how do I learn to be a train driver?

[missfc]

im seriously interested in a train driver position. ive worked as a bus driver for transperth. how do i swap vehicles and become a train driver,... all advice appreciated,,

[Denning-6V71]

You need to get into a traineeship with a rail company like Pacific National or with your respective government rail authority. I would suggest going to websites and looking for vacancies or upcoming intakes/recruitment drives and register your interest.
WA Public Transit Authority - Train Driver: http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/Employment/Tra ... fault.aspx

Pacific National: http://www.pacificnational.com.au/

Good luck!
Cheers,
John

[Gday]

Step 1. Go to the local train holding yard
Step 2. Get into a train
Step 3. Drive the bastard.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I have no idea how to become a train driver, Im a dumbarse bus driver >

[busrider]

I would recommend asking WA member Austranz, who, as you wish to do, swapped from Transperth buses to Transperth trains.

[howlerbus]

Yes, but I think hes on holiday at the moment so may take a while to get back to you

[busdriver12]

im seriously interested in a train driver position. ive worked as a bus driver for transperth. how do i swap vehicles and become a train driver,... all advice appreciated,,

Am curious as to how you got on. I was looking at TRANSWA coaches a little while back and it appears they make you jump through the same amount of hoops as train drivers.

[Eagle Eye]

This could be quite similar or quite different:

To drive trams in Adelaide you become a tram operator – these are like trainee positions which see you act as a conductor (selling tickets, providing information to pax, etc.) for about 9 months, then if you are successful you will be trained as a driver firstly on Flexity trams, then later Citadis trams. For a while you will alternate between driving and conducting, but over time more time driving.

In Adelaide, both trams and trains are run by Government departments, so you can easily transfer between trams and trains. I'd assume there would be a similar path for trains in Adelaide, and obviously tram experience would help to cross over to trains. You don't need any special qualifications to become a tram operator – just a current drivers license and the usual qualities/skills for most driving jobs.

It may not help too much for you in Perth, but hopefully this will give you some idea of the path as it is here in Adelaide.

[citadis203]

Eagle Eye...
do the new tram drivers get taught to drive the H-CLASS trams

[busrider]

I'd say not, because those are no longer in service...

[Eagle Eye]

do the new tram drivers get taught to drive the H-CLASS trams

No. Only a small handful of drivers who were around pre-2006 who regularly drove the H-class trams were re-trained prior to the Glenelg Tourist Tram last summer. Now only mechanics drive 367, which is used to shunt broken-down trams around the depot.

[Rclasstramcar]

Hi Missfc

I'm seriously interested in a train driver position. I've worked as a bus driver for Transperth. How do I swap vehicles and become a train driver... all advice appreciated.

If Transperth has an employment office, I'd try them, as they would be able tell when the next bunch of people will start training (no pun intended lol ). I imagine this would have begun recently.

Cheers,
Ben

[Australind720]

This is how you do it,

Basically look at there website, PTA's webiste, if theres a train drivers position then you apply, you must have a current resume and must do a selection criteria and send it in, once they short list it and you are nominated then you have asn interview once you have passed that then you have a sic test and a medical, once passed that then you sit in a pool and once they have room and need you then they will call you, you do a 26 week course and then your out.

Heres the website and according to this no positions as yet: http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/Employment/PTA ... fault.aspx

[Australind720]

Hi Missfc

I'm seriously interested in a train driver position. I've worked as a bus driver for Transperth. How do I swap vehicles and become a train driver... all advice appreciated.

If Transperth has an employment office, I'd try them, as they would be able tell when the next bunch of people will start training (no pun intended lol ). I imagine this would have begun recently.

Cheers,
Ben

Transperth dont have a employment office they use employment agenceys!

[South of the Border]

There is currently still a pool, which they have just extended for another 6 months, to October 2011. People in the pool have just been contacted to have medicals and psych interviews. So it will be a while before they advertise.

[South of the Border]

Another way is to apply as an " operational maintainer" with ARG. In the metropolitan area ARG doesn't take trainee engine drivers from outside, It's an internal appointment. At the moment ARG is advertising for O.M's for their Forestfield yard.

[tee_eff]

OK..been there done that.....

Am ex MTT/Transperth/Metrobus/Swan Transit/Southern Comfort/Perth Bus/TransWA and now drive Transperth Trains.

