Anyone here a Train Driver (Operator)?

2StepSteve

2StepSteve

2StepSteve

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Location
SE England
Be it London Underground or overhead somewhere.

I have always wanted to be a train operator since I was small and keep finding myself wondering if I want to go down that route.

Would like to know more about what you think of the job and if you find it to be as lonely as it may sound?
 
There's a show on TV called 'The Tube' and over a few episodes they follow a woman through some of her training and what it's like to be a tube driver. Quite interesting and offers a real insight. I think the show is a few years old though, can't remember. :)
 
One of my exes dad was is a train driver.

He's on like 60k a year (or something around that) gets great holidays and said it was a really laid back Job.

also if someone commits suicide by jumping in front of a train you get something stupid like 2 months paid holiday for it. and he said you have to close your eyes and scream at the top of your voice when you see someone about to jump (because the sound is apparently horrible)
 
The selective stage is pretty hard work. and a lot of people don't make it.

Other than that all I know is I sit with them and annoy the hell out of them asking to stop on a dime. And move a couple of feet.


It is well paid but you do have to concentrate for long periods. There's also the choice between passenger and freight(which includes engineering work)

Dan87 said:
also if someone commits suicide by jumping in front of a train you get something stupid like 2 months paid holiday for it.
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Only if you need it, whilst you have counselling. It's not pleasant and plenty of Train drivers have gone on to commit suicide due to what they have seen.
 
The wages are stupidly high for the job. When the scotrail drivers went on strike about 8 years ago and it emerged what salary they were on there were thousands of applications for train driver jobs overnight.
 
SideWinder said:
There's a show on TV called 'The Tube' and over a few episodes they follow a woman through some of her training and what it's like to be a tube driver. Quite interesting and offers a real insight. I think the show is a few years old though, can't remember. :)
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Yeah :) I caught a couple of episodes of that seems to be on at the weekend on Sky 2, very interesting I find it.

Dan87 said:
One of my exes dad was is a train driver.

He's on like 60k a year (or something around that) gets great holidays and said it was a really laid back Job.

also if someone commits suicide by jumping in front of a train you get something stupid like 2 months paid holiday for it. and he said you have to close your eyes and scream at the top of your voice when you see someone about to jump (because the sound is apparently horrible)
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Blimey, that sounds pretty terrible never really thought about how it would sound but I guess it would not be nice at all and can understand the holiday time.. I am guessing they also provide counselling.

AcidHell2 said:
The selective stage is pretty hard work. and a lot of people don't make it.

Other than that all I know is I sit with them and annoy the hell out of them asking to stop on a dime. And move a couple of feet.


It is well paid but you do have to concentrate for long periods. There's also the choice between passenger and freight(which includes engineering work)



Only if you need it, whilst you have counselling. It's not pleasant and plenty of Train drivers have gone on to commit suicide due to what they have seen.
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Are you a station assistant Acidhell2?
 
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Dan87 said:
He's on like 60k a year (or something around that) gets great holidays and said it was a really laid back Job.
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Says it around £35k here
http://www.myjobsearch.com/careers/train-driver.html

Trainee train drivers can expect to earn around £17,500 each year, whilst drivers with several years’ worth of experience should earn in the region of £30,000. Very experienced train drivers may earn up to £35,000. Drivers of Eurostar trains command a much higher salary. Additional benefits for train drivers include subsidised travel on public transport systems.
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smokedog said:
£9.00 Per hour, doesn't seem that high.

http://www.myjobsearch.com/browse/9770b5183f.html

http://www.myjobsearch.com/jobhelp/salarychecker?s_what=Train+Driver
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It's more like 35-45k although up till a year or so ago, people were earning a lot more with overtime.

.one. said:
May sound like a daft question but do you need a car license to drive a train ?
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I think most companies require it as you have to get to the train which can be in the middle of nowhere, especially for engineering trains.
 
Not a train driver here but been trying to get a job as one for nearly two years now. Very few vacancies about and the few I have seen pop up I've been unable to apply because I lived too far away from the depot :(

http://www.railwayregister.care4free.net/becoming_a_train_driver.htm is an awesome resource from an experienced driver, if you can ignore the terrible web design and layout.

smokedog said:
Says it around £35k here
http://www.myjobsearch.com/careers/train-driver.html
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£60k tends to be for people who have been in the job a long time and work in freight I think.
 
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I went through the selection process in Sept 2008. I must say, it's extremely difficult and it was broken down into stages. If you failed any of the stages, you were sent home there and then.

Luckily I passed everything required and was put into a holding pool.... where I still am :(
The selection pass is valid for 2 years but seeing as National Express aren't looking too pretty on the train front anymore, I don't rate my chances.

The salary was £21k for the training period (apx 2 years) then rising up to £37k. We were also told that if you were in it just for the money then you are wasting your time.
 
big_white_dog84 said:
The wages are stupidly high for the job. When the scotrail drivers went on strike about 8 years ago and it emerged what salary they were on there were thousands of applications for train driver jobs overnight.
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Prob not all of them but I guess its one of those union type jobs where its a bit of a closed shop - the companies probably can't sack them easily and some of the guys who've been working for a while will have likely got a fair few pay increase over the years.

It isn't likely to be easy to get into I'd guess - first they prob are relatively selective and given that it may well be a fairly cushy job their is prob a high retention rate amongst the current drivers so not too many vacancies.
 
i feel like im in the total wrong profession......
training salary of 21k.... want this!
after 2 years going up to 37k? want this also!
 
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