How Do Train Drivers Learn To Drive? | The Tube | Spark

Most people wouldn't expect there to be much to learn when it come to driving a train on the London underground but those people are wrong. Follow Ishmael and Nengi as they sit through an intensive training course to be one of Londons newest train drivers.
For the first time in its history, London Underground has opened its doors to record the day-to-day life of its 16,500 staff who work across a network of 275 stations and 507 trains running on over 300 miles of track. Every year more than one billion people use The Tube that's 3 million journeys a day; commuters, holiday-makers, day-trippers, businessmen and women, students, overseas visitors.
This series goes behind the scenes to tell the story of some of the dedicated and colourful characters who work for LU, doing a difficult job under often challenging and stressful circumstances.
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Content licensed from Espresso to Little Dot Studios. Produced by Mosaic Films Production. Any queries, please contact us at: [e-mail]
#Spark #thetube #thetubeseries #sparktube #londonunderground #undergrounddocumentary #trains #traindocumentary #publictransport #publictransportdocumentaryMost people wouldn't expect there to be much to learn when it come to driving a train on the London underground but those people are wrong. Follow Ishmael and Nengi as they sit through an intensive training course to be one of Londons newest train drivers.
For the first time in its history, London Underground has opened its doors to record the day-to-day life of its 16,500 staff who work across a network of 275 stations and 507 trains running on over 300 miles of track. Every year more than one billion people use The Tube that's 3 million journeys a day; commuters, holiday-makers, day-trippers, businessmen and women, students, overseas visitors.
This series goes behind the scenes to tell the story of some of the dedicated and colourful characters who work for LU, doing a difficult job under often challenging and stressful circumstances.
Subscribe to Spark for more amazing science, tech and engineering videos - goo.gl/LIrlur
Follow us on Facebook: / sparkdocs
Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram....
Content licensed from Espresso to Little Dot Studios. Produced by Mosaic Films Production. Any queries, please contact us at: [e-mail]
#Spark #thetube #thetubeseries #sparktube #londonunderground #undergrounddocumentary #trains #traindocumentary #publictransport #publictransportdocumentary

[@M1.942]

It’s so true so many people think driving a train is piss easy but even he said “ driving a train is easy it’s knowing what to do when things go wrong “

[@johanemanuel9818]

Mm 1 totally agree and breaking it’s a pice of art

[@sovb]

"well but but uh argh all you gottta do is move a handle around!1!!!!!" ok, but what about the braking? "well deres'theres uh are signs below teh station platform that-that-that say when the brakies will start!"

[@Yellowtrid]

And things go wrong often.....

[@alivinghuman1]

I want to be a train driver when i grow up

[@nearlyretired7005]

@@johanemanuel9818it's not good to break the train!

[@forza223bowe5]

My uncle used to work as an instructor operator, I got the privilege to actually drive this train both manually and in ATO! It’s an experience I will never forget

[@D93-w5q]

I have been a tube driver for the Central line since 2014. Best paid job in London

[@cherrycoke6177]

Then why do you strike so much greedy

[@3LTwinTurboDiesel]

How do i join

[@Nas275]

how to u get a job there?

[@TvTriangel]

They have information about their current job opportunities on the website of the TFL

[@D93-w5q]

@@cherrycoke6177 it has nothing to do with money. It has to do with the bosses treating us like shit and forcing us to do over 40 hours a week which is illegal and dangerous. Remember we are working in darkness and isolation and we have thousands of people's lives in our hands so over working us and us not getting enough rest can be dangerous. I hope that answers your question 👍

[@seancalasara2345]

17:37 I felt really bad in the part. You could see his face that he thought he was gonna fail. But he made it. Congrats!!!

[@victorialine222]

yes he made it

[@mikeltsmith]

He is now Head of Training on the Piccadilly line. Moved up in world 💯

[@shanugurung1208]

Pppppppp

[@seancalasara2345]

@@mikeltsmith o no way! That’s so cool

[@Krystl_YT]

@@mikeltsmith how do you know i think your lying

[@QHarefield]

This is eye-opening! It teaches miserable old buffers like me not to complain when there is a delay, or when the system isn't back to normal immediately after a weekend.

[@davidabbott5142]

Thanks for that comment. Yes drivers go through very very intensive training. I went through it and in later years took others through it as a senior instructor. Yes very nerve wracking for new recruits but as a retired instructor and examiner we have been through all this ourselves so know what they go through. I joined LT in early 1970 until retirement. Best job ever.

