I tried a train driver test in Leeds - and definitely won't be quitting the day job

It is very easy to underestimate the job of train staff, tracks and locations are set, while delays are beyond frustrating but today I got a look inside their world and trust me when I tell you there is a lot more to it than meets the eye.

Northern, the second largest train operator in the country, is currently undergoing a major recruitment drive and invited the Yorkshire Evening Post along to get a taste of the rigorous recruitment and training process.

Train driver roles come with a starting salary of £23,000 a year and that rises to £54,500 after the recruits complete the training programme.

Trainee drivers need to be self-disciplined and able to uphold high safety standards. They also need to be calm under pressure, focused, vigilant, punctual and reliable.

My day inside driver training, started by being put through my paces with a taste of their psychometric assessments - these included testing concentration, ability to multi-task and to retain a lot of information very quickly then answer questions relating to that newly learned information.

Scoring 5/7 and 7/7 respectively on two of the mock assessments, I felt I performed reasonably well having come totally unprepared for a return to classroom life.

The real life selection and training process, which usually takes nine to 12 months to complete, consists of: an interview process, psychometric assessments and a safety-critical medical that includes a drug and alcohol screening.

If candidates pass these important steps then there is an intensive training period in the classroom lasting up to 20 weeks, which covers the key aspects of safety, operations and driver responsibilities.

Following my taste of the psychometric testing and a look at the hefty textbooks, came a chance to don a pair of VR headsets and virtually step aboard to experience train travel from the drivers seat.

I was taken aback by the mountain of technical information drivers must know from the coupling of cars to the mechanical process of the trains braking system as well as the multiple emergency scenarios aboard.

As the day drew to a close, there was time to experience an iPad virtual game that allows you to trial the process of gearing the train up to go and departing the station - a process I thankfully survived without causing any major derailments or virtual catastrophes.

Looking back on the day, I have definitely gained a new found respect for train drivers and conductors, having got even a small taste of the intense hiring and then training process they go through before even setting foot in the real life train cab alongside an instructor.

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All in all however, while I surprised myself with how I performed on the mock assessments, I won’t be quitting the day job for a surprise career in train driving anytime soon.

And when I next jump onboard a Northern service I will be more than happy to sit back and relax, safe in the knowledge that professionals at the top of their game are at the controls, ready to get me where I need to be.