Discover an exciting career as a mainline or depot train driver at Greater Anglia.
Join our team and help keep the railway moving safely and efficiently, while enjoying a long-term, rewarding career.
Whether you’re experienced or just starting out through our training programme, if you bring the right attitude, dedication, and motivation, this could be the perfect career for you.
Like any career, being a train driver comes with challenges.
The role can be demanding at times, and you may encounter situations that require focus and quick thinking. But at Greater Anglia, we provide full training, mentorship and a supportive team to help you succeed.
Many of our drivers, including women and those from diverse backgrounds, thrive in this role and enjoy a rewarding career with confidence and pride.
The railway is a 24/7 environment with a mix of early, late and night shifts. Start times can be as early as 02:27 to finishing as late as 01:30 – or anywhere in between.
Many of our colleagues, including parents and career changers, appreciate shift working as it allows for flexibility which suits their lifestyle.
Hours of shifts may vary based on terms and conditions and locations. Therefore, you'll need to have reliable transport.
Our drivers play a critical role in delivering safe and punctual services while working closely with operations and control teams. Key skills include safety, concentration, communication, and teamwork.
Drive our passenger service trains, getting our customers from A to B.
Responsibilities include:
Operating trains safely, following all rules and regulations
Ensuring punctuality and reliability for passengers
Communicating effectively with team members and wider railway colleagues
Collaborating to maintain operational standards and service quality
Monitoring train performance and responding to issues during service
Work primarily in our depots, moving trains at low speed.
Responsibilities include:
Operating trains safely within the depot area, in accordance with all rules and regulations
Coupling and uncoupling trains
Shunting trains
Reporting faults and irregularities
A career with Greater Anglia offers meaningful work, responsibility, and long-term progression.
Our benefits include:
Professional growth and career progression
Responsibility and pride in a safety-critical role
Competitive pay and job security
Family-friendly and flexible policies to support a healthy work-life balance
A generous pension scheme to help you plan for the future
Deep understanding of the rail industry
Knowledge and skills for a fulfilling, long-term career
To join our team, applicants must meet the following criteria:
Minimum age: 21
Right to work in the UK and satisfactory DBS check
Pass safety-critical medical checks (eyesight, colour vision, hearing and fitness)
Reference checks
GCSEs or equivalent (for apprenticeships/trainee roles)
Average 35-hour work week, with shifts covering 24 hours, including early mornings, late evenings, weekends, nights and bank holidays (location dependant)
Own transport to reach shifts on time
Live within a reasonable distance of the depot
The Trainee train/depot driver vacancies are advertised for a maximum of 1 week.
Candidates are required to complete the Train Driver SJT (Situational Judgement Test). During this test, candidates are given multiple scenarios and are required to choose the actions they would likely take in those scenarios based on pre-determined options provided.
Applications for candidates who have passed the online assessment will be reviewed against set criteria. If successfully reviewed, candidates will be held in a candidate pool for the next stage.
Candidates are invited to our training academy to complete various assessments set by the industry. These come in 2 separate stages and candidates are required to pass these assessments to be considered for the next stage.
Candidates who have passed the Psychometric testing stages, will be invited to attend a competency-based interview with the lead driver manager of the area they have applied for.
If a candidate is successful at interview, a provisional offer will be sent to the candidate. This provisional offer, depending on whether the candidate is internal/external will be based on a passing a medical, a right to work check and a DBS check.
Once the successful candidate has met all of the requirements for the provisional offer, the Talent Resourcing Advisor will provide them with an official offer.
Initial training: The initial training period is 13 weeks. For a depot driver progressing into a train driver position, the initial training period is 7 weeks.
Practical training: once trainees are released to their station or depot, they are paired with a driving instructor to begin their practical training.
Driving hours: typically, trainees complete around 225 hours to qualify, although this may increase to up to 290 hours in certain areas due to route requirements. Please note that 225 hours is a minimum guideline.
Initial training: 7 weeks initial training at the training academy.
Ongoing training: 4 weeks of ongoing training at the trainee's base depot.
Final pass out: The trainee becomes a productive depot driver.
Greater Anglia offers a wide range of Train Service Delivery roles throughout the year. Keeping our railway running smoothly and our customers on the move.
If you are interested in a depot or train driver role, please either sign up for a live vacancy or sign up to job alerts to be the first to receive a notification.
