The NEE Freight Railways Standardize Their Training

The first half of a harmonized training and examination procedure in freight and passenger transport by rail is coming to an end. Member companies of the NEE Freight Railways Association have developed the standard from within and are the first users. It is intended to become an industry solution and create more job opportunities for the trained personnel.

(Berlin) The initiators of the unified training and examination procedure for freight railways expect more interest from job seekers, as well as increased safety, quality, and efficiency, resulting from the consolidation and updating of training content.

Ludolf Kerkeling, Chairman of the Network of European Railways (NEE) e.V., views the commitment of the freight railways as a practical contribution to the “Year of Training” proposed by Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil: “Freight railways offer system-relevant, thus safe, well-paid, and varied jobs. It is no secret that many railway companies still suffer from a shortage of skilled workers. To continue growing, most railways are now training their own staff. Standardizing training in this situation is a win-win-win situation.” According to him, the high safety level will be further strengthened, the trained personnel will be more mobile within the industry, and training will become more efficient for all parties involved.

Locomotive Personnel Will Remain in Demand

Although job profiles are changing as rail transport becomes increasingly digital, locomotive drivers will still be urgently needed in the coming decades. Practically nationwide collective agreements are standard, and the salary level is significantly higher than in road freight transport. Even during the crisis, companies in rail freight transport are training, and the number of trainees is continuously increasing.

The harmonized training and examination procedure, applicable in both freight and passenger transport, was developed in 2019 and 2020 by a working group of companies from the Network of European Railways e.V. (NEE) and finalized in dialogue with the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), so that the NEE board recommended its application to its members as early as October 2020.

High Safety Level in Rail Transport

Unlike road freight transport, train drivers not only need a driving license but also various additional training courses acquired through so-called functional training. The high safety level in rail transport requires extensive training. However, in the past, both trainees and companies suffered from outdated bureaucratic obstacles – starting with job titles that can vary depending on the company or educational institution. Through the joint development and introduction of a uniform solution, the industry demonstrates its strength in making rail transport more efficient. The simpler tracking of learning content and qualifications improves the already very high safety level of rail. The shift to rail and the desired increase in transport performance cannot be achieved solely through investments in rail infrastructure and innovations but require qualified skilled personnel, especially train drivers.

Uniform Learning Content

The developed procedure establishes a standardized training plan in a four-stage system and recommends uniform framework conditions and certifications. For trainees, this also means a reduction in examination burdens, uniform and cross-company prepared learning content, and the easy recognition of degrees and certificates in practice. As a result, the trained professionals benefit, as they can switch companies more easily, as can the companies that can cooperate more easily with each other. Kerkeling concluded: “We are positively inclined towards further development by the regulatory authorities through a central train driver license register similar to Switzerland. This would be a consistent advancement that could make violations more difficult and significantly reduce the administrative burden on companies as well as on the regulatory authority.”

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