Translink NI Railways Trainee Driver Guide
Northern Ireland has its own train driving law, and Translink its own eight-stage process, starting with a random draw. What each stage involves and what it pays
Northern Ireland’s rules are different
Train drivers in Northern Ireland are licensed under the Train Driving Licences and Certificates Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010, not Great Britain’s. A licence needs an applicant who has "attained the age of 20 years" and has "passed the required occupational psychological fitness examination", run by a psychologist or doctor recognised by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), which explains the requirements in its guide to medical and occupational psychological fitness. The change that let 18-year-olds drive from 30 June 2026 applies in Great Britain only, which is why Translink still asks for 20 "as per railway regulations".
RSSB’s standard RIS-3751-TOM, which sets the psychometric battery for GB companies, covers the GB main line, so it does not govern Translink. Translink does not name its tests either. What we know is below.
Translink’s eight stages
Translink’s 2025 train driver campaign set out the process in full:
- Register your interest.
- Random selection. If applications are high, Translink may draw at random from those who meet the essential criteria. Anyone not drawn is held on a waiting list for 24 months.
- Mini SCAAT(Mini Safe Concentration and Attention Test): "a short, online screening test" of concentration on routine tasks, completed within five days of the provider’s invitation. Only those who meet the standard go on.
- Recruitment event in person, with a face-to-face competency-based interview and stalls from Recruitment, Traction and the Training Academy.
- Psychometric assessments, which apply to anyone who must hold a train driving licence and are run by a registered provider on Translink’s behalf.
- Waiting list for 24 months, as long as your psychometric results stay valid.
- Conditional offer, then medical and pre-employment screening.
- Training Academy.
Who can apply
- Aged 20 or over.
- At least nine years of full-time education. GCSE maths and English at grade C or above is desirable, not essential.
- Within an hour’s travel of the home depot, a limit the booklet ties to fatigue management.
- Proficient in spoken and written English, with the right to work in the UK.
- Able to pass a medical including hearing and vision, with normal colour vision.
Depots
The booklet lists driver depots in the Belfast area, Bangor, Portadown, Larne Harbour, Coleraine and Derry~Londonderry, and says your depot is allocated on appointment. Belfast drivers may book on and off at any Belfast location, including Adelaide, York Road, Fortwilliam, Lanyon Place and Belfast Grand Central, and the Coleraine and Derry~Londonderry rosters are linked for spare working and leave.
Training and pay
Training takes about 10 months: classroom training at the Academy in Belfast, network familiarisation, emergency and fault-finding training with theory exams, at least 250 hours of practical driving, then a certificate of competence assessed over five days. The booklet’s pay rates, effective from 1 April 2025, are:
- Training school, about 3 months at 40 hours a week: £41,411.
- Route and traction training, about 6 months at 40 hours: £44,172.
- Years 1 and 2 as a driver, 37 hours: £49,694.
- From year 3 after the certificate of competence, 37 hours: £55,215.
It also lists 34 days of annual leave including statutory holidays.
Practising for the tests
If Translink’s assessment follows the GB battery, these are the tests to practise. Our train driver tests page explains each one:
- Group Bourdon (Dots Test) (11 minutes, free)
- TEA-Occ Attention (Lift and Directory) (10 minutes)
- TRP1 Rules and Procedures Memory (21 minutes)
- TRP2 Dials Reasoning (8 minutes)
- WAFV Vigilance (Grey Square) (32 minutes)
- ATAVT Traffic Perception (6 minutes)
We do not simulate the Mini SCAAT, though our Group Bourdon game is also a timed test of sustained concentration on a routine visual task.
Common questions
How often does Translink recruit train drivers?
The 2025 campaign is the only one we found, and its registration form is now closed. Candidates from it can wait on the list for up to 24 months, and we found no date for the next campaign. Once you apply, its booklet asks you to watch your email, including the spam folder, for updates.
Can I use a GB psychometric pass for Translink?
Translink does not say. Its waiting list depends on "the validity of all psychometric assessments", so ask its recruitment team before assuming a GB result carries over.