Trainee Depot Driver - Greater Anglia

[Beveridges]

Responsibility is to do with the amount of risks involved if the job is not done correctly 100% of the time. Large and busy Depots are very high risk areas to drive trains by anyones standards, most would say your far more likely to have a safety of the line incident on a depot than on the mainline. They are such high risk areas that one particular depot had 25% of their depot drivers involved in derailments and collisions in the space of just 1 year, some accidents have cost over £1million of damage. But we are not just talking collisions here, the consequences can be much worse than that. There is the constant risk of killing someone if the job is not done right, you've got fitters regularly working underneath vehicles or between vehicles. Imagine if you misheard a message on the radio and thought you had permission to move a vehicle but you actually didnt, or if you just forgot there was still a block on where a unit is stood (due to being distracted / multi tasking). Or if you got a long radio message regarding a number of moves, the risks involved if you got on the wrong unit(s). Or if you were putting two vehicles back together to form a unit, with another depot driver manually coupling them inbetween the two vehicles, the risks involved if you made a mistake. Not to mention the amount of propelling and hauling units with isolated brakes on a depot, and lots of situations where you have no working front cab to drive from so have to drive from rear cab in reverse around a busy depot. Sometimes you have to go up to within inches of vehicles on jacks, in reverse on half a unit, driving it from the rear cab. If you hit the jacked vehicle the results would be devestating. Then there is train prep - there are quite a number of things you could miss that could lead to the train entering mainline service and having an incident. Driving around a depot in general there is the constant risk of hitting people walking around who are not looking where they are going, especially cleaners. There is no comparison between a Guards job and a Depot Drivers job in terms of responsbility. Every aspect of a depot drivers role is all safