company but most drivers will be involved in 'prepping' trains-this is basically a full check of all the trains main systems before it enters service-generally takes around 30mins for a 4car. It's a case of checking all the controls and systems in the cab, a walk through the inside checking doors open, passcoms are set and sealed, lighting/heating is working, no offensive graffiti/suspicious packages etc, cupboard and internal cab doors a locked properly and then a walk around the outside checking head, marker and tail lights, general condition, state of isolation cocks, shoes, pan etc.

As for non mainline work, most mainline drivers will sign depots and yards and my TOC don't have shunt drivers in the smaller depots so we are often are booked to shunt trains around the depots for a few hours during the day. You may also find work involves attaching and splitting units in stations.

Paperwork wise there isn't much, mainly reports if delayed, involved in incidents/disruption/train failures, filling in fault books on units to report defects etc.

The job is pretty much 100% driving in some form or another, we don't do other jobs to, just as I say occasional preps, shunting, marshalling etc but that all really comes under driving duties.

 

[A-driver]

Meant to add, in terms of fault fixing, you need to understand the basics and likely faults and fixes. It's more about diagnosing faults quickly and knowing what you an do about them rather than getting screw drivers out and pulling the train apart.

For example, if you a driving along under green signals and the brakes come on you need to know what can cause a brake application, check the possible causes in a sensible manner- is means not running around the train like a headless chicken but rather starting with the most likely cause (passcom for example) and knowing if it is possible for you to fix the fault in a sensible amount of time or weather the train needs to be declared a Failiure. They don't like it when you loose traction power, fail the train, cause lots of delays and disruption and when the train gets to the depot they press the reset button and it all comes back to life for example! That kind of thing should be the first thing you try.

 

[pendolino]

It will vary from TOC to TOC, depot to depot, link to link and from day to day. But for me:

Yes, we do checks, either very basic ones when setting up the cab just before a journey (radio, brake test etc.), or more in depth checks when doing preps/part preps on units depending on where they were stabled overnight, although most preps are carried out by depot staff.

Fault finding is much simplified these days; having notified the signaller and passengers of a fault, we are instructed to ring the fleet engineers straight away and follow their instructions - although traction knowledge is required to be able to carry out these instructions (and to query what they ask you to do as it has been known for the person on the other end of the phone to get it wrong), and Rule Book knowledge is essential to ensure you comply with the DOTE rules & procedures at all times.

Paperwork: maybe 1-2 reports a week on average, which are usually required before you go off duty (which is a pain when you finish at 1.30am and just want to go home to bed). The occasional 'Please explain'. But generally, not a huge amount of paperwork once you're qualified.

The amount of driving per day varies hugely. Apart from actual driving, there might be preps, splits/attachments, one or more PNBs, time spent PASSing (travelling as a passenger), walking time, from, say, a mess room to your train. Very difficult to give any precise figures - some jobs have long PNBs and lots of PASSing, others are pretty much end-to-end driving, with a short PNB.
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They don't like it when you loose traction power, fail the train, cause lots of delays and disruption and when the train gets to the depot they press the reset button and it all comes back to life for example! That kind of thing should be the first thing you try.

'ALO, my train won't go!'

 

[W230]

And to what degree of your working days involve work that isnt actually driving?

As already stated it depends on the TOC and can also depend on the shift. I believe I'm at the same TOC as A-driver, albeit the other side, and the least driving is done on nightshifts. Shift length may still be roughly the same as earlies/lates but there is more taxiing about between depots/stations as well as more empty coaching stock movements ready for the day and shunting, coupling/uncoupling movements to allow inspections of units. There is certainly less driving on nights anyway.

Some TOCs don't do nights, others do but there is no driving as such, only shed work. It really depends on where and for who you're working.

 

[TDK]

All you drivers out there; as I have applied for a role as trainee driver (mainline not depot) I am interested to find out apart from the obvious - ie driving trains - what your role consists of. In particular I have heard people talking about the checks you have to make on the trains, and finding / fixing faults. Obviously you are not engineers; so what does this consist of? And also, is there much paperwork involved? And to what degree of your working days involve work that isnt actually driving? Any info about your role appreciated, cheers

I will sum it up for you in basic bullet points:

1. Train Driving
2. Faults and failures - To know what is wrong with your train if it won't move and try to fix it.
3. Prepping trains for service - involves thoroughly checking the unit including doors, fuel, oil, coolant, brakes, horns, radio, wipers etc.
4. Report writing - for delays including failures, incidents including tresspass, near misses, cock ups etc.
5. Communicating - with the signallers and control by phone and radio.
6. Being assessed - both unobtrusively (radar speed gun and OTMR) and face to face with a manager at your side watching your every move.
7. Training days - A day to catch up on new innovations and recet incidents sometimes known as STUD.
8. Sitting in the mess room - This happens more than you would think on breaks, spare and cover turns
9. Interactions with customers - on a daily basis usually when you are walking to your train
10. Working as a team - With your guard, the cleaners, catering staff etc.
11. Shed turns - when you put the units to sleep and then wake them up in the morning
12. Road learning/Route refreshing - Time alowed for you to learn the routes you do not sign, most rosters have a route refresh day to go over a route not frequent on your base roster.
13. Interviews with managers - Usually for a briefing once a month on incidents and new stuff.

That about sums it up.

It's a good job, don't take any notice of the moaners and don't be taken in by certain drivers (and we all know who you are) who ask you for rediculous swaps and also watch the roster and daily appearance sheet like a hawk. Always take you alocated breaks and don't bend the rules on rest periods, keep your nose clean and you will have a nice successful carreer.

 

[JCLeeds]

Excellent insight, thanks everyone really useful info