If you enjoy driving a bus, the best gig in WA is TransWA. Its still owned by the government, good buses, fairly well maintained, nice to drive and the $ is pretty good.

I went to trains because I have thought about trains as being the natural progression from urban buses. Having now driven trains for a little while, they are sooooo boring! Perth has 5 and 1/2 lines. Midland, Freo, Clarkson, Mandurah, Armadale and Thornlie. The learning curve is very steep, but once you get to the top, its like standing at the edge of the nullarbor plain. Nothing to look forward to.

If you do enjoy driving a bus, stick with it. The money isn't as good as it used to be on trains - I actually have earned less since coming across, though I admit I have done very little overtime.

But, if you really want to drive trains, keep an eye on the WA Gov jobs pages in Saturdays West, or under the PTA in http://www.jobs.wa.gov.au
and I wish you luck

Cheers

[Jasper]

If you want any information on this I work for PN and I use to work to QR national so just drop me a PM if you want information

[RailwayBus]

Positions at Transperth are open:
http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/Employment/PTA ... fault.aspx

[ScaniaL94UB]

As said above if you would like to apply for a train/tram operator, I would suggest you look online or go to your local TransPerth depot/office (customer service centre) apply for job interviews. Or maybe even Freight Trains are an option, as said

www.pacificnational.com.au

maybe even think about relocating to another state

V/Line has good pay.

[crazytrammie]

This could be quite similar or quite different:

To drive trams in Adelaide you become a tram operator – these are like trainee positions which see you act as a conductor (selling tickets, providing information to pax, etc.) for about 9 months, then if you are successful you will be trained as a driver firstly on Flexity trams, then later Citadis trams. For a while you will alternate between driving and conducting, but over time more time driving.

In Adelaide, both trams and trains are run by Government departments, so you can easily transfer between trams and trains. I'd assume there would be a similar path for trains in Adelaide, and obviously tram experience would help to cross over to trains. You don't need any special qualifications to become a tram operator – just a current drivers license and the usual qualities/skills for most driving jobs.

It may not help too much for you in Perth, but hopefully this will give you some idea of the path as it is here in Adelaide.

This information is incorrect. For starters, you are employed as a multi-skilling Tram Operator right from the beginning. Meaning, they want you as a driver. Not "do your conducting, and we'll wait and see before we decide to make you a driver". You are pretty much guaranteed to end up as a driver after you've done your initial months as a conductor, they just stagger out the driver training, especially when there are a lot of new operators to be trained. Also, depending on operational requirements, driver training can commence a lot sooner (or a lot later) than nine months. In my case, the order of driver training was determined by names pulled out of a hat. I was fortunate to be among the first drawn out, and started my driver training less than three months after my initial employment. Again, depending on operational requirements, even after driver training, you can end up working a larger portion of conducting shifts, if those shifts need to be covered.

Also, tram drivers get absolutely no preferential treatment when it comes to recruiting for trains. You can't just "easily transfer". It does not work that way, you have to apply from scratch and sit through all the testing that everyone else has to. (That is, initial written application, Hogan's Personality psych test, psychometric, mechanical reasoning and vigilance (d2) test, interview and medical. Tram Drivers don't have to do the medical if their Category 1 medical is current, that's the only thing they get to skip if they make it that far!)

Amusingly enough, the majority of tram drivers who do apply for trains, never seem to get past the psychometric and vigilance tests. Even though I could quite confidently argue you need to be more vigilant to drive a tram than you do to drive a train (due to pedestrians and cars you have to dodge in the open corridor, you have to make your own selections at signals with switches, you are also at the mercy of road traffic signals dropping out to red at very short notice, as opposed to trains on a closed corridor the entire time and all of their signals pre-selected for them by Train Control). I have tried, and failed. But I will give it a crack again in the future, now I know where my weaknesses were in the train testing (I too, failed the d2 vigilance test). Most of the trammies I know who successfully got into trains didn't pass their testing the first time either, a bit of perseverence as well as thoroughly researching the testing requirements, downloading those tests off the internet and practising those tests got them through.

It comes down to those tests, so do your research. Find out what exactly is required by the employer, and practise, practise, practise, especially the vigilance tests! After a few seconds, those lines upon lines of similar looking letters/symbols all just look like a blur. :-/ The vigilance test is the part of the recruitment process that you really don't want to stuff up, so be sure to take the time to be as accurate as humanly possible!