CrossCountry Apprentice Train Driver Guide
CrossCountry names the test vendor behind its online stage, SHL, before the national tests. Its five-step process, what it paid in 2026 and how long training takes
CrossCountry’s selection process
CrossCountry’s Derby advert, copied to the StudySmarter jobs board on 11 February 2026, says you will hear about next steps within two to three weeks of applying. It lists five stages:
- A review of your online application.
- Online assessments,"facilitated by our assessment partner, SHL".
- Train Driver Psychometric Testing.
- A Values Alignment meeting.
- A safety-critical medical.
The advert warns that the process "can take several months" and that successful candidates normally wait in a talent pool until a vacancy comes up at their chosen location. When one does, the preferred candidate is offered the role with a start date that normally matches the start of training.
The process in 2023, for comparison
A CrossCountry driver at Plymouth described her own route in RailStaff in September 2025. After seeing the advert in November 2023, she began by "passing the RAAT comprehension test, followed by a recruitment process involving psychometric testing and competency-based interviews", then did "a six-month training programme in Derby". The 2026 advert names SHL rather than a comprehension test at the start and a Values Alignment meeting rather than competency-based interviews, so the process has changed, and the two sources give different training lengths. Go by the advert you apply to.
Training, pay and where you live
The 2026 advert asks you to commit to a 35 to 39 week training programme, starting in 2026/27, which you must finish before you can drive without a qualified driver supervising. It paid £32,717 a year to start, rising to £43,347 on completion of training, with 30 days of holiday rising by a day a year to 35, a defined benefit pension and free travel on CrossCountry and other Arriva rail services. You must live within an hour of the depot you apply to, though the advert says CrossCountry is happy to discuss flexibility.
Age, and applying early
Written when the minimum licensing age was 20, the 2026 advert let younger applicants who had finished secondary education join the talent pool and said CrossCountry would "progress your application once you meet the required age". The government named CrossCountry in March 2026 as one of five volunteer pathfinder operators for the minimum age of 18, which took effect on 30 June 2026.
The national tests
In The OPC’s list of 1 September 2020, "Cross Country Trains" used the national standard, RSSB’s recommended minimum, rather than an enhanced one; no current CrossCountry source says which it uses. Our train driver tests page explains the full battery. These six are available to practise:
- Group Bourdon (Dots Test) (11 minutes, free)
- TRP1 Rules and Procedures Memory (21 minutes)
- TRP2 Dials Reasoning (8 minutes)
- WAFV Vigilance (Grey Square) (32 minutes)
- TEA-Occ Attention (Lift and Directory) (10 minutes)
- ATAVT Traffic Perception (6 minutes)
Failed attempts are recorded nationally and limit how often you can try, at any company. Our guide to train driver attempts and standards sets out the rules.
Common questions
Why is the CrossCountry advert listed under Chiltern Railways?
StudySmarter files this advert under Chiltern, but its text is CrossCountry’s throughout. The advert lists both among Arriva’s rail services, and Chiltern has since moved into public ownership, in September 2026. Our Chiltern Railways page covers Chiltern’s own process, which is different.
Is CrossCountry recruiting now?
The Derby advert closed on 20 February 2026, and when we checked Arriva’s jobs site on 5 November 2026 it had no apprentice train driver roles. The advert suggests setting up job alerts in Arriva’s Jobs Hub.