Hi there, thanks for reading. QR driver training used to take 18 months, until it was recently reduced to about 13 months. Train driver recruitment was recently opened to the general public (ie outside existing QR employees) for the first time, too : http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-31/more-train-drivers-for-seq-after-union-overruled-by-fair-work/8860384