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What you need to become an assistant driver. Long-distance train driver training. What personal qualities should an assistant driver have?

Going from the railway station on a trip, every time we are amazed at the strength and power of the machine, which drives a huge train, consisting of several cars. Of course, such a device is difficult to control, and it is simply impossible to cope with it alone. That is why trains, as a rule, are operated by two specialists at once: the driver and his assistant.

Going from the railway station on a trip, every time we are amazed at the strength and power of the machine, which drives a huge train, consisting of several cars. Of course, such a device is difficult to control, and it is simply impossible to cope with it alone. That is why trains, as a rule, are operated by two specialists at once: the driver and his assistant. In other words, you don't have to worry about safety when boarding the train: two professionals will take you to your destination quickly and on time.

You may have a completely natural question: since modern trains are almost completely automated, why do we need driver's assistant profession? Is it possible that the driver himself cannot cope with the control of a computerized locomotive? No, he can not! The fact is that quite often in the process of controlling a train, it becomes necessary to perform several technical operations at once in places remote from each other. In addition, the work of a driver has a number of features that make it possible to classify this profession as very difficult and dangerous, so the assistant driver often performs the function of "insurance" in case the driver loses his ability to work on the way.

What is an assistant driver?


A railway worker who is part of a locomotive brigade. The place of work of this specialist is all types of trains of various connections and purposes (freight, passenger, electric trains, etc.).

The name of the profession comes from the Latin word māchina (tool, device, mechanism). That is, the name itself directly indicates that we are talking about a specialist who helps to operate the mechanism. It is interesting that initially those who controlled any mechanism were called simply "mechanics", and only later did the responsibilities of specialists redistribute: a person who understands the principles of the mechanism's operation began to be called a mechanic, and a professional who controls the mechanism was called a machinist. This profession has arisen relatively recently, namely when the first steam locomotives appeared. In Russia, this happened in the middle of the nineteenth century.

What does an assistant driver do? First of all, it must be said that the driver's assistant is not just an understudy for the general manager of a locomotive or electric locomotive of a person. He has his own, very important role and his place in the cockpit, and much depends on the activities of the assistant driver. The work of an assistant driver assumes employment in all cycles of the trip: before, during the journey and after:

  • before the trip, the driver's assistant must inspect the locomotive and check its technical condition, identify possible malfunctions. He must also check the adhesion of the locomotive to the rolling stock;
  • during the trip, the driver's assistant monitors the light and sound signals on the track and reports them to the driver, ensures radio communication and its excellent condition (and this is very important and directly ensures the safety of passengers, as it connects the car crew with dispatchers). He also monitors all readings of instruments and sensors and, if necessary, warns the driver about malfunctions. In addition, this specialist must inform the driver where and when to increase or decrease the speed of the locomotive;
  • after the trip, the assistant inspects the locomotive, uncouples it from the rolling stock and, together with the driver, takes it to the siding.

To summarize, we can conclude: activities of the driver's assistant comes down to ensuring the safety of the movement of passengers in transport, the serviceability of the rolling stock and the acquisition of experience and professional skills, which will subsequently help the specialist to independently operate the locomotive.

What personal qualities should an assistant driver have?


Insofar as professional duties assistant driver differ little from the activities of the person responsible for driving the locomotive, the personal qualities of this specialist, first of all, should include responsibility and discipline. In addition, the most important requirements for an assistant driver are:

  • good reaction;
  • attentiveness;
  • caution;
  • discretion;
  • endurance;
  • good visual memory;
  • the ability to quickly switch attention;
  • stress tolerance;
  • visual acuity and hearing;
  • high coordination of movement;
  • a tendency to work with technology.

An assistant driver is a profession in which people who have not received a special education cannot work. You need to know a lot: the peculiarities of the movement of the train, the work of the locomotive, the means of communication, and also know thoroughly specifications trains, be able to read readings from complex instruments and control the normal operation of the locomotive.

Benefits of being an assistant driver

The main the advantage of being an assistant driver is in high demand. Despite the active development of air and sea water transport, the railway in Russia still remains the main means of transportation and transportation of goods. Therefore, the need for such specialists will only increase in the coming years.

