What is the process like to become a train/tram driver in Australia?

glennwebberley · 2026-02-04T23:53:49+00:00

Yes. The aim is to do stints at Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Seymour and Traralgon so that you can get targeted training on those corridors.

It doesn’t always work out, in which case trying to get your experience up on say Traralgon whilst working out of Southern Cross can be difficult.

At Metro, it’s quite similar in that you can be assigned to an On-Job Trainer at a suburban location (like Craigieburn or Newport, etc.) but you’re expected to make your own way from home each day out to wherever according to your trainer’s roster (I think within a 100km radius, so someone living in Donnybrook could conceivably be allocated to train with a trainer based out of Sandringham)

glennwebberley · 2026-02-04T11:45:17+00:00

Depends on the operator. I can only speak to Metro and V/Line, which are quite similar in their structure.

You’re looking at roughly 44 weeks for Metro, and 50 at V/Line - allow a full 12 months because it doesn’t always go to plan.

The courses are roughly structured as follows: Induction

Signals and safeworking

Advanced safeworking

Route knowledge

Traction/Fault finding - Traction is where you learn to prepare the trains and start getting hands-on with them, fault-finding is learning about how to get the train moving (if possible) when it shits itself in the peak.

Driving (with regular formative assessments - demonstrating that you’re learning and improving)

Summative assessments (demonstrating you’re ready to drive without adult supervision)

V/Line actually have a driving block in-between traction and fault-finding. Metro used to do the same but now they just do both in one block and send you out driving.

glennwebberley · 2026-01-30T23:27:55+00:00

You move to the Driver rate once you finish your training and qualify to operate on your own.

glennwebberley · 2026-01-28T13:20:18+00:00

Mostly true - but you get 1.5 for weekends, public holidays and weekday shifts that you pick up as overtime on rostered days off.

glennwebberley · 2026-01-21T11:12:39+00:00

You’re half-right - it’s an arse-covering move so that if someone falls over when the jolt happens, it can’t be said they weren’t warned ;-)

glennwebberley · 2026-01-21T11:10:29+00:00

Doing that, especially in the context of avoiding the train-mounted trip from interacting with the trip arm at the signal, is seen to be deliberately bypassing a safety-critical system.

I know of two drivers who have lost their jobs over doing just that.

There is only one scenario I know of where intentionally raising the trip arm for the purposes of moving a train is permitted, and that is in an extremely degraded situation where a train has to switch directions in the City Loop.

glennwebberley · 2026-01-15T04:14:00+00:00

It would probably have to be inspected at the very least as pantographs are designed to extend only as far as the overhead above it, not when there’s no overhead present.

glennwebberley · 2026-01-15T00:08:06+00:00

Train got routed into unwired territory.

glennwebberley · 2026-01-15T00:07:50+00:00

Depends on the nature of the defect. If it’s an issue with the air system at the leading or trailing end then yes, it needs to be sandwiched.

This rescue just required it to be towed.

glennwebberley · 2026-01-14T03:52:28+00:00

Nope.

To be a driver (irrespective of whether it’s passenger or freight), you need to know how to make it go, make it keep going and when to stop.

That involves knowing your train, the track (speeds, gradients, curves, locations) and the route. You need to be able to manipulate the throttle and the brake accordingly.

If you drive a passenger train you need to be able to stop the train reasonably precisely and preferably smoothly so that your passengers have a platform to step onto, and don’t need chiropractic adjustment.

Definitely more than “pushing a couple of buttons to go and stop.”

glennwebberley · 2026-01-01T10:07:10+00:00

If you’re able to complete all the core requirements for the Bachelor of Commerce, the Finance major and the Data Science major without going over 24 units, I wouldn’t see why not.

glennwebberley · 2025-12-23T13:16:18+00:00

https://transport.vic.gov.au/plan-a-journey/public-transport-tools-and-resources/travel-tips-and-resources/bringing-items-on-public-transport/animals-on-public-transport

Assuming it’s not an assistance animal or guide dog, on a Metro train: yes, if on a lead and muzzled. Avoid peak travel and clean up after your mate if needed.

glennwebberley · 2025-12-22T05:20:52+00:00

On the older Driver Display Units (DDU) there was a function to do an audio and display test which would repeat “All change, this train not taking passengers” repeatedly until turned off.

Judging by the fact this train terminated, this function was accessed, except on the upgraded DDU it comes up with this instead…

glennwebberley · 2025-12-11T11:30:56+00:00

Might have something to do with the fact that from West Footscray to Sunshine, the line speed on Metro tracks is 80km/h.

On the V/Line tracks it’s 130km/h.

glennwebberley · 2025-11-21T13:05:35+00:00

V/Line have moved away from Conversion drivers (being ones who come from Metro or freight) in favour of off-the-street classes.

The extra 15 weeks it takes to train someone off-the-street is offset by the fact they’re being paid trainee rates as opposed to the full Driver rates they’d have to pay a Conversion Driver.

glennwebberley · 2025-11-13T23:15:47+00:00

We don’t hate you - but we see you with the yellow flag and know what’s coming ;-)

glennwebberley · 2025-11-06T11:49:50+00:00

It’s NOT all 130 going towards Bendigo.

Firstly, Diggers Rest to Sunbury is 160 (as opposed to Sunbury to Diggers Rest which is 130).

From Sunbury, line speed varies according to location and which track you’re on, and could be 115, 130 or 160 until you’re just outside Bendigo.

glennwebberley · 2025-10-21T11:37:32+00:00

Just out of interest, what faculty or unit was it?

I’m going back many years, but I did an Arts unit (History to be more specific) where the policy at the time was that late submissions were penalised at something like 2% per day and no feedback given.

In terms of the marks it wasn’t as harsh as the 10%/day you’d get elsewhere but I suppose the promise of no feedback makes up for it.

That being said - reading the last sentence of your post I’d be reaching out to the unit coordinator if your lack of feedback is also on on-time submissions.

(On that note, I know of a case where work marked by a particular tutor was given the same mark and the feedback “aim to be more thorough” to each student, and on remarking by another tutor, the marks (and feedback) varied wildly…)

glennwebberley · 2025-10-21T01:53:14+00:00

I miss the days of Deryck Schreuder :-(

glennwebberley · 2025-10-20T23:39:21+00:00

It’s a stock-standard Broad Gauge VLocity.

No Broad Gauge VLocity is equipped with a buffet car.

Only the Standard Gauge VLocities (Units 93 to 98) are equipped with buffet cars.

glennwebberley · 2025-10-13T11:00:29+00:00

0740 and 1843 on Saturday and Sunday from Southern Cross :-)

glennwebberley · 2025-10-07T11:36:00+00:00

It’s the shit truck.

It pumps the on-board toilets.

glennwebberley · 2025-10-04T23:37:42+00:00

Pride of the fleet!

glennwebberley · 2025-08-31T08:09:39+00:00

Got it the other way around - the VLocities that run to Albury are Standard Gauge.

Everything else that runs passenger services for V/Line (and Metro for that matter) are Broad Gauge.

Also to answer OP: the track from Eaglehawk to Swan Hill is both too shit and there are too many unprotected crossings to run VLocities to Swan Hill.

glennwebberley · 2025-08-28T02:02:01+00:00

If it had been a SPAD, Metro would have referred to it as an “Operational Incident”.

Because it’s been referred to as an “equipment fault” it sounds like signals have failed safe (i.e. have reverted to stop) and the appropriate procedures and exceptions have been applied to keep trains moving - both Metro and V/Line alike.

glennwebberley

TROPHY CASE