Waterloo’s Driver depot is always a hive of activity, with 232 drivers based there over a seven-day week. To keep the depot ticking over and to ensure every Driver remains competent, there are nine Driver Managers and 21 Driver Instructors to support the team, all overseen by Howard Littlewood, Driver Depot Manager. The Drivers at Waterloo cover the most routes of any of our depots operating around 343 passenger services every weekday. They serve southwest London and the home counties, all the way to Bournemouth, Salisbury and Portsmouth.
Waterloo Driver Craig Stephens, who qualified in 2023, describes a typical day as arriving for work and booking on with the Duty Resource Managers (DRMs). He’ll then check for any operational or safety briefings, ensure he has his equipment and an ever-essential coffee, and head to his train. Before boarding, Craig will conduct safety checks on the train to ensure there are no defects, then set up the driving space and key on. He’s then ready to head out for the day once he’s got the signal and the Guard dispatches the train.
Craig said: “The best bits of the job include seeing things others often don’t - beautiful sunrises and sunsets and changes in the landscape as you’re leaving London. I really enjoy the responsibility of transporting our customers – in their thousands - to their destinations safely. You also have to be able to follow rules diligently, work with precision and work independently, which suits me.”
Driver Instructor James Thorogood has worked at SWR since 2017, becoming a fully productive Driver in 2019. In more recent years, he decided to pursue his passion for supporting and training others to become good, safe, conscientious drivers following the training.
Once Drivers have passed out of the training school, they go to their depots to begin 225 hours of supervised driving under the tuition of a Driver Instructor. New Drivers have assessments throughout this time, with assessments after 50, 100 and 200 hours. James said of his role: “It’s a real privilege to watch new Drivers develop from someone who works a train for the first time, to becoming a fully-fledged, passed out Driver.”
Driver Manager, Jim Brewster, who has been a qualified Driver since 1987 and a Driver Manager for the last seven years enjoys imparting his experience and knowledge to newer Drivers, helping to get the best out of them throughout their careers. Jim said of Waterloo depot: “It’s a fantastic, diverse, and inclusive place to work. It’s great to watch the team mix – newer and more experienced Drivers, and it’s like being part of a big family unit.”