Another advantage of this profession is the fact that the work of the locomotive crew is highly paid. The risks in the profession are very high, and the payment should be decent - today, specialists who are directly involved in the management of the train, on average, receive about 40-50 thousand rubles.

It is impossible to remain silent about great opportunities. career growth... Not only that, after several years of successful work, an assistant driver can become a train driver or move to the position of foreman or head of a section in a depot. In the long term, in this profession, the upper ceiling of a career does not exist at all - you can even become the Minister of Railways.

As technology is constantly being improved, the assistant driver must constantly develop his technical skills and acquire new knowledge, which is an excellent opportunity to improve his level of erudition and "train" the brain. In other words, a specialist in this field can safely consider himself an intellectually developed person, versed in the latest achievements of science and technology.

And finally, the workers of the locomotive brigade are presented with increased requirements from the point of view of health (the state of health of both the driver and his assistant is monitored before each trip), therefore, representatives of this profession do not have to worry about the presence of any pathologies and chronic diseases.

Disadvantages of the profession of an assistant driver

Disadvantages of the profession of an assistant driver associated with difficult working conditions. Constant work in the closed space of the locomotive cabin, stress for sight and hearing, vibration, noise, road dust - all this accompanies the locomotive crew throughout the working day. This does not exclude a high degree of fatigue at the end of the working day, and the assistant driver is simply obliged to have a good rest, which is not always possible. Otherwise, fatigue builds up, which can lead to irreversible consequences.

It is also worth noting the assistant driver - this is a profession with a high risk to the life and health of a specialist. Transport accidents, unfortunately, are not uncommon. Therefore, it cannot be argued that this profession absolutely safe. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the purely psychological disadvantage of the profession - a high degree of responsibility for the safety and life of people, which leads to increased anxiety.

That's it.

What does it take to become a train driver? The most important thing is desire. This is where it all starts. From the desire to drive trains and the belief that everything will definitely work out!

Very often grandmothers, grandfathers, mothers and fathers turn to me with the words: "Here is my grandson (son) wants to become a train driver in the subway, what is needed for this?" To do this, it is necessary that the grandson / son himself wanted to become a machinist, so that he could overcome fear (and this is terrible from my own experience), and come to the depot to get a job.

How to choose a depot? You can choose whatever you like: according to the novelty of the rolling stock, according to the number of open areas, you can throw a coin in the end, but the most the best option(and most sensible), this is the one closest to home. Well, you must admit, spending an hour every day, and sometimes more, on the way to / from work, when there is an opportunity not to do this, is not reasonable.

Let's say you have chosen the depot, now question number two: will the depot want to hire you? To do this, you need to call the personnel department and clarify whether you are recruiting for training drivers? If yes, then you are in luck, if not - we are looking for another depot.

What's next? And then make an appointment, come to the personnel department of the depot you like and get a referral from them. Where to? To a psychologist and a medical commission. The psychologist will determine if you are able to work in this job, and the medical commission will check your health. To work as a machinist you need one hundred percent vision, hearing and a good, strong heart without pathologies.

Gone? Fine! For a month you will be trained at the depot, the required minimum. By the way, I still do not understand why this is being done. Roofing felts to determine the assimilation of a new complex technical material, or to determine perseverance and readiness to study. But people, in fact this month, are sometimes expelled. I'll clarify ... So, they train for a month to determine how well you can learn completely new, technically difficult material. And after a month of depot training, the Training and Production Center, or UOC for short, is waiting for you. The main educational institution of the Moscow Metro.

For some reason, many people think that studying at the UOC is akin to an institute: I want to go, I want to - no, the main thing is to pass the session. Alas, this will not work. Studying at the Center is akin to work. Absence from class without good reason- truancy with all the ensuing consequences. There is a lot of material, the material is complex. So the students are learning. They go after class - read notes, in the evening at home - teach, in the morning in the classroom - repeat.

Learn, learn and learn! Credits, midterm exams, credits again. Then the most interesting part begins - practice in the depot. The driver-mentor teaches you the basics of driving a rolling stock for a month, shows in practice everything that you learned in theory: the operation of rolling stock, track devices, acceptance / delivery of rolling stock, both at the depot and when placing on the line. There is a lot of everything and everything is very, very interesting.

