§ Mr. Clifton-BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the minimum time is after which a newly recruited train driver would be permitted to drive a train(a) at present and (b) five years ago; in each case, whether they would be supervised; and for how long. [24992]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe current requirements recommend between 26 and 29 weeks of driver training before a newly recruited train driver is permitted to drive a train. The driver training period includes a minimum of 225 hours of practical driving under the constant supervision of a qualified instructor driver. Once a driver is deemed competent a two-year supervisory regime is put in place.
Five years ago, companies were training drivers on the basis of British Rail's training programme. In terms of duration, this programme was slightly shorter than now, although the basic components were similar to now.