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Full job description
Description
London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway are now recruiting motivated and responsible individuals to join us as a Trainee Driver, on our Level 3 Train Driver Apprenticeship based at Birmingham New Street & Snow Hill – you must live within a 60 minute commute to Birmingham City Centre. Please note due to shift start and end times you cannot rely on public transport to get to work and own transport is recommended.
Please do not submit multiple applications across multiple locations. If you have already submitted or have an active application for one of our trainee train driver roles you do not need to re apply. Please note this is a vacancy for our 2027 intake of drivers.
To be considered, you must be committed to the demands and completion of the apprenticeship programme and will also need to have the ability to complete Level 2 Functional Skills in Maths, English and ICT along with meeting all requirements outlined against our train driver operational standards below, which will be checked during the selection process:
- Live within 60 minutes travel time of the vacancy location
- Be 20 years of age or over
- Completed at least 9 years education (Primary and Secondary) as stated in the train driver license and certificate regulations. Applicants who have not included full details of this on their application will be rejected
- Have an ability to follow set rules and procedures, within a safety conscious environment
- Be able to work shifts in a 24-hour period, over any over 7 days (your own transport would be advisable due to shift start and end times)
- Be willing to undergo a full medical, including a drug and alcohol test
- Have a minimum height of 5’2” and a maximum height of 6’4” – for safety reasons
- Have full colour vision.
What experience or skills do I need to do the job?
Following a review against the criteria listed above, to be successfully offered a position, candidates will need to meet our standard and criteria within each stage of the process, outlined below:
- Application sift by the OPC to ensure suitability for the role.
- Driver industry standard assessments – undertaken with a national rail assessor
- Interview with the driver management team
- Full medical – including drug and alcohol
In addition to the above, internal candidates will also undergo internal checks which will consist of a full check of absence in line with MFA, line manager reference of performance and conduct within your current role, review of any safety incidents which have occurred, and any live and previous disciplinaries (these will be reviewed and considered by your current line manager and future line manager)
Candidates cannot have multiple applications in process for various locations. Please only apply for the relevant location to you. Any candidates who already have an application in process are not required to re-apply.
In addition to a competitive salary West Midlands Trains offers a wealth of benefits including:
- Free travel on Transport UK trains for you, your partner and dependent children
- 75% discount on other train travel over most of the UK rail network
- Access to an Employee Recognition and Benefits Platform
- Development opportunities to help further your career with West Midlands Trains
- A defined benefit pension
Under the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) guidelines any candidates who have been unsuccessful with the industry tests will need to wait for a period of 12 months prior to re-applying again. Candidates who have failed the industry assessments many eligible to apply.
We anticipate receiving a high volume of applications and reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any time, therefore please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
To ensure continuity and an effective delivery of service, successful candidates will be required to commit to a minimum 14-month period in role after achieving competence. This also includes existing colleagues who move by internal promotions and transfers. This time allows our future colleagues to support personal career development by allowing time to build strong knowledge and expertise.
What is the salary and benefits that come with the job?
- Starting salary is £35,441, rising through increments to £67,793
- A defined benefit pension from day 1 – one of the best in the UK.
- Free travel on all London Northwestern and West Midlands Railway services for you, your spouse/partner, and dependents.
- 75% off all other train operating companies for you, your spouse/partner, and dependents.
- 8 Friends and Family Day passes to gift per annum on our network.
- A 24/7 Virtual GP service for you and your household.
- Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)- A confidential employee benefit that supports you with personal or work-related issues affecting your home life, work life, health, or wellbeing
- Our cycle to work scheme with Evans Cycles.
- A retail discount portal- offering savings, discounts and cashback at over 800 retailers and restaurants.
Due to the volume of applications we receive, the advert may close earlier than the published closing date. Please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
As an inclusive employer, we welcome applications from all backgrounds and ensure no-one receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, belief and sexual orientation.
About WM Trains
London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway operate rail services across the Midlands, the Northwest and London, with Birmingham at the heart of our network.
West Midlands Railway provides most of the local services across the region, offering direct connections to towns and cities including Redditch, Stratford‑upon‑Avon, Worcester, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Telford and Northampton. Our London Northwestern Railway brand serves the route between London and Liverpool via key locations such as Crewe, Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Northampton.
On 1st February 2026, London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway entered public ownership and both services are now part of WM Trains Limited operated by DFTO. Our mission remains unchanged: to provide a safe, comfortable and reliable service for passengers across 235 miles of track and 150 stations, from London to Liverpool and Hereford to Lichfield.
We expect over 80 million journeys to be made this year, that’s more than 1,252 services every day, and we remain committed to delivering the rail experience our passengers expect.