And finally, that very day comes, the day of the final exams. Synopsis, cribs (rather for your own comfort, you won't be able to use it), a ticket, "Answer!" Feeling, awareness that everything. Achieved. You are a machinist!

And only then comes the understanding that everything is just beginning ...

The material was prepared with the assistance of the Prof. orientation of the Moscow metro ", follow the news of the center by the hash tag

There is always work in the subway. And the most profitable vacancies here are the machinist. How to become a metro driver in Moscow and what is needed to work in this specialty? Let's find out.

Very often you can hear the announcements in the metro about recruiting the train driver of the subway electric train.

This means that there are almost always vacancies, everyone will be provided with jobs and there are a lot of privileges for employees. Is this really so and is it so easy to become a subway driver?

What does it take to become a subway driver?

To begin with, you need to really assess your health, because even just passing in the metro as a passenger, many people feel uncomfortable, clogs their ears, constant noise leads to headaches.

If such loads do not affect your well-being in any way, you can begin the first steps towards obtaining the profession of a driver. For detailed information you need to contact the metro personnel department and find out what it takes to become a metro driver.

Of course, you need to contact the personnel department with identity documents, a military ID, an education document, and at the same time be no older than 40 years, have no criminal record, and only then get a referral to a medical commission.

The commission is very complicated, it is necessary to obtain an opinion from more than 20 doctors, the main attention is paid to vision, hearing, stress resistance, heart function.

If the conclusion of the medical commission is “good”, you can take the next step towards becoming a metro driver. This step is training.

Only men are accepted for training; female work in the position of a machinist is not allowed. Training can be taken at the training and production centers of the metro. This is the shortest path to the profession, which is used by most of those who want to become a metro driver.

You can also unlearn in railway colleges, it will be more difficult and longer in time. But training in training centers for an assistant driver - 1 month, for a driver - 6 months.

But this does not mean that having studied for 6 months, you can immediately become a machinist. First, in 1 month of study, they receive the qualification of an assistant driver who knows how to check the condition of the train, detect malfunctions and who have completed train practice on a certain route with a mentor.

After successfully passing the exam, you will have to work as an assistant driver for some time, check the condition of the electric train, monitor the boarding of passengers, respond to calls from passengers and, of course, learn from the driver's experience in driving an electric train. On average, after 1-1.5 years of work, you can change from assistants to machinists.

How to become a metro driver in Moscow?

What does it take to become a metro driver in Moscow? To work in the Moscow metro, the requirements are the same as in any other, only the registration of Moscow or the Moscow region is additionally required. All other requirements are the same: medical commission, education, military service, age up to 40 years, no criminal record.

If all these requirements are met, you can try your hand at becoming a metro driver in Moscow, starting with training as a train driver at a training center.

For the period of study, a scholarship of about 20 thousand rubles is paid. Through implementation modern technologies(computer programs, simulators) training takes place quickly and efficiently. Preference is given to those applicants who came to retrain from another type of transport - trams or electric trains of Russian Railways.

What do you need to work in the subway as a train driver?

Completion of your studies does not mean that the job will meet all the requirements. What do you need to work in the subway as a train driver? Great desire, determination, physical and psychological endurance, the ability to quickly switch attention, good memory, stress resistance, the ability to quickly relieve tension and calm down, as well as a sense of humor, without which it is difficult to work in constant tension and stress.

And also, to work in the subway as a machinist:

  • you need to be prepared for overloads,
  • stress on the eyes and hearing aids,
  • you need to be ready to relax in the rest room in the metro during the night shifts,
  • you need to be able to snack while driving,
  • be ready to follow more than 50 instructions during a shift,
  • always be ready for an emergency situation, for an emergency on the way and saving lives.

Here's how to become a subway driver. And you need to understand that in any emergency situation, it is the driver who is the only knowledgeable person who can help.

The work is carried out along a certain route, along which the internship is first carried out, and only then they are admitted to independent management. Different branches of the metro have their own staff.

In terms of income, it is better to become a metro driver in Moscow. It is in the capital that workers in this specialty have the highest incomes. They are inferior to the drivers of St. Petersburg, and even lower in all other cities.

