A new industry-wide training framework will allow trainee train drivers to progress based on demonstrated competence rather than simply completing a prescribed number of practical training hours.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), passenger operators, ASLEF and the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) have developed the framework following a successful pilot involving CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway and Govia Thameslink Railway.
Its introduction is particularly timely for the industry. The minimum age for training as a mainline train driver was reduced from 20 to 18 this summer, opening the profession to school and college leavers for the first time.
With the railway needing to recruit significant numbers of drivers over the coming years, the combination of a wider recruitment pool and a more flexible approach to practical training could become an important part of developing the industry’s future workforce.
Moving from training hours to demonstrated competence
Under the existing approach, trainee drivers are required to complete a specified amount of practical experience before progressing to final assessment.
The new framework instead measures how trainees develop and demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to operate trains safely and effectively.
During the pilot, progress was assessed against core practical skills, application of railway knowledge and non-technical skills. Evidence gathered throughout training was then used to support decisions about whether an individual was ready for assessment.
The principle is that trainees should still gain sufficient practical experience to consolidate their knowledge, but the emphasis moves towards what they can demonstrate rather than time accumulated in the cab.
That should also allow training to be adapted more effectively around individual development needs. Trainees requiring additional experience in particular areas can receive targeted support, while those demonstrating the necessary competencies can progress without being held to an arbitrary number of hours.
Daniel Mann, Director of Industry Operations at Rail Delivery Group, said: “By tracking technical progress and growing capability over time, learning and development has become more visible, flexible and trainee-centred, empowering future train drivers to gain relevant experience within a live operating environment, whilst still maintaining rigorous safety standards.
“Together, these changes will help better prepare newly qualified train drivers for the future career that awaits them.”
Trainers will also need new skills
The framework places greater emphasis on the quality of coaching and mentoring provided by experienced drivers and training staff.
A dedicated upskilling course has therefore been developed for driver instructors, mentors and managers, helping them provide a combination of instruction, coaching and structured feedback.
This could be an important part of making the competency model work consistently across different operators. Moving away from a predominantly hours-based measure requires robust evidence and confident professional judgement about when someone has genuinely achieved the required standard.
RSSB contributed expertise in competence management, human factors and safety to both the development and evaluation of the framework.
Mark Phillips, Chief Executive of RSSB, said: “By asking trainees to demonstrate competence rather than complete a set number of hours, it makes practical training more flexible and more consistent while maintaining the highest safety standards.
“The industry now has a practical approach that will give new drivers the skills, experience and confidence to operate safely.”
Supporting a major recruitment challenge
The framework also has the backing of ASLEF and comes as the industry prepares to recruit from a substantially younger talent pool.
Reducing the minimum driver training age to 18 means operators can now compete for people immediately after school or college rather than potentially losing candidates to other industries during the two-year wait before they were previously eligible.
ASLEF General Secretary Dave Calfe said the changes would help the industry recruit the large number of drivers required over the next five years while creating a workforce that better reflects the communities served by the railway.
“The new framework, with its focus on personal one-to-one development, and practical on-the-job training, will ensure that drivers are trained to the highest possible standards in our safety-critical industry as we make sure our railway is fit for the 21st century,” he said.
For rail employers, lowering the recruitment age solves only one part of the workforce challenge. The industry also needs the training capacity to turn a larger and potentially younger intake into competent drivers.
A consistent competency-based framework, supported by stronger coaching and mentoring, could help address that second part of the equation. If adopted effectively across operators, it provides the industry with an opportunity not simply to train drivers differently, but to create a clearer and more structured route from recruitment through to safe independent driving.