[@garynewton1263]

Yes, seeing all points of view is so much easier to develop an opinion on things. Its a great video.

[@focusgaming9808]

Just around 4:55 I love how he says “at least I have my little trains to play with

[@AnneGyridEngan10]

8:06 “I lost my Bird ,already”

[@retnikt1666]

19:01 "JOAN'S PERSONAL CHAIR"

[@nenblom]

retnikt 😂😂😂😂😂

[@SpitFireShoots]

I'm currently training to become a mainline train driver in the UK. Would anyone be interested if I made a channel and dedicated it to the training process, what to expect on the course and other bits and pieces I pick up that you might not know?

[@theneutralguy2317]

I would.

[@ayniee1897]

YEEEEEES PLEASE! What TOC are you training with if you don't mind me asking?

[@vqo0]

Yes please!

[@emiiflowerr]

please do !!! its my dream job and id like to know what to expect

[@chopchop3621]

Yes please. I've been looking into it but dnt know where to start

[@brooklyntrainspotting8464]

I have been a tube driver for the Jubilee line since 2016 and I always wondered if they would make a video like this. Really good in site into how it’s done.

[@MilkANDMagic]

You sir deserve a 👑 for your service to society

[@Frazoor]

Came here to see about how to drive a train. Found out about falconry.

[@jad3ngamer284]

Yea!

[@Mr.Thermistor7228]

hahahah right! ted was so badass lol escaping and picking fights with the locals lmaooo

[@kinocchio]

If unable to use radio, deploy falcon.

[@davidabbott5142]

Best way to learn is to go do it. I started 1970 on Northern Line 38 stock through to other stocks and later 1995 until I retired as senior instructor. Yes it is hard work learning but such satisfaction when you pass. The instructors always knows when someone has been learning hard even if a few things wrong on exam. The 95 stock fairly easy now with info on display screens telling you problem and what to do unlike the old days. Best job ever had.

[@lifeinsync6774]

You probs be better flying birds than driving train 🚊

[@54spatula]

4:18 OK that slightly freaked me out for a second.

[@Rocky-69]

lol

[@OliversElevators]

Wow, it must be so hard to get those trains to stop exactly on the right spot at the Jubilee stations with PSDs, especially before they had ATO to do it automatically.

[@PeteS_1994]

There is a margin so you don't have to brake to accurately the PSD's are wider than the doors.

[@OliversElevators]

@@PeteS_1994 yeah, but the PSDs are only a foot or two wider than the train doors. It’s a ridiculously small margin for a human-operated train which is why ATO is so beneficial.

[@edicant1967]

Great too see my former boss, happy memories of the LEB and London.

[@chupacabra9357]

I can guarantee you this is one of the most difficult jobs to obtain in London. Cabbies have to go through an extremely complicated exam to get their license. Considering there's only a limited amount of trains unlike cars, I am sure they only choose a select few.

[@MrAzzywazzy]

yes its very true, i heard its 1 job per 1000 applicants when applying

[@Househead1200]

Not true in the slightest. Other, more underhand, factors determine who gets the job. Militant lefties.

[@LoftyTD]

Im currently at the second stage of the recruitment process with the computer tests and mmi coming up next. This video gave me a real insight into how the whole system works so thank you very much.

[@MisatoBestWoman]

*This is such a delightfully splendid series!*

[@dufey1969]

locomotive engineer for 30 years pulling 1.5 mile long coal trains

[@StaxRail]

My dad is an instructor for instructors (we call them Leading Drivers) on the GWR and drives HSTs and IETs

[@timothyonipad]

Wow

[@jopu7004]

America! Right

[@EvanAviator]

Ew American cargo trains

[@retardedthomasthetank1059]

Cool, what’s your fav locomotive

[@prepperjonpnw6482]

The music at the beginning is strangely calming. It reminds me of the tv show 30 somethings lol Weird

[@nenblom]

They could use Ted at the New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal! LOL!!

[@Yoyo-gf3oi]

Im currently a driver on the Northern Line. Its a good job, good pay, good hours etc. The only thing that bothers me is that if you make one safety critical mistake, you could lose your job. Theres a saying in LU that its a "hard job to get, easy job to lose". The London Undergrounds train drivers license isnt transferable to mainline trains, meaning that you couldnt just jump ship and go to another company, youd go back to working on stations. So for me personally, i make sure i have a skill on the side, incase i ever lost this job

[@TedBackus]

if you have nuisance birds in an area, nothing works as well as a Great horned owl figure, aside from having a 24/7 real bird of prey of course. I used to put a 2 foot tall Horned owl statue up , & no bird, or mammal smaller than a cat would be seen for weeks, until they realize it isnt moving, so you shift its position regularly, & it works like a charm. A sonic boom canon is also great for 10+ acre areas. Birds hate those Boom canons.