First stepmedical board

In the metro and on suburban trains, they regularly announce the hiring of drivers. Quite modest initial requirements(it is enough to be a man under 40 with a secondary education) and a good salary attracts many, but the path to the chair of the "electric train captain" turns out to be long and full of obstacles ...

The driver needs to have iron health: driving an electric train is harmful work. This is a heavy load on vision and hearing, exposure to electromagnetic radiation and vibration, dusty air (including metal dust, especially in the subway). It is no coincidence that the driver's working day (or night) begins with a mandatory medical examination: checking pressure, temperature, cardiac activity, alcohol test. Therefore, wherever you decide to study: in one of the electric depots (if we are talking about the metro) or in college (for working on trains), the first thing you will have to face is a harsh medical board. First, doctors will carefully check your health, then you will undergo psychological testing to find out if you are ready to be responsible for hundreds of people, to be collected and attentive for a long time, to make decisions in literally a split second.

In some educational institutions x, for example, in the specialized Railway College N 52, the requirements are milder: it is enough to bring the usual medical certificate (086-y). However, before the last - train - practice, you still have to undergo a medical examination in full: after two years of study, health may deteriorate (vision - due to computers, hearing - due to players, etc.). And if some indicators turn out to be below the norm (most of the candidates are eliminated at medical commissions), then you will not be a machinist - you will have to be content with the profession of a locksmith and repair cars.

The main stages of the medical examination:

    examination of vision (it must be perfect), the condition of the fundus

    audiogram (hearing test)

    veloergometry

    fluorography

    analyzes, vaccination certificates, an extract from a medical record

    see specialist doctors: surgeon, neurologist, dentist, otolaryngologist, therapist.

If there is a respite from military service, then it should not be related to health. The machinists undergo a medical examination every three years.

The machiniststhrough college

If everything is in order with health and psyche, you can start learning. Train drivers in Moscow are trained by two educational institutions: Railway College No. 52 and Moscow College of Railway Transport. Here, within the framework of primary vocational education (VET), you can learn to be an assistant driver in ten months (after grade 11) or in two years and ten months (after grade 9). In principle, this may be enough for a start in the profession, but it is better to get deeper knowledge and secondary vocational education (SVE) by enrolling in the specialty "Technical operation of rolling stock of railways". Studying will take two years and ten months after the 11th grade and almost four years after the 9th, but college graduates receive a higher qualification "technician".

To enter Railway College N 52 after the 9th grade, you need to pass an exam in physics and the Russian language (dictation), after the 11th - in mathematics and Russian (presentation). At the Moscow College of Railway Transport, Russian (dictation) and mathematics (oral) are waiting for you.

During your studies, you will receive the rank of a locksmith for the repair of rolling stock (by passing an exam after industrial training), and then start studying the main disciplines: Maintenance electric trains, auto brakes, etc.

To study in the subway

Colleges train versatile specialists for both commuter trains and the metro, but those wishing to work in the metro usually prefer a different path: they choose a depot (metro line), go to the appropriate HR department and declare their intention to become a machinist. The Depot sends a candidate for training to the Training and Production Center (UOC) of the Moscow Metro.

The study is intense: first you need to go through the obligatory locksmith practice and get a discharge, then study the equipment of an electric train, get acquainted with numerous instructions and professional terminology.

Viacheslav Garanin, Head of the UOC of the Moscow Metro:

“Recently, we have managed to significantly reduce the training time: now we train driver assistants in one month, and train drivers in six months. This was done through the introduction of modern technologies: computer programs that allow you to study in detail the equipment of the cars, educational films (to see with your own eyes how, for example, cars are assembled, you do not have to go to the factory), unique simulators, ready-made illustrated notes for each student (they save the teacher's time by 70%).

Final of the first stage of training - train practice. It runs for several weeks on an electric train along a specific route. An important condition is that by this time the student must be 18 years old. After successfully passing the exam, the graduate is awarded the qualification “driver assistant”. He will have to work in this position from several months (in the metro) to two years (on suburban trains): check the technical condition of the train, observe the boarding, respond to requests through the "passenger-driver" communication and, of course, learn from the driver's experience in electric train control.

Here, locomotive control is learned at a new level: future machinists use simulators that simulate train control, learn to get out of emergency situations. The training lasts four to six months, after which the graduate receives the right to operate an electric train.

