With the new (GWR) Mid Cornwall Metro line set to open up in early 2026, will there be a recruitment drive in 2025? What are the Pre-requisite / Desirable / Essential requirements? Can I do a self funded course to aid my knowledge and better my chances of successful recruitment?
Hi Nicola,
Your best bet is to apply for one of our trainee train driver vacancies and should you be successful with your application, by passing all of the recruitment stages, you would then be offered a role and placed on a training course. All of our current vacancies can be found at https://careers.firstgroup.co.uk/jobs/search
If there are currently no trainee train driver roles being advertised (or any other roles that might be of interest to you), then at the bottom of that page there is the option to register for job alerts. This will mean you'll then be notified by email whenever a vacancy is advertised that matches your set criteria.
The only minimum requirements for the role of trainee train driver are:
* 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).
If you wish to enrol in and fund a train driver course yourself then that would be entirely up to you, however you would still be required to apply for a trainee vacancy with us, up until the point that you were fully passed out and had gained experience employed in an operational train driver role.
In terms of any upcoming recruitment campaigns with GWR, if you reach out to gwrrecruitment@gwr.com the team there should be able to advise.
I do hope this helps.
Alex, very many thanks for your reply and the detailed information. I have set up a job alert and shall send my enquiry to the recruitment email as detailed in your reply.
I have been doing some research and there seems to be training organisations that are 'cashing in' on pre-trainee training.
Thanks again and Regards Nicki