[@GWRProductions-kg9pt]

doesn't work, local council tried it

[@rexy_1000]

I love the train siren.

[@garynewton1263]

I wonder how different it is getting these trains stopped at the right points compared to the electric suburban trains here in Melbourne Australia? Its very enjoyable watching these videos.

[@TheChicagoL]

I watched this exact episode seven years ago. I can't help but wonder if Ishmael and Nengi are still drivers for the LU, especially with the advent driverless trains threatening to change the logistics of LU operations.

[@transportflick923]

TheChicagoL they most likely do. Being a tube driver is a top career.

[@milkandduckrailway323]

the jubilee line is now ATO

[@mikeltsmith]

Ishmael is a trains coordinator now. He moved up. He oversees a department that trains new recruits

[@TheChicagoL]

@@mikeltsmith Hey, that's great to here!!! Thanks for the update. And you know, I just realized that since he is now training new recruits, he can actually refer to the "Tube" episode that shows his own personal experience as a new recruit.

[@davidabbott5142]

You say you worry about driverless trains will never happen. Reference Driverless trains . Driverless in this view means no driver on the train. That will never happen. Trains now are ATO. Automatic Train Operation which means the trains are automatically driven by electronics. A driver has to be in the cab in case the electronics break down and driver drives the train Manually also the driver operates the doors. So no there is no worry drivers will be got rid of and trains operate with no one on board. The Victoria Line has been ATO since the late 60s. But has always had a driver. Docklands similar not a driver but Train Captain operates the doors but able to drive train Manually if problem arises.

[@rolldeepNASA]

being the bird guy would be the coolest job

[@NoddyMaccy]

I’m sure Nengi was the lady who picked me up whilst I was doing my training!

[@csx_defectdetector]

Happy 160th birthday London Underground! From the US.

[@waynenorris7035]

Spiders on the track!....that's a new one on me!

[@realsookha]

my theater recomend this video so thanks David

[@BELINDASPIRIT]

I like the way they use a hawk for the pigeon problem. Most places just put down poison seed and water!!

[@GWRProductions-kg9pt]

the bird is a waste of time as the pigeons will just fuck off elsewhere & will piss someone else off, it's far cheaper to buy an air rifle

[@aidancanoli]

lol i love how the end credit music is just the intro music sped up

[@SuperMissblueeyes]

This makes me understand even less the mentality of those who complain about a train being 2 mins late! Life happens, get over it! If it makes you late, maybe you should have got up earlier & got the train before it. It's not rocket science.

[@Amadeus_Phoenix]

Joan's Personal Chair

[@glenfordreid8757]

Big up youth jamaica ❤

[@wainber1]

Platform barriers are common in many Japanese train stations too.

[@the_cortelyou_boi]

And that's why I hate platform doors, it makes it way harder to stop at the position.

[@transportflick923]

Captain Railfan no completely the opposite. You don’t have to worry about a passenger falling or not standing behind the yellow line. It’s automatically driven by the computer nowadays.

[@marcodamasio]

The Jubilee line section with the platform edge doors has been driven manually for 12 years before ATO

[@jamesgkrk]

Is it safe to work with the traction current on?

[@kd84afc]

I would say no, but I would assume these people knew what they were doing!

[@binh5948]

Agh! I didn't like that he took his eyes off the tracks when he w as speaking to his instructor @ 21:50

[@garynewton1263]

A brilliant video. I think Ishmael and Nenga will do very well, they both have great attutudes. Very interesting work.

[@bradmiller2329]

The FIRST train of the morning -- of course! Murphy's Law strikes again!

[@meckcervellone]

if anyone can explain to me how come there are two traction current rails it would be appreciated. If safety is first having only one fatal rail would probably be better?

[@peterc.1618]

One negative and one positive presumably, if you've ever fitted a plug on anything you'll know what I mean.

[@CyberSystemOverload]

Very interesting, all the best to these drivers. My fav metro is Singapore MRT

[@paulanderson79]

Not sure I'd want my eyes that close to a hawk with that expression.

[@MisteriosGloriosos922]

Thanks for letting us know!!