Finally, the "fired" newcomer sits down at the driver's controller - the main control lever of the train. He must gain experience, grow from a 4th class driver to a 1st class driver, and then take the position of an instructor driver. To increase the grade, the driver is trained again and takes an exam.

For those who have proven themselves well, the depot can offer free training at the Moscow state university ways of communication, and a specialist with a higher engineering education on the railway has much more growth opportunities. So, in the administration of JSC Russian Railways or in the Department of State Railway Supervision there are managers who once worked as machinists.

Career and salary

Volume passenger transportation is constantly growing, the lines are developing. therefore, commuter trains and subways have a constant need for drivers and assistants. But, before you connect your life with the management of an electric train, you should know: this is not a job for a year or two. In order to become “her own” on the railway, she will have to devote most of her life. The salary of driver assistants is from 15 thousand rubles, experienced drivers, receiving bonuses and allowances, earn up to 25-30 thousand rubles.

If your working day begins with the phrase: “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! On behalf of Russian Railways, our crew and I are pleased to welcome you on board the Sapsan train, which means you are the driver of the fastest train in Russia. And your job is to “fly” every day without taking off from the ground: after all, in some sections between St. Petersburg and Moscow, the train develops a speed comparable to the take-off speed of a modern airliner. And certainly nowhere in the "Sapsan" you will not find better view out of the window than in the driver's cab. Tickets are not sold there, but you can try to make the driver's cabin your workplace.

1) Work experience - at least 5 years, class - at least 2nd

You may not be a poet, but you must be a train driver. And not less than 2nd grade - in order to get to the "Sapsan". For those who are far from the railways, let us explain: to get the 2nd class, you need to work as an electric train driver for 3 years. The countdown starts from the 4th class, which allows you to control locomotives and electric trains. In the case of "Sapsan", in addition to the high class, you also need to have experience behind you - at least 5 years.

2) Health - like astronauts

The path to the driver's seat is through the medical board. Requirements for the physical condition of candidates are severe. Future train drivers will have their eyesight (it should be 100%), hearing, cardiovascular system and other vital organs checked. Psychological testing is still ahead to determine how attentive the candidate is, whether he is ready to take responsibility for the lives of hundreds of people. And most importantly - no bad habits: even machinists do not smoke in "Sapsan"!

3) Speak English!

Sapsan's drivers are the only ones on Russian domestic trains who talk to passengers on English language... Therefore, for an interview with prospective candidates should check it basic knowledge... Of course, no one requires fluency, but you won't be able to limit yourself to popular expressions and famous words from Hollywood films.

4) " Driver's license"To" Sapsan "

One specialized education (in Moscow, for example, train drivers are taught at the Railway College No. 52 or the Moscow College of Railway Transport). It is also necessary to obtain a special certificate, which gives the right to operate the Sapsans. The first train drivers for trains new to Russia were trained in Germany by Siemens. And almost a year ago, such courses appeared in Russia: on February 1, 2010, a training center for locomotive crews was opened in St. Petersburg, where future drivers train. First, they practice theory and practice on the Sapsana simulator at the Center, then consolidate their knowledge on a real train at the Metallostroy depot, where the fastest train in Russia is registered.

Engineers are first born and then become. This truth is also true for the Sapsan drivers. High-speed trains are operated only by the most best shots: machinists of the St. Petersburg junction, the Moscow junction and the Gorkovskaya Zh.D. However, an ordinary driver can also get behind the wheel of the fastest train in Russia, if he meets all the requirements. The main thing, as noted in the North-West Directorate of high-speed communication, is that the candidate for the Sapsan driver not only knows all the instructions, but also knows how to correctly and efficiently apply them: at a speed of over 200 km / h there is not much time to think.

On our own behalf, we add: machinists are indeed the elite of railway transport, whose experience is in demand in the management of Russian Railways. For example, Dmitry Pegov, Director of the High-Speed ​​Transport Directorate of JSC Russian Railways, has gone from being an assistant driver before heading the high-speed direction and becoming the head of Sapsans.

By the way, you can ask your questions in the comments. We will forward them to the Sapsan drivers and you will receive first-hand answers.