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Railway drivers

How to become a Train Driver

Also called: Subway Train Driver, Monorail Driver, Tram Driver

Drives trains carrying passengers or freight, getting ready to depart, driving, reporting after arrival and handling any accidents, so the train reaches its destination safely and on time.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say high school or university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

To become a train driver you need a driving licence for the type of train you will drive, which involves a medical, an aptitude test, tests on the law and train construction, and a practical driving test. At large companies with government-designated training centres, trainees who complete the driving course and meet the pass standard are exempt from the national exam. Usually, after joining a railway company and working for a time as station staff or a conductor, people are selected to become drivers and trained at a training centre. They then spend about six months as trainee drivers being coached in driving skills. Even after qualifying, drivers keep sharpening their skills in daily service and take regular emergency training to improve their safety skills. Through promotion exams, drivers can become head or deputy head of a depot or station master. You need to respond quickly to all kinds of situations and make sound decisions calmly. Because you must always stay alert for the unexpected, you also need the persistence to keep up your concentration for long periods.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Train Driver?

To become a train driver you need a driving licence for the type of train you will drive, which involves a medical, an aptitude test, tests on the law and train construction, and a practical driving test. At large companies with government-designated training centres, trainees who complete the driving course and meet the pass standard are exempt from the national exam. Usually, after joining a railway company and working for a time as station staff or a conductor, people are selected to become drivers and trained at a training centre. They then spend about six months as trainee drivers being coached in driving skills. Even after qualifying, drivers keep sharpening their skills in daily service and take regular emergency training to improve their safety skills. Through promotion exams, drivers can become head or deputy head of a depot or station master. You need to respond quickly to all kinds of situations and make sound decisions calmly. Because you must always stay alert for the unexpected, you also need the persistence to keep up your concentration for long periods.

How much does a Train Driver earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥7,191,500 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare).

Do you need a degree to become a Train Driver?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 22% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: College of technology (高等専門学校, kosen).

Will AI change the work of a Train Driver?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026