[@ricoplatz5844]

😮😮 Nengi is a Nigerian!!!!🎉❤😂🎉🎉❤🎉🎉 My fellow Nigerian sister!!!

[@normanschlongdongovic4124]

I would definitely try when i am 50..Already tried taxi,bus and ferry.

[@glsmokerUSCOOLHIPHOPCHANNELGMG]

Damn i will like too

[@pawpatrolnews]

I don't think they have enough phones in the control room...

[@QuarioQuario54321]

Which line often has less people driving than there should be?

[@DDELE7]

Random question how much smaller in dimensions are deep tube stock trains compared to their sub surface stock? Cause I’m like those tunnels look really tiny.

[@hartstukken]

Google a picture of them side by side

[@ademolarahaman4283]

Hello everyone Please what are the procedures to become a loco driver??? Is there railway training school in Nigeria????

[@SvenSvenson1]

I think it's really great how they steer those massive trains around corners while ballancing them on narrow rails. Swedish train drivers rock.

[@stephentimoney6951]

🤣🤣🤣

[@ninofromkitchennightmares1497]

It’s on track As long as the train doesn’t go too fast it can make the curve It isn’t a car

[@SvenSvenson1]

@@ninofromkitchennightmares1497 I don’t mean to be rude but they wouldn’t go to the expense of fitting steering wheels if no driver input was required.

[@James28R]

@@SvenSvenson1 are you serious?

[@nearlyretired7005]

@@James28R Sarcasm!!!

[@Cartbs229]

I love trains

[@traceyrobertson9601]

20:33 Don't miss the platform!

[@nokukhanyandwandwe3412]

Joan's personal chair 🤣🤣🤣

[@aidancanoli]

10:51 someone busted out the flute

[@4evaReadyEddie]

eerrrrr what happened to ep.7???

[@georgelowe5555]

It is episode 7

[@4evaReadyEddie]

George Lowe this was titled ep.8 before

[@The1707regina]

I take my CDL A test in three days...why am I watching this? I need to be watching semi trailer videos

[@iniuram8231]

name of music at 7:34 ? it's so dreamy it reminds me of EWF

[@amstaylorph]

Ted from Romford!

[@5-Consecutive-Hairpin-Turns]

The music at 15:50 is an absolute banger does anybody know what it is?

[@madeleine8662]

love trains

[@ballymbantshi5352]

Do anybody can tell me how to become a tube or spark driver? I am living in Seattle Washington but I don’t know what school to go and what is the program name?

[@VoxNerdula]

ya mon I be driven da train

[@vincygarifuna]

CJ aka DirtyBrit Who the fck speaks proper English. They’ve gone out done the training. Leave people alone or say plainly what you really mean.

[@PtolemyJones]

Steering is the hardest part. LOL

[@MohitNahar-p8r]

i really wanna do this job . can somebody suggest me , how i can start , i will be really appreciate, TIA

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Look he didn’t stopped his train in the correct place

[@jopu7004]

I love Ted!

[@e.c.listening326]

Ted likes tasty pigeons!

[@zotoda]

never mess with a seagull

[@jentapsell1137]

That is the smallest Harris hawk I have ever seen and my sister used to breed them

[@theresacater4294]

So there is hard and serious work going on in the HQ, and mean while a chair has ‘JOAN’S NOW PERSONAL CHAIR’ on the back.

[@DaveTheTrain]

For the first time in history? What about the two series of BBC's fly on the wall series about the underground?

[@CekalaStudios]

DavidVI this was created in the early 2000s. Quite a bit before the BBC’s series

[@86501freightliner]

this was first filmed and broadcast around 2002-2003. The BBC series was filmed in 2011 and first broadcast in 2012.

[@carmattvidz4426]

is single line working ever worth it?

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

At least the other birds didn’t attack this one

[@billpugh58]

Seems on most of the underground vids, they never show the hands, do they actually really drive them or are they automated?

[@billpugh58]

I’ve wondered this as well! I think they just sit there.

[@MrFilTheFish]

Why did Ishmael not use ATO?

[@jj318]

Ato wasnt a thing in the 2000s

[@TedBackus]

i used a plastic life sized great horned owl. no bird, or critter will come anywhere near the area its in

[@GWRProductions-kg9pt]

my local council tried it, never worked

[@neiltaylor6645]

Well since the jubilee line in automated the drives just need to hang on

[@grazzystudio4117]

How can you apply for this job? I have tried for last 3 years.. I still cant go thru from first application.. is this job is only for family friends?

