Trainee Train Driver - Reading

Who are we?

GWR is the proud custodian of Brunel's railway - one of the most prestigious networks in the world.  We have some of the newest trains in the country and exciting plans to extend our services.   With more than one hundred million passenger journeys each year, we carry people to over 275 stations in the South West, from Cornwall and South Wales to London, passing through beautiful country and some of the UK's top tourist destinations. 

We are transforming the way people think about train travel, empowering our team of over 6,000 people from all different backgrounds to make it a great experience for our customers.  Together, we will revalue rail as a very special way to travel – relaxing, fast, efficient, friendly and fun.

About the role?

Our Trainee Driver roles are for those passionate about customer service, who would love to learn to become a Train Driver across our extensive GWR network.

Our Train Drivers play a crucial role in setting a new standard for rail which is focused on creating a relaxed, fast, efficient, and enjoyable experience for our passengers. In addition to driving our customers between various destinations, you will be giving amazing customer service, while following the correct procedures and working with colleagues to ensure our services runs efficiently.

Our Trainee Driver programme requires hard work, a commitment to an intensive period of training and exceptional attention to detail but offers a rewarding career with the opportunity to be part of the changing future of travel. There will be assessments throughout your training period, both practical and academic, which will give you all the tools and support you need to progress through to a Qualified Driver.

About You?

If you are safety focused, able to concentrate for long periods of time, can follow strict instructions/procedures and have a passion for delivering great service this could be the career for you.

No specific previous experience is required, we have colleagues that have successfully progressed through our trainee programme that have joined us from many different backgrounds. Most importantly it's about your ability to deliver great service, commitment to an intensive training programme, communication and team working skills.

We value diversity and have a strategy that sets out our approach to ensure we broaden our appeal to both our customers and colleagues. Making GWR an inclusive place to work is essential for us to deliver a railway that is inclusive for customers.

Do you want the best seat in the train?

Drive your career forward with our Trainee Driver role.

This could be your window for a new career!

Apply now, to be in with a chance of becoming one of our Trainee Drivers, with a great training salary of £28,268, rising to £60,124, when fully qualified! (Mainline Trainee Drivers once passed out will go onto the Year 1 mainline driver salary, which is 80% of the full mainline driver rate.  After 12 months' productivity, they will move to the Year 2 salary which is 90% of the full mainline driver rate. After a further 12 months productivity (*), they will go onto the full Qualified Driver rate.)

Additional Information?

Safety and our Passengers are at the heart of everything we do in GWR and to ensure our Trainees have the aptitude and passion to drive this, through the application process, which involves ability testing and interviews which measure key requirements of the role.

There are a few essentials to consider before applying:

• Are you over 21 years of age? This is a requirement to be accepted on to the training programme
• Do you live within 60 minutes commuting distance of your location choice? For safety reasons you must live within this maximum commuting time to the job location and be able to arrive for a variety of shifts, including weekends and nights which will have varying start and finish times, so you will be unable to rely on public transport
• If successful any offer of employment is subject to a full driver medical which includes passing hearing, sight, and colour vision tests (using the Ishihara plates)

We have opportunities for Trainee Train Drivers in various locations, to join our Talent Pool during 2024/25 and later. If your application is successful and you pass the assessment process, you will be placed in a Talent Pool pending available vacancies in 2024/25 and later in line with our Recruitment Policy.

The Reward?

As well as a great team environment and comprehensive training, all GWR colleagues enjoy a range of benefits including on-going development, defined benefit pension scheme, free rail travel across the GWR network for you and your family, company-sponsored health care plan, discounted shopping and gym membership and an employee assistance programme.

We all belong at GWR. This is our vision for providing an inclusive environment for all our colleagues, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment. 

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA, ethnicity, religion and disability. We maintain zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/

For the Role Profile and general FAQ kindly click the attachments below