I am currently a Bus driver with the dream of becoming a GWR train driver from Paddington. How do I go about this?

Good afternoon,

In order to become a Train Driver with GWR, you would need to apply for a Trainee Train Driver role and successfully pass each of the recruitment stages. Should this happen, you would then be made an offer of employment and should you accept, join the training school where you would receive all of the necessary training to become a train driver.

The only minimum requirements are as follows:
* You must be at least 21 years of age to be accepted on to the training course, as this is an industry requirement.
* You'll need to live within 60 minutes travel time to the depot, without using public transport when it is not available. The safety responsibilities make this requirement a necessity.
* You will be needed to work shifts of varying start times, including weekends and nights.
* You'll need to pass a full driver medical which includes hearing, sight, and colour vision tests (using the Ishihara plates).

Unfortunately, GWR are not currently advertising any Trainee Train Driver roles, however when they do they will appear here.

I hope that helps.

What if i want to get a license privately?

It's not possible to obtain a licence yourself, as they can only be applied for by a train operator. As such, you would need to secure employment in the first instance. It is possible to take the psychometric assessments privately (which form part of the recruitment process), however even if you passed these, you would still be required to apply for a Trainee Train Driver role.