[@paulanderson79]

Far as I know London Underground recruits drivers internally only.

[@grazzystudio4117]

@@paulanderson79 ahh ok... that means those advertisements are just for formality. Shame!!🤧

[@lakesidephotography4681]

@Mike will 1 become a woman 2 Flirt with HR 3 offer a night out 4 You know then . 5 your driving

[@yagary5025]

I think the program is out of topic at the latter part of the video it did not focus on "DRIVER"S TRAINING"

[@fredashay]

These guys work on the track with the power on?!?! Sounds like a Darwin Award in the making... And I bet nobody ever sits in Joan's Personal Chair!

[@humanpotatoes4958]

This is Brenda the Golden Eagle, who we’ve had to bring in to deal with the massive hawk sh*t problem we’re dealing with.

[@lukecarlin9946]

I’m interested

[@DrewMike-l7o]

Just curious, as not a native speaker, I find some of the dialogues of the staff in this video quite hard to understand. How do you guys feel about it as native speakers? Can you always understand every word without subtitles? If not, then what would you do about it?

[@SenpaiTorpidDOW]

Perfectly understandable. They have Jamaican accents. People who live in areas with a lot of caribbean black people in the UK will be familiar with this.

[@DanielEdwards-er1vw]

🇯🇲 mi hear the ascent

[@linepulse]

Came for comments really ... Overpaid. Strikes... Easy job. Obvious subtle racist remarks ... etc The usual stuff🤣🤣... Most of you would be furious if you knew what management and directors were paid 🤣🤣🤣. Enjoyed the content!

[@robelofficial1434]

nice my from bangladesh,,,

[@jazza2009uk]

got to feel sorry really for them as soon they will be redundant and no longer required and before anyone says anything there are lots of driverless rail systems around in the world it's only a matter of time before it happens, technology is advancing so it will happen eventually I mean the jubilee, northern and central are right now controlled by ATO and the dockland light rail system is totally driverless so don't say it can't happen it will save LUL a shit ton of money so they will implement this soon maybe not today maybe not in a year but it is going to happen

[@spencerwilton5831]

jazza2009uk they shouldn't have ripped the travelling public off for years, or gone on constant strikes ruining people's lives. Some of us commute, these drivers make it a misery regularly. Automated trains could run much closer together too, which would alleviate some of the horrible overcrowding.

[@peterc.1618]

It's possible to have pilot-less planes but would you fly on one?

[@Wakajce]

And you don't think if TfL could've popped to their local train shop and also bought the latest driverless trains, they would've already done it? Also, there are lots of driverless subways, not railways, and nearly all of them were designed to be driverless when they were introduced. London Underground is also a subway system but it's the first ever and was never designed with automation in mind. Of course I'm not arguing against automation, "upgrading" the London underground would definitely be doable. However, the cost and time commitment to bringing the infrastructure to the needed level, and the requirement for more staff on standby in case of contingencies and a much higher monitoring requirement means a huge, huge up-front cost, and not exactly much cheaper operational costs. And if you really think driverless trains means no service due to strikes are a thing of the past, you're very wrong. Maintenance staff, security and the aforementioned monitoring staff mean a strike would cause no trains to run.

[@fijiarc2090]

What's the music at 0:03

[@jackbonnell2567]

No

[@aronadia8722]

How to apply for the training

[@mt_mastermindx8069]

Arona dia night tube only is online when they’re recruiting. Full time is internal only

[@binarysignals9593]

tfl.gov.uk

[@diegomatamoros3940]

Driving the jubilee is something no many drivers would want i guess

[@Khaledamrouche11710]

21:13

[@traceyrobertson9601]

20:21 wow

[@mattalford3932]

I leaened on train sim world lol.

[@Dogeman92]

Why does this look like it was filmed in 2003?

[@leanna7185]

Because it was.

[@Joshua78b]

It was

[@IC-qf7ev]

It was filmed in 2005

[@stephthestar90]

Because that's when it was done. I miss the early 2000s so much!

[@craigymarsh7176]

Nice

[@Khaledamrouche11710]

hi

[@meckcervellone]

it's cool that by the poll I can tell that most of us watching this don't actually commute on the tube

[@archiecarr_1638]

Shame bakerloo trains might be replaced I learnt how to drive them in train sim world 😂😂

[@cizzyball]

Lol

[@Enviri]

they will never be replaced 😂