The amazing view... from the best seat on the train! Fascinating driver's

Release time：2024-06-03 19:24:44 Source：Worldly Window news portal

'I thought you'd ask more questions,' says driver Tristam.

'Questions? Oh yes, questions. I'm just mesmerised by the view,' I reply.

I'm in the cab of a 100mph Southeastern train bound for Faversham in Kent, video camera in hand, to lift the veil on what rail travel is like from the driver's point of view. And I'm discovering that it can be spellbinding – as my footage shows.

Regular commuters on this line probably find the journey humdrum. But I'm hypnotised by the tracks, stare in wonder at the beautiful, verdant cuttings that we pass through and the gorgeous vine-clad bridges we trundle under. It's almost otherworldly. And I'm amazed at how relatively hilly the line is – at times, it's like a gentle roller coaster. Something passengers probably don't notice.

But in the cab of this Class 375, every incline and dip is distinct.

Inside track: MailOnline's Ted Thornhill (above) climbed inside the cab of a Southeastern train - video camera in hand - to lift the veil on what rail travel is like from the driver's point of view

Ted and his ride - a 100 mph Southeastern Class 375

Knowing what's ahead adds to the allure of the cab ride. As a passenger, whether a red signal is looming in the distance is a guessing game. Up here with Tristam, I can see when the coast is clear, and when we're being slowed down.

There are some diverting landmarks, too, particularly around Rochester, 40 minutes into the one-hour nine-minute outbound journey. There, before we cross the striking railway bridge across the River Medway, my gaze is drawn to the right towards the city's cathedral, the second oldest in England, and its 11th-century Norman castle.

As we cross the bridge I look left to the Cold War-era Soviet submarine Black Widow that's moored on the river.

The dangers of being spellbound by the journey is not lost on Southeastern, with drivers trained to mitigate against it.

One tactic drivers deploy is 'risk-triggered commentary'. For example, Tristam says the colours of the signals out loud to himself to make sure he's registered what they are.

He's been a driver and driver manager with Southeastern for 15 years – but he's not about to get complacent. Safety is hardwired into the brains of those at the controls.

The view from the cab as the train pulls out of London Victoria station

Mesmerising: The train hurtles through Sydenham Hill station and into a long tunnel

When I climb into the cab at London Victoria for the return trip to Faversham, Tristam tells me the cab rules - 'phone off, don't talk to me when there's a red signal and let me concentrate when we're approaching stations'.

And in the stations, I discover another Southeastern safety rule – it's policy that drivers get out of the seat to open the door if the platform is on the opposite side of the cab to where they're sitting, to prevent the doors being opened on the wrong side.

Not only that, but Tristam says out loud to himself 'doors on the other side' in these instances.

What's more, the trains must be travelling at less than 10mph at certain points part-way along the platforms at terminuses and on the approach to red lights elsewhere on the network.

At terminus stations and at higher-risk locations, such as junctions, a 'train protection warning system' will stop a train that passes a red signal or that is going too fast towards one.

In addition, train speeds are monitored, with managers able to download a train's performance not only post-journey, but live, as it's making its way along a route.

One tactic drivers deploy against being spellbound by the view, is 'risk-triggered commentary'. For example, saying the colours of the signals out loud

The routes and their stations and speed limits, meanwhile, are committed to memory, with landmarks used to help drivers position themselves on the network and guide their braking points.

Tristam likens committing the routes to memory to learning the Knowledge, the fearsome test of London's street layout that black-cab drivers must pass.

'I can sit in my office and close my eyes and picture all the lines and their bumps and curves,' he says.

If a driver doesn't work a route for six months, that route is taken away from his or her licence – or they take a refresher course.

For the keys to a train to be handed over to a driver in the first place, a huge amount of training is undertaken, including three months of classroom learning and 255 hours of accompanied driving before a final assessment, including 40 hours in the dark.

The cab affords Ted great views of Rochester's castle and cathedral 

At Rochester the train crosses the River Medway, where a Soviet Cold War-era submarine called Black Widow is moored (top left)

Rochester's cathedral (middle of picture) is the second-oldest in England and its castle (right) dates back to the 11th century

Most drivers are then examined by a driver manager once every six months. It total, it takes apprentice drivers around 12 to 18 months to become qualified.

It's reassuring. But it's perhaps no surprise that there's a strict safety and training culture, because the unexpected can occur at any moment.

On our journey from the capital to deepest Kent and back, Tristam reveals that he's had three 'very close-calls' at level crossings and had all manner of animals darting across the track in front of his train – including a horse.

Weather can interfere with a journey, too.

I ask Tristam how he copes when visibility is impaired. I wonder, in particular, how drivers cope with fog.

Tristam assures me that he knows exactly where he is when mist envelopes his train – though speeds will be lowered as fog thickens.

A changing formation is another potential issue drivers must stay on top of. It can change up to three times in one journey as the train is divided into separate services, and then reformed for another leg.

Misremember and there's a danger a driver could come to a stop at the wrong point on a platform and open the doors for carriages that are outside the station.

Pretty Faversham, above, is just one hour and nine minutes from London Victoria

'I can sit in my office and close my eyes and picture all the lines and their bumps and curves,' says driver Tristam

Tristam has the number of carriages displayed in front of him on a mini placard.

In light of all this and the challenging hours, with some shifts requiring a 3am alarm call, you would be right to assume that there's a coffee-drinking culture at Southeastern.

'I hated coffee when I started the job – now I'm like, "Show me the beans!"' says Tristam.

We pull into London Victoria's platform 1 after our jaunt and our passengers stream past, lost in thought.

Do they ever say 'thank you'?

'Occasionally,' says Tristam. 'And it's nice when they do. It makes a difference.'

I can appreciate why, because while the views, as I have discovered, are enthralling, drivers have a lot to cope with – even when there aren't any horses playing chicken.

Fancy becoming a Southeastern train driver? Visit www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/about-us/company/careers-at-southeastern/roles/train-driver. For general information about Southeastern careers visit www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/about-us/company/careers-at-southeastern. For more information about Southeastern's routes and offers, visit www.southeasternrailway.co.uk.

Most drivers are examined by a driver manager once every six months. It total, it takes apprentice drivers around 12 to 18 months to become qualified to drive a Southeastern train

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