Apprenticeship training course

Train driver (level 3)

There are 11 training providers who offer this course. Check if a training provider can deliver this training in the apprentice's work location.

Information about Train driver (level 3)

Responsible for driving trains in a safe, punctual, economic manner over various routes.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • Safety
  • A good understanding of relevant health and safety legislation, statutory operating regulations within own role and organisation and how to monitor it. E.g. industry procedures and safety requirements and instructions.
  • Security
  • Requirements and process for ensuring rail safety and security on the line, trains and at stations and depots. E.g. evacuation points.
  • Compliance and Legislation
  • Knowledge of legislation, in-depth understanding and competency in the rules applicable to rail operation, safety and licensing and certification of train drivers.
  • Communication
  • Knowledge and understanding of procedures and methods, to ensure the transfer of information to different stakeholders e.g. using report forms, phonetic alphabet, codes and numbering.
  • Leadership
  • Understanding of the importance of making accurate, timely decisions and know how to lead and manage operational incidents and emergencies during degraded and emergency working. Understanding of their role within the incident response teams and emergency services.
  • Inter-personal skills
  • A sound awareness of the specific professional and personal demands, such as working alone, with others, shift work over a 24-hour cycle, individual protection and security, reading and updating documents
  • Driving
  • An in-depth working knowledge of the trains to be driven e.g. bringing a train into service, shunting operations, operating, stopping and taking a train out of service.
  • An in-depth understanding of how to mobilise and immobilise, identify faults or errors and any remedial action to be taken.
  • Train Dispatch
  • A thorough knowledge of the procedures associated with train dispatch.
  • Route Learning
  • A thorough knowledge of the principles of route learning.
  • Degraded situations
  • Recognising when to report a train fault or failure, infrastructure hazard or defective equipment on track or at a station. Fully understand the actions, responsibilities and reporting procedures necessary to minimise the impact to services.
  • Dangerous Goods
  • A good understanding of dangerous goods relevant to a range of rail operations and how to convey and deal with them effectively in an emergency.
  • Special Conditions of Carriage
  • Good knowledge and understanding of the special conditions of carriage relevant to your role.
  • Commercial Awareness
  • Awareness of how the rail industry works, such as; franchising arrangements, railway organisations, rail specific terminology, business goals, personal impact within the company.
  • Professional Development
  • A good understanding of professional development planning and responsibilities for maintaining personal competency.
  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Understanding of the risk of ill health and the impact of wellbeing on the safety of an individual, others at work and the public.
  • Understanding strategies for fatigue management e.g. sleep quality and environment, healthy lifestyle, diet, time and stress management.
  • Customers
  • A good understanding of information relating to company products and services.
  • Understanding how to recognise both company internal and external customers, focusing on the manner in which the message is delivered.

  Skills

  • Continuously monitor area of responsibility to ensure compliance with rail legislation and organisational procedures. Overall responsibility of passengers, staff and goods to enable compliance with regulations through safe and effective rail operation. Constructively challenge unsafe practice at all levels and report through the necessary channels.
  • Constantly maintain a secure environment and respond to security issues and take appropriate action in the event of a breach of security and review how effective the methods and actions have been e.g. safe systems of work, closing gates and doors when entering secured premises, securing cab doors when leaving trains on main lines and stations.
  • Monitor compliance with legislation, procedures and regulations in a rail environment within own area of responsibility. Continuously keep up to date with all relevant train legislation and retaining vast amounts of information.
  • Clearly and accurately carry out verbal communications, face to face and by using written methods and procedures e.g. using the PA system or train radio.
  • Follow procedures to lead and manage incidents and emergencies until incident response teams arrive onsite e.g. overall responsibility for protecting passengers, other staff the train when deciding which line/s are blocked and making a decision as to which line/s to protect first.
  • Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and safety of themselves and others e.g. wears appropriate personal protective equipment, uses authorised walking routes, informs all relevant parties of hazards when these are observed.
  • Supports other colleagues in demanding work situations e.g. be cooperative and give guidance to colleagues and managers and communicate effectively.
  • Make instant complex autonomous decisions during normal, degraded and emergency working.
  • Check and monitor rail systems effectively, diagnosing and resolving problems upon identification of faults or errors in a timely manner to minimise risk and a delay to services. Remain alert at all times and have the ability to perceive any hazards, which may occur during the journey.
  • Locate and prepare trains for service, marshal and shunt trains, drive trains on main lines, depots and sidings, deal with operational incidents, emergencies and berth trains.
  • Dispatch trains under different circumstances e.g. Driver only operated services and guard operated services from staffed and unstaffed stations.
  • Ability to learn and memorise routes features within required timescales e.g. signalling types, principle junctions, tunnels, names of running lines and line-speeds.
  • Make autonomous decisions and work through altered methods of working when in operation, communicate details of the hazard/defective equipment to necessary stakeholders using appropriate methods. Ensure the safe operation of the train in degraded situations and carry out any necessary protection arrangements according to the situation.
  • Effectively manage dangerous goods in own area of competency, report and protect other lines in a dangerous goods emergency.
  • Able to identify and comply with relevant special conditions of carriage e.g. speed restrictions, heavy axle weight, dangerous goods, tunnels and bridges.
  • Manage the speed, braking and driving of trains to optimise fuel economy, reduce maintenance costs and minimise financial penalties for late or wrong time arrivals or departures and fail to call at scheduled stops.
  • Identify and manage individual development needs, maintain and develop skills, knowledge and behaviours, in compliance with the competency management system.
  • Manage own fitness and lifestyle to enable work to be carried out competently in order to reduce the risk to health and safety to self and all stakeholders.
  • Deal with customer enquiries promptly and politely and in the correct manner
  • Redirect customer complaints and/or enquiries using the correct wording and tone to the appropriate personnel when unable to personally deal with them.

  Behaviours

  • Act professionally, demonstrating dependability, determination, honesty and integrity
  • Display a self-disciplined, self-motivated, proactive approach to work and your own health and wellbeing
  • Be risk aware, mitigate risks by checking information, concentrating on the task, maintaining an awareness of changing circumstances and remaining calm under pressure
  • Willing to learn new skills and to adjust to change
  • Be approachable, respect others, act ethically and contribute to sustainable development
  • Always seeks to support business goals and maintain an awareness of economic challenges
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Transport and logistics
• Qualification level: 3; Equal to A level
• Course duration: 12 months
• Maximum funding: £21,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • On-track machine driver
  • Freight train driver
  • Depot driver
  • Passenger train driver

View more information about Train driver (level 3) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.