Checked 27 October 2026. Pay is from GWR's train driver recruitment portal, read 27 Oct 2026; requirements and stages are from GWR's latest trainee advert (closed 20 Oct 2025), the FirstGroup careers site and RSSB's FAQ. GWR had no trainee driver vacancy open on 27 Oct 2026, and it is reviewing its age requirement after the law changed on 30 June 2026.
To become a GWR trainee train driver, you apply on the FirstGroup careers site when a campaign opens, then get through shortlisting or online assessments, the psychometric tests and a Driver Manager interview before joining a talent pool for your chosen depot; you must also pass a full driver medical. GWR's recruitment portal gives the trainee rate as £32,489 a year, rising in steps to £69,105 once qualified.
Checked on 27 October 2026 against GWR's train driver recruitment portal, its latest trainee driver advert (Central Region, closed 20 October 2025), the FirstGroup careers site and RSSB's FAQ on the selection standard. Test names at GWR's assessment day come from candidates and are labelled as candidate reports. Our own advice is labelled as ours. ProSyllabus is an independent study site. It is not part of RSSB, the Office of Rail and Road, The OPC or any train company, and nothing here is official test material.
On 27 October 2026, GWR's recruitment portal showed no trainee driver vacancies, so use this guide to prepare and register for GWR's job alerts before the next campaign. For the general route into the job at any company, read how to become a train driver in the UK.
Who can apply to GWR
GWR's 2025 Central Region trainee advert, the latest we found, sets these minimums. GWR's network runs from London and the Thames Valley through South Wales to the South West; that campaign named Bristol Parkway, Bristol Temple Meads, Fratton, Gloucester, Swansea and Westbury.
| Requirement | What GWR says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Age | You must be 21 or older to be accepted on to the training course (advert, 2025). Since the law lowered the minimum licence age to 18 on 30 June 2026, GWR says it is reviewing the implications for its recruitment and training, and will update its careers site. | GWR advert; GWR train drivers page |
| Where you live | Within 60 minutes' travel time of your first-choice depot, without using public transport when it is not available. GWR calls this "not negotiable". | GWR advert |
| Shifts | Shifts of varying start times, including weekends and nights. | GWR advert |
| Medical | A full driver medical including hearing, sight and colour vision tests (the 2024 adverts name the Ishihara plates). Applications cannot progress if it is not passed to the required standard. | GWR adverts, 2024 and 2025 |
| Experience | No previous railway experience needed. | GWR advert |
Where other pages get this wrong
GWR's 2025 advert required 21, and GWR has not yet announced a change to that.
Commonly published instead: that the new legal minimum of 18 applies to every company straight away.
The law lets a licence be issued from 18 since 30 June 2026, and GWR says it is reviewing what this means for its recruitment and training. Its page says applications are considered against the requirements that apply at the time, while it reviews the change. Read the advert of the campaign you apply to.
If you have ADHD, dyslexia or another condition, GWR's advert invites you to share any additional needs so the process is fair; our guide to adjustments for ADHD and dyslexia covers what the selection standard allows.
Every stage of the GWR process
Application
On the FirstGroup careers site, when a GWR campaign is open. You pick a first-choice depot.
Source: GWR advert
Online assessments
FirstGroup says online assessments or shortlisting follow an application. A candidate describes two.
Source: FirstGroup; a candidate
Psychometric assessment
The RIS-3751-TOM tests. GWR sends practice materials first; a full valid earlier pass can let you skip this stage.
Source: GWR advert; FirstGroup
Driver Manager interview
Named by FirstGroup's recruitment team as the step after the psychometric stage. Candidates also describe a multi-modal interview (MMI) at the assessment stage.
Source: FirstGroup; candidates
Medical
A full driver medical: hearing, sight and colour vision. Applications cannot progress if it is not passed. The sources do not say exactly when it comes.
Source: GWR advert
Talent pool
You wait for a training course at your first-choice depot. GWR's advert calls it "a lengthy process".
Source: GWR advert
Our summary of GWR's adverts, FirstGroup's recruitment team and RSSB's FAQ, with candidate reports labelled. These sources do not give the full order of stages; the advert for your campaign is what counts.
1. Application
GWR advertises trainee driver roles on the FirstGroup careers site, for a talent pool at one depot or a group of depots. You choose a first-choice location; you are then measured against the 60-minute rule for that depot, and the talent pool place is for it. Adverts may close early: FirstGroup's recruitment team warned in February 2024 that the roles are "extremely popular" and adverts may close early.
2. Online assessments
FirstGroup's FAQ says the next step after an application is either online assessments or shortlisting, and that it cannot give feedback if you are rejected at shortlisting. Candidate report: a candidate reported in August 2024 that they had completed the application and "the 2 online assessments" for Swansea. The sources do not identify those two; FirstGroup's FAQ describes its online assessments only generally, as possibly covering customer service, verbal and numerical skills, or concentration.
3. The psychometric assessment
This is the standardised psychometric assessment in RSSB's standard RIS-3751-TOM, carried out at an assessment centre. GWR's advert says it will send Practice Test Materials before it invites you to any ability testing event. FirstGroup's recruitment team adds that anyone shortlisted for this stage is checked against the national database: a full valid pass lets you skip it, and a partial pass means you sit only the tests you do not hold.
