Q&A for How to Become a Train Driver

You must be 18 years of age or older. If you are you are under the age you could try volunteering at your local railroad museum to learn the ropes.

Absolutely, anyone who meets the qualifications may apply.

Yes. As long as you can make it through the training and understand the requirements of the job, you should be fine.

It's never to late to become one. Just meet the requirements and you should be fine.

No. When applying for a railroad position, whether as a conductor or as an engineer, all applicants must not be colorblind because railroad operations rely on signals. Signals are extremely important, and there are three primary colors: red, yellow, green (and rarely, blue). By law, signals must have red, yellow, and green. If you are deficient in the red and green aspects, you are a threat to railroad operations. If a colorblind railroad employee convey's a signal that he or she thinks is "clear" but is actually "stop" and vice versa, potential disaster may be a result.

Yes. I wear glasses/contacts and recently became a locomotive engineer. Rules require you to have a backup pair on you while on duty.

Most railroad companies have the minimum requirement as High School diploma or GED, but I have heard that railroads won't hire you unless you have college experience (unsure how much truth there is to this, however).

Yes. Eligible diploma departments include the following: Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics and Automobile Engineering.

Sure, all trains have hand breaks and dead-man switches. There's no such thing as foot pedals except in specialty trains.

The easiest way is build your experience. Start off applying for a job driving light rail, or something similar. You don't need prior training.

They know by signal poles with indicator lights. They might also have a pre-determined route to take with the stops planned out that's written down on paper somewhere.

You shouldn't need to take any special classes. As long as you get your high school diploma you will be eligible to become a train driver.

You could always research this online, or phone and ask the branch you're looking to apply for.

Some take rests on the trains themselves, while others will spend nights in hotels or motels.

It depends on how far your starting and ending destinations are from each other.

Depends on the railroad and the type of conviction. See a few of your prospective employers (railroads) and check their policies.

As long as you have a green card and meet the other requirements, you can be considered for a position as a train driver.

Yes; however, as you will be on a completely different career path with completely different skills and qualifications, you will need to study railroad operations and specific on the job training for a few years before becoming a fully-qualified train operator.

Depends on the rail company. Some disregard your driving history altogether, others ask to check your demerit history and usually have a certain limit on how many demerits you can have accrued over the past few years.

Check out wikiHow to Get a Job in Indian Railways .

Submit your resume and cover letter to the employer/job advertisement. Some railroads are continually open to accepting expressions of interest for employment in the railroads; however, these are usually for experienced workers/train drivers. Even if there is no train driver job advertisement, a train driver from another company/railroad may submit an expression of interest to another railroad as a prospective employee.

You can attend a community college or university to earn a degree/qualifications in railroad operations. You may also be able to get qualified by working as a trainee, apprentice, or intern directly through a railroad company, or with tourist railways (predominantly steam rail), who also offer a great deal of opportunities in train driver training; however, the vast majority of positions are only volunteer positions.

You can apply online directly through a railroad company in your area, or you can go to your local community college/university to get a degree in railroad operations. As it isn't necessarily a popular course, you may need to travel to find a provider of the course.

Find a community college/university near you that offers a course in Railroad Operations.

Yes; however, you will need to study railroad operations and specific on-the-job training for a few years before becoming a fully-qualified train operator.

Inform your supervisor and take the day off if needed like any other job. In long-haul rail operations there are usually 2 train drivers in the cabin at all times; if one falls very ill, the other could usually take over for a short amount of time until a replacement driver is arranged. You should be made aware of any company policies and procedures in case of sickness or emergencies when you commence your employment.

All depends on the country and company/railroad. Most desire a qualification, certificate or diploma in railway operations, others are willing to train you from scratch as a trainee train driver (usually 2 - 4 years). Salaries vary greatly between countries; in the US, a train driver makes around $50,000 - $60,000 a year. In Australia, train drivers make $80,000 to over $100,000 a year - particularly in long-haul freight and the lucrative mining industry.

Likely you may need to do some refresher training with a private organization or directly with the railroad company.

Railroad Operations or equivalent studies - each country will have slightly different names for their courses.

You may become a train driver with no experience as a trainee, apprentice, or intern directly through a railroad company, or you can attend a community college/university to earn an associate's degree in railroad operations.