TubeDriverAMA

It depends really... On the ATO (automatic) lines the train drives itself. You literally just open and close doors, and (very rarely) apply the emergency brake. On the manual lines there is a bit more skill involved in terms of actually driving the train using the handle, keeping to the timetable (which is in 1/2 minutes), providing a smooth journey and not having any SPAD's (going past red signals). However it can be a bit boring, but I imagine being a mainline train driver is far more boring - driving through miles upon miles of empty countryside.

Edit - for clarity, ATO drivers actually do have to learn to drive the train manually in case the ATO system fails as it can do, and actually driving on an ATO line is probably harder than a manual as you're not doing it day in day out.

You can take a PNR (or Personal Needs Relief).

There are drivers toilets at a handful of platforms across the network which can be accessed with a what is known as a J Door Key, whilst the ladies toilets have their own special key only given to female members of staff. There are also hot water points so you can make a quick cup of tea. So you can pop out to the toilet and pop back in to the cab in fairly short order.

Alternatively when you get to either end of the line, or are taking a train into a depot then that is an opportunity to pop to the toilet also, etc.

Worst comes to absolute worst and it's an emergency then you can leave the train at a station and go to wherever their staff toilets are, but they don't like you to do that as holding your train in the platform completely messes up the service as no trains are moving behind you.

There was one a while back who chained her suitcase to a bench at a central London tube station on the platform so she could go shopping before getting her plane. Caused a massive security alert.

The pay is pretty decent - Full Time is £53K, Night Tube (Part Time - Friday and Saturday Night shifts only) is just under £25k. You also receive free travel for you and one other person that you can nominate, along with 75% off national rail and Eurostar discounts. Pension is final salary with 5% contributions.

There are no mimimim qualifications, you just need to pass all the selection tests which have a fairly high failure rate.

The two main routes in are either join the LU as a CSA on the stations and apply internally for full time when they come up, or join externally as a night tube driver then you will be placed on a waiting list for full time positions (if you so choose) without any additional tests or interviews. Full time positions are not advertised externally.

The training is fairly intensive (I have an honours degree and I found some aspects tougher than university) but shorter than mainline train driving. It can last anywhere from 12 weeks on an ATO line, to a fair bit more on the manual ones.

The company says no, quite a few people still do it, more out of habit than anything else.