4. Interviews
FirstGroup's recruitment team names the Driver Manager interview as the step after the psychometric stage. Candidate report: GWR candidates on RailUK Forums also describe a multi-modal interview (MMI), which RSSB lists as part of the psychometric assessment itself. What to expect and the question types are in our train driver interview questions guide.
5. Medical, and 6. the talent pool
The full driver medical checks hearing, sight and colour vision. If you pass the whole process, GWR places you in the talent pool for your first-choice depot "pending available vacancies", and its advert says plainly that "this is a lengthy process". The 2025 campaign recruited to talent pools for 2026/2027.
The tests at GWR's assessment day
Candidate report, not official: a candidate invited to a GWR trainee driver assessment day in 2024 listed these tests, among others, on their itinerary on RailUK Forums. Each is a test in RSSB's standard except the WCT, which is not in RSSB's table; RSSB says companies may also use other assessments. Check your own invitation.
| Test | What it assesses | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Group Bourdon | Attention: a paper test. No official source we read publishes its layout. | <a href="/hub/group-bourdon-test-practice" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">Group Bourdon practice</a> |
| TEA-Occ | Attention (Test of Everyday Attention, Occupational). | <a href="/hub/train-driver-psychometric-tests" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">The psychometric tests</a> |
| TRP 1 and 2 | Memory and reasoning: Trainability for Rules and Procedures. | <a href="/hub/train-driver-psychometric-tests" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">The psychometric tests</a> |
| WCT | Reported by candidates as the Written Communications Test; not in RSSB's table of tests. | <a href="/hub/train-driver-assessment-day" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">The assessment day</a> |
| WAFV | Vigilance and reaction time. | <a href="/hub/train-driver-psychometric-tests" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">The psychometric tests</a> |
| ATAVT | Perception and reaction time: the Adaptive Tachistoscopic Traffic Test. | <a href="/hub/train-driver-psychometric-tests" style="color:#255a45;font-weight:600">The psychometric tests</a> |
What each test assesses is from table 1 of RSSB's 3751-FAQ (December 2024). RSSB's standard also includes a two-hand coordination test (2HAND), a situational judgement exercise (SJE) and the MMI. The full map of tests is below; our train driver psychometric tests guide explains each one.
From table 1 of RSSB's 3751-FAQ (December 2024), an extract of Appendix A of RIS-3751-TOM issue four. WAFV, ATAVT and the MMI each appear under two criteria. TRP = Trainability for Rules and Procedures; SJE = Situational Judgement Exercise; MMI = Multi-Modal Interview.
The first test on the list
Practise attention for the Group Bourdon: play level 1 free
Three timed sheets of dot groups: mark every group of exactly four dots. You see your accuracy, groups per minute, and missed and wrong marks counted apart. No sign-in. Independent practice of the same ability, not the Group Bourdon itself.
Play level 1 freeIndependent practice by ProSyllabus. Not the official test, not a copy of it, and not produced or checked by RSSB, an assessment centre or a train company.
Before your GWR assessment
- Attempts are limited. RSSB's rule for candidates starting from 7 December 2024: three failed attempts end the process; attempt 2 comes at least 1 year after the first failure, attempt 3 only 5 years after the first and at least 1 year after the second.
- Pass marks are set by the company. RIS-3751-TOM does not set them; RSSB recommends marks and each company decides which it uses. The sources do not give GWR's pass marks.
- Results last five years for assessments from 7 December 2024.
- One application at a time. RSSB recommends finishing one application and assessment before starting another.
From RSSB's 3751-FAQ, questions 14, 19, 28 and 29.
A date checker and a 12-month plan for a retake are in our guide to retakes and pass rates; what happens hour by hour on the day is in our assessment day guide.
GWR trainee train driver salary
GWR's train driver recruitment portal, read on 27 October 2026, gives a trainee basic rate of £32,489 a year. Once you complete the basic training period and are confirmed competent, pay moves to a share of the full-time mainline driver rate:
Basic annual pay as published on GWR's train driver recruitment portal, read 27 Oct 2026. GWR has a single driver grade across the company, with harmonised terms and conditions. The portal lists 32 days' annual leave, bank holidays included, for new entrant qualified drivers.
The latest advert (October 2025) gives the same figures: £32,489 in training, rising to £69,105 when fully qualified. Its benefits list includes a defined benefit pension scheme, free rail travel across the GWR network for you and your family, and a company-sponsored health care plan.
Where other pages get this wrong
GWR's trainee rate is £32,489, according to its own recruitment portal and its October 2025 advert.
Commonly published instead: a trainee rate of £28,268. That was GWR's rate in its 2024 adverts; the Westbury advert also gave £60,124 as the qualified rate.
Old adverts show different rates, so check the figure on the advert you apply to.
The talent pool: how long you wait
Passing every stage does not mean an immediate start. GWR places successful candidates in the talent pool for their first-choice depot pending available vacancies, and its 2025 advert asks applicants to "bear with us" because the process is lengthy. The advert gives no waiting time. Under RSSB's FAQ, assessment results from 7 December 2024 are valid for five years.
