RailReady by PreTrain

I created this program to help people de-mystify what the train driving life is like - whether you wish to drive suburban trains, regional passenger trains, freight trains or heavy haul trains - they all have different sets of pro's & con's that I think are wise to consider BEFORE signing up to.

Throughout the RailReady program, in part 1 you'll learn all about;

  • The basic requirements you'll need to become a trainee train driver
  • The pro's of becoming a train driver
  • The con's of becoming a train driver
  • We'll address some common misconceptions about the train driving job
  • Some of the ideal attributes of the ideal trainee train driver
  • And then there'll be a multiple choice quiz to see if you've understood the information correctly.


Throughout part 2 of the RailReady program, we'll discuss;

  • The four train "types"
  • The typical ways into the industry to become a driver
  • Overview of each of these pathways relevant to each industry type (e.g., freight trains, long-distance passenger trains etc.)
  • Other trains & railways worthy of consideration beyond the mainline operators
  • Heritage & volunteer / hobby railway operations
  • And another multiple choice quiz to make sure you've understood the lessons correctly.

Suburban Passenger Train Driving Careers



Regional & Long Distance Passenger Train Driving careers



General Freight Train Driving Careers



Heavy Haul & Bulk Train Driving Careers



Start your journey to becoming a train driver today!

Hi, I’m Hamish


I'm the creator of PreTrain and I am also your virtual trainer for the program.

Having been (and still am) a qualified train driver and train driver trainer / assessor for over 15 years, this program is the culmination of thousands of hours of thoughts, ideas, discussions with trainee drivers, other drivers and interested people, to bring together a simplified package to help new people get a basic overview of the rail industry in Australia, and how to get a start in it, in a self paced, easy to understand and follow way.

I am now delighted and very excited, to present to you RailReady by PreTrain.

Welcome aboard!