Growing up in Portsmouth, George Browning wanted to be either a pilot or a train driver. But when he saw the qualifications needed to become a pilot, his fate was sealed.
While many of his peers viewed university as the obvious next step after finishing their A-levels, Browning was searching for something different. “I finished my A-levels on the Friday and started the apprenticeship with Govia Thameslink Railway on the Monday.”
During his apprenticeship, Browning spent four years managing train services across the network. Last year, at the age of 22, he landed his dream job with Southern Rail, becoming the youngest trainee train driver. The first six months of the scheme were classroom-based, including learning a 1,000-page rulebook off by heart.
Now that is complete, Browning is out in the driver’s cab learning to drive under the supervision of an instructor. After learning the ropes, he will begin driving solo.
When he tells, people he works on the railway, the first question he gets is, “have you done your strike training yet?” Since the summer of 2022, a prolonged and contentious dispute between Aslef and 16 train companies has resulted in ongoing strikes.
Striking train drivers have lost sympathy among certain parts of the public in part because they are perceived to have a relatively comfortable salary compared to the average UK worker.
“When I was a kid I had no idea how much train drivers earn, I didn’t even know what striking was. It’s just the job I always wanted,” he says. For Browning, the £30,000 apprentice salary and £50,000 starting salary are just the perks of the job. He adds: “I’d do this for free.”
A typical day in the life…
A typical day starts with a train ride to work from one of his colleagues, followed by reviewing any notices for the day ahead. Then he’ll head to the depot station to pick up the train for a shift that ranges from six to nine-and-a-half hours.
“I like the flexibility of the job,” says Browning. Some shifts require an early start, some end late into the night. “Every day is different,” he adds. “My office is a moving train, which is quite cool.”
The monotony of a desk job never appealed: “You’re doing the same thing every day and you feel like a bit of a robot.” Instead, being responsible for the lives and commutes of his passengers is something he embraces.
“If I screw up or make a mistake, that’s a big deal,” he says. “You’ve got thousands of people on your train. Then I’ll come home and my parents will complain I haven’t done the washing up.”
However, Browning admits that driving trains isn’t for everyone. He says: “You spend a lot of time on your own.” Robertson, of NSAR, described the psychological profile of a train driver as a person on the lower end of the risk spectrum, “someone content with their own company, happy to follow rules, and calm”.
Browning sees a long future ahead, whether that’s with Southern Rail or perhaps in the future driving the Eurostar or Orient Express. He says: “I think I’ll be doing this forever.”