Our advice: keep your contact details current on the FirstGroup site, and do not start another company's psychometric assessment without reading RSSB's one-at-a-time recommendation first.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a GWR trainee train driver earn?
GWR's recruitment portal gives £32,489 a year in training (read 27 Oct 2026). After training and confirmation of competence it is £55,284 in year 1, £62,195 after 12 months productivity and £69,105 after a further 12 months productivity.
What is the age limit for a GWR trainee train driver?
GWR's latest advert asks for 21 or older to start the training course. The law lets a licence be issued from 18 since 30 June 2026, and GWR says it is reviewing what this means for its recruitment; check the current advert. None of the GWR pages we read states an upper age limit.
How long does the GWR train driver process take?
The GWR pages we read give no timeline. Its advert says that after passing the whole process you join a talent pool for your depot pending vacancies, and calls it a lengthy process.
Do psychometric passes from another train company transfer to GWR?
Yes, if still valid. FirstGroup's recruitment team says shortlisted candidates are checked against the national database: a full valid pass skips the psychometric stage and goes to the Driver Manager interview, and a partial pass means sitting only the missing tests. You still apply and pass the earlier stages first.
What tests are in the GWR trainee driver assessment?
The standardised tests in RSSB's RIS-3751-TOM. A candidate in 2024 reported the Group Bourdon, TEA-Occ, TRP 1 and 2, WAFV, ATAVT, a two-hand coordination test and the SJE on a GWR assessment day, plus a WCT, which is not in RSSB's table; GWR sends practice materials before the testing event.
Does GWR need you to live near the depot?
Yes. You must live within 60 minutes' travel time of your first-choice depot without relying on public transport when it is not running, and GWR says this is not negotiable.
The concentration trainer
Practise attention before your GWR assessment
- Level 1 free with no sign-in; levels 2 to 10 unlock with one payment, no subscription.
- From 48 to 126 groups a sheet, three to six sheets a run, 40 to 50 seconds a sheet.
- Freshly generated sheets for every run, so you are not repeating a sheet you have learned.
- Accuracy, groups per minute, and missed and wrong marks counted apart, by sheet and by row.
The price is on the trainer page.
Start with level 1 freeIndependent practice by ProSyllabus. Not the official test, not a copy of it, and not produced or checked by RSSB, an assessment centre or a train company.
Our guides on the train driver assessment are collected on the UK train driver exam page.
More in this series
- Group Bourdon test practice: free sheets and a 14-day plan
- The TEA-Occ test: what it is and how to prepare
- Every UK train driver psychometric test explained
- Free practice tests compared
- How to pass the Group Bourdon
- Pass rate and retake rules
- The assessment day, step by step
- Group Bourdon pass mark and scoring
- ADHD, dyslexia and the medical
- How to become a train driver in the UK
- Train driver interview questions: the MMI, the DMI and STAR
- Northern trainee train driver
- Train driver fault finding test (DFFT)
- How to become a Tube driver
- Avanti West Coast trainee train driver
- ScotRail trainee train driver
- LNER trainee train driver
- Southeastern trainee train driver
Sources
- official — GWR Train Driver recruitment portal, FirstGroup CareerZone (read 27 Oct 2026): trainee and qualified pay, the pay steps, no vacancies open on the day
- official — FirstGroup careers: "GWR - Train Drivers" page (read 27 Oct 2026): the role, and GWR's statement on the minimum age falling to 18 on 30 June 2026
- official — FirstGroup careers: GWR "Trainee Train Driver - Central Region" advert 028431, closing 20 Oct 2025 (Internet Archive copy of 12 Oct 2025, read 27 Oct 2026): age, 60-minute rule, medical, practice materials, £32,489 training rate, talent pool 2026/2027
- official — GWR "Trainee Train Driver" adverts, Westbury, 2024 (Internet Archive copy of 1 Sep 2024, read 27 Oct 2026): the 2024 training rate of £28,268 and qualified rate of £60,124, Ishihara colour vision test
- official — GWR "Trainee Train Driver" advert, Bristol Temple Meads, 2024 (Internet Archive copy of 1 Sep 2024, read 27 Oct 2026): the 2024 training rate of £28,268, Ishihara colour vision test
- official — FirstGroup careers "Talk to our Insiders": "How do I become a trainee train driver for GWR" (replies by FirstGroup Application Support, HR and Recruitment, 5 Feb and 22 Aug 2024; read 27 Oct 2026): minimum requirements, previous psychometric passes, the Driver Manager interview
- official — FirstGroup careers: FAQs (read 27 Oct 2026): what follows an application (online assessments or shortlisting), no feedback at shortlisting
- official — RSSB and the Rail Assessment Centre Forum: 3751-FAQ, issue one (December 2024), on RIS-3751-TOM issue four (read 27 Oct 2026): how to apply, qualifications, minimum age, practice materials, attempts, pass marks, validity (questions 10 to 19, 28 and 29; table 1)
- reported — RailUK Forums: "Trainee train driver assessment" (2024; candidate posts, not official): the tests on a GWR assessment day itinerary
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
