Quote Originally Posted by Organ Morgan. View Post
You have to wonder how much training is required to drive a train. Stick to the speed limit along different parts of the route. Stop at a red sign, start at a green one. The control panel looks simple enough to learn what's what.
I love people who say nonsense like this. Ignorance is bliss.

I'm not a train driver but I know one and I asked him about it once.

It's obvious to say it, but with driving a train, safety is paramount. They're not vehicles that can stop quickly like a car. I understand that a train doing 70mph would take about a mile to stop. I dare say the basics of driving a train seem straightforward, but that's not all there is to it. It's not like having a car driving licence and being able to use it on any roads you want. A train driver cannot simply just drive a train wherever they like.

Train drivers can only operate on routes and lines on which they have been trained and they need to demonstrate intimate knowledge of that route. Literally from start to finish they need to know every station, speed limit, signal, even gradients and be able to prove they have that knowledge. If a train driver doesn't operate a route for 6 months they need to be put back into training for that route.