Greater Anglia Train Driver Application: Process, Train Driver Tests & Salary
Quick answer
To become a train driver at Greater Anglia, you must pass an online application, online screening tests, the train driver psychometric battery, a competency interview, and a medical. Qualified Greater Anglia drivers earn £51,341 in year one, rising to £64,772 from year three, with trainees earning approximately £26,901 during the fully funded training period.
Greater Anglia operates services across East Anglia and into London Liverpool Street, covering routes to Norwich, Ipswich, Cambridge, Stansted Airport, Colchester, and a dense network of regional lines across Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. The operator has modernised its fleet significantly in recent years, replacing older rolling stock with new Class 755 bi-mode and Class 745 trains. Train driver vacancies at Greater Anglia appear periodically and attract strong interest — the routes are varied, the fleet is modern, and the salary progression structure is transparent and competitive. Here is everything you need to know about how to apply.
The Greater Anglia application process
Greater Anglia's driver recruitment follows the standard multi-stage structure used across the UK rail industry. Vacancies are posted on the Greater Anglia careers website and on general job boards. Application windows are typically short, so having your materials ready in advance is worthwhile.
- ✓Online application — eligibility screening, right-to-work, and competency questions
- ✓Online screening — situational judgement or cognitive ability tests, completed remotely
- ✓train driver psychometric assessment — full day at an approved assessment centre
- ✓Competency-based interview — structured panel interview
- ✓Medical examination — to ORR Train Driving Licence standards
- ✓Offer and training — typically 9–24 months to qualify as a driver (the national range; it depends on the depot)
The train driver psychometric tests
The train driver test battery is the most technically challenging stage of the Greater Anglia assessment process, and the most commonly misunderstood. It follows RSSB RIS-3751-TOM, the standard battery used across GB mainline operators, though each company chooses its own pass marks and recruitment stages vary.
RSSB standard RIS-3751-TOM sets out the standard battery used across GB mainline operators: Group Bourdon and TEA-Occ (attention), the WAFV vigilance test, TRP1b and TRP2 (rules and procedures), the ATAVT (perception), 2HAND (hand coordination), a situational judgement exercise and a multi-modal interview. Each company chooses its own pass marks and may add tests. The instructions given before each test explain the mechanics, and the train company sends official approved practice materials at least a week before your assessment.
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Shortened Vigilance test, 5-scene ATAVT, and a TRP1 taster — no account needed.
Vigilance Test (WAFV) — focus on Greater Anglia's routes
The Vigilance Test is widely reported to run for about 30 continuous minutes. You watch a simple display, and at unpredictable intervals it briefly changes — you must press a response key every time. Missing a change is penalised; pressing the key when nothing changed is also penalised.
Greater Anglia's network includes high-speed runs to Norwich, extended regional services across rural Suffolk and Norfolk, and intensive suburban operations into Liverpool Street. All of these require a driver who can sustain attention across the full duration of a shift — and the WAFV measures precisely this capability.
The test is designed to be monotonous, which is the point. Attention naturally tends to drift as the test goes on. Repeated full-length practice sessions, without stopping, build the stamina to hold it steady.
ATAVT, TRP1, and Group Bourdon
The ATAVT shows a traffic scene very briefly (the exposure time adapts to your performance), then asks you to choose from five answers what was in it — such as traffic lights, vehicles, pedestrians or road signs. It measures rapid, accurate visual scene-reading — closely related to processing the track environment at line speed.
The TRP1 gives you a fixed time to read a set of rules, after which the document is removed and you answer questions from memory. Official timings and question counts aren't published; our practice version uses 5 minutes of reading, then 18 multiple-choice questions in 15 minutes. It tests how quickly you can absorb and retain procedural information — a skill you will use every day in service when working with actual operating rules.
The Group Bourdon is a paper-based test. You are given a grid of dot-group symbols and must mark every group containing exactly four dots — working as quickly and accurately as possible. This test is often underestimated by candidates. Practising on paper, rather than only on screen, helps because the real Group Bourdon is on paper.
Greater Anglia train driver salary
Greater Anglia offers a structured and transparent pay progression for drivers. In year one, qualified drivers earn £51,341. In year two, this rises to £56,349. From year three onwards, the full qualified rate is £64,772. This step progression is clearly defined and applies regardless of the specific depot or route.
During the training period, Greater Anglia trainee drivers earn approximately £26,901. As with all UK operators, the training is fully funded — there are no fees or costs for the candidate. On qualifying, the immediate move to the year-one qualified rate represents a substantial pay increase.
Greater Anglia drivers are represented by ASLEF. Additional earnings are available through rest-day working and unsocial hours premiums. Benefits include a pension scheme, free travel on Greater Anglia services, and discounted travel on partner operators. Always verify pay figures against the current vacancy as rates are subject to collective agreement.
How to prepare for the Greater Anglia train driver assessment
The most effective preparation is to practise each type of test in quiet, test-like conditions before your assessment date. The key is to build familiarity with the format so that the mechanics of each test are automatic on the day — freeing you to focus on performing rather than adapting to an unfamiliar interface.
For the Vigilance Test, complete full-length practice sessions without stopping. For the ATAVT, use brief scene flashes to practise broad, rapid visual scanning. For the TRP1, read dense technical text and immediately answer questions on it from memory, without reference. For the Group Bourdon, practise on paper — the real test is paper-based.
Distribute your practice across sessions over two to three weeks before your assessment. Arriving rested and having eaten properly on the day matters more than many candidates expect — the Vigilance Test in particular is sensitive to tiredness.
- ✓Complete full-length Vigilance Test practice sessions — don't stop at 15 minutes
- ✓Use brief-flash scene practice for the ATAVT — broad scanning beats narrow focus
- ✓TRP1: practice reading procedural text under time pressure and recalling it immediately
- ✓Group Bourdon: practice on printed grids, not just on screen
- ✓Prepare STAR competency examples for: safety, rules, attention, communication, resilience
- ✓Check which Greater Anglia depot the vacancy is for — Norwich, Ipswich, and Stansted all have different route profiles
Frequently asked questions
Do I need railway experience to apply to Greater Anglia?
No. Greater Anglia recruits trainee drivers from outside the rail industry. A full UK driving licence and meeting the medical standards are required. All traction, route, and rules knowledge is taught during the fully funded training period.
What is the Greater Anglia train driver salary?
Qualified Greater Anglia drivers earn £51,341 in year one, £56,349 in year two, and £64,772 from year three onwards. Trainees earn approximately £26,901 during training. These figures are subject to change — always check the active vacancy for current pay.
How long does the Greater Anglia application process take?
From application to conditional offer typically takes three to six months. Training typically adds a further 9 to 24 months, depending on the depot. The total time from application to qualifying as a driver is usually well over a year.
Where are Greater Anglia depots?
Greater Anglia operates from depots including Norwich Crown Point, Clacton, Ipswich, Cambridge, and Ilford. Vacancies are depot-specific — your routes, shifts, and working patterns will be tied to your home depot.
Is the train driver test at Greater Anglia the same as at other operators?
Greater Anglia follows the standard battery set out in RSSB standard RIS-3751-TOM, like other GB mainline operators, but each company chooses its own pass marks, may test only some parts, and may use an enhanced standard. Our original practice covers the abilities those tests assess; use the official practice materials Greater Anglia sends you as well.