Driving a Train?

Question

Do Train drivers need a licence to drive it, also how is it driven, and where can you get these from if neccercery.

Fill me in a bit here.

Answer 1

Simplified..........

Trains are operated by Engineers

Engineers must be qualified to operate a locomotive.  

They serve an apprenticeship.  

Trains are operated with throttle and brakes.

Answer 2

Train drivers in the UK have to complete a training course and then be authorised to drive by a government-appointed inspector.

They then have to have reviews at regular intervals and retraining where necessary to cope with new types of locomotives/trains, operating procedures, etc.

Before a driver can work a particular train or line he/she has to pass a certificate of competence that they are familiar with and able to operate/work accordingly.

Answer 3

I guess your in the UK or Australia since you call them drivers.I would imagine you have to be licensed there just like we do in the USA.Here we have a federal license that we have to renew every 3 years.To get a license you have to train with an engineer first.My railroad is supposed to go to a 2 year training period before promotion.

Answer 4

You have to be employed by a train operatng company who provide the necessary training and examination.

You need a licence.

Answer 5

The situation in the UK is slightly more complex than Elwood Blue states.

To even get a chance at becoming a train driver you have to pass a battery of psychometric assessments and medical tests in order to be offered a position as a trainee driver with a train or freight operating company. Only once you have got through this will you be eligible to join a training programme.

Because driving on the rails bears no similarity to driving on the roads, a trainee driver will be taught everything from scratch. This will include personal safety, rules and traction. At each stage there will be a pass/fail assessment that you must complete before moving onto the next stage. Once you have completed the classroom training you begin your practical training with an instructor. This is the point at which you start driving real trains in service and putting all you've learned into practice. At the end of this period you will sit a week-long final assessment that covers all aspects of the job from competence in the rules and traction to route knowledge and practical handling. This will be taken by your driver manager and not a government inspector, though, as with all railway standards, will be conducted to a nationally acreditted standard.

The training and assessment doesn't stop there, as there are regular re-assessments to renew your licence together with in-service training and assessments. Medicals are also required every five years.

Effectively, yes you do get a licence. However, the only way to obtain one in the UK is to secure a position as a trainee driver with a train operating company.

Answer 6

The modern trains are not driven by drivers- the driver merely pushes a button that says drive and computers then drive the train. So your question reduces to " where can I obtain a licence to push the start button"? This is mainly for metro trains. For main line trains you will need a to pass an intensive course. Obtain this by applying for training after joining   a railway company.

Answer 7

To drive trains in Britain you need a Certificate of Competence to drive trains on Network Rail infrastructure which can only be obtained in the employment of a British Train Operating Company. Once engaged you will have to go through the Company's training process .

Answer 8

There are a few train driving simulators around, such as one from Microsoft and another from EA Games.

That will give you some idea of how they are driven.

Answer 9

You could use a simulator to know how the controls work, but to actually run one, and know how to run one, you will need to be certified and pass multiple tests.

You can get the certification from any class-I after getting into the class and passing all required tests.

Answer 10

My son went to work for the railroad, trained as a conductor and qualified on four routes.  He then became a regular conductor, and about two years later, by seniority, he became eligible to train for his Locomotive Engineer License..It was a three month course on Haz-Mat, procedures, Federal Regs, and dynamics of a train..He trained in simulators, and live locomotives for a while, and was then put on runs as the 2nd engineer.  He learned the routes, and dynamics of keeping the train safely on the rails and had to qualify on several routes before he got his regular route...

Answer 11

Well each member of the Safety Critical Aspect of the railway, that includes, Signalmen, Train Drivers, Gaurds, Platform Staff, Inspectors, Managers, etc, etc, all have to have a SCWID (pronounced skid) card which is a safety critical work I. D., depending on what you  are doing your have to learn anything up to 10 complicated rule books, each sectioning out a certain amount of knowledge on the railway and its working system, then any member of staff who goes track side must be in possession of a PTS (personal track safety card) which will cover AC or DC lines or both in some casses and again you have a rule book seperate for this and another test, then for Train Crew, Platform Staff and Shunters you have Traction Cards, these will alow you to use certain trains only and show you are familiar with the operating system relevant to your grade, then for Train Crew (drivers and Gaurds) there is route knowledge cards, which you will gain after you can explain things like tunnels, stations, track divergence, etc, etc, to a manager and you may never take a train over any section of track you are not competant in, then Drivers have Traction Knowledge, where they learn more about individual trains they will be driving, more comprehensive route knowledge, including stopping distances, speed zones, gradiants, etc and finally Drivers will then have to go and sit with a qualified instructor for almost 200 hours of driving practice night and day time before the are let loose on their own.

Each set of rules are reviewed every 2 years where you sit a re test in between this each member of safety staff is reviewed at least once a quater to ensure there are no problems.

That is why a driver takes about a year to train up, a gaurd normally about 4 months, platform staff about 3 and a signalman about 6 months.

The likelyhood of you achieveing a Drivers Licence on your own back is just plain silly as the amount of training, hours and conditions the Rail Safety Board now impose on any new Driver would be impossible for someone outside one of the TOC's.