DRIVING AMBITION
Meet our brand new group of trainee drivers
To drive a London Overground train you need to be the best. That’s why our newest batch of trainees are being put through their paces on a nine-month programme to ensure they are fully up to speed before they take the controls.
Among the ten recruits based at New Cross Gate is Kate Elliot.
“It’s very hands-on learning, which I really like,” she says. “The trainers are very experienced and supportive, and they are fantastic at making things simple and understandable.
“It can seem very technical and complicated at first – there’s a lot of information to take in. But taking people from A to B safely and on time is a huge responsibility, so we must learn all the basics.”
The trainees were a few weeks into their course when they spoke to Exchange. They were getting to grips with the many rules and regulations as well as the technical and engineering knowledge required to drive trains safely and on time.
After each learning module, they are tested to ensure they are ready to move to the next stage.
The next module for the trainees includes sessions on a simulator, which prepares them for going out on a real train with an instructor.
Before they qualify, they need to complete more than 200 hours in the cab in different conditions.
Trainee Christos Bouzoukis was a bus driver for many years before deciding to switch modes of transport.
“It’s a big step; driving a train needs completely different skills,” he says. “It’s challenging but also fascinating. Knowing that what I’m learning now, I’ll be able to put into action at the end of the course is exciting.”
For former traffic warden Kate, the career change was a chance to challenge herself and provide a valuable public service.
“I wanted a job that requires great skill and responsibility and where you know you make a difference to people. I already take great pride in the uniform and understand that we represent London Overground. It’s very much a role with safety and customer service as a priority.”
Christos also sees it as a career to be proud of. “I have relatives who are train drivers in Greece and Germany,” he says. “They always tell me it is a great career and very rewarding, too. I hadn’t really seen it as a career for me, but as I’ve got older it’s appealed to me more and more.
“I really can’t wait to take the train out on the track for real. It will be a proud moment to say, ‘I’m a professional train driver‘.”
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