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Owen · Joined: 14 Apr 2007 Posts: 229 Location: Diss, Norfolk

I was just wondering if those of you in the know could explain to me what you must go through to become a qualified driver for a company like One? The reason I ask is that I'm interested in what age you have to be to train, and what age you have to be to drive. I'm a little confused because I was told you had to be 16 to learn to drive a 101 DMU on the N.Norfolk Rly, but have also been told that you must be 21 to drive it alone.

I'm interested in how the present day industry compares and what the official guidelines/law is.

Thanks,
Owen
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nebulaman · Site Admin Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 188

You can start driving training at 20 years old but you have to be 21 to pass out. When I started at Norwich the grade of shunter/driver was in the line of driver promotion. Now you go straight in as depot driver. I done the full mainline rules but now depot drivers only do the rules they need for depot and shed and ferry work. (Shed and Ferry is taking trains between the depot and the station).

This is how my progression has gone so far at Norwich:

Shunter/Driver: 2 years
Depot Driver (S&F): 1 year
Depot Driver (Mainline qualified): My course starts in Feb
Mainline driver (Probabtion): Only when there is a space in the mainline links. Could be any length of time.
Mainline driver fully qualified: 2 years from probabtion.

Different depots have different time scales and progression.

Owen · Joined: 14 Apr 2007 Posts: 229 Location: Diss, Norfolk

Thanks for the stats. It must be the position of cleaner that I can do at 16 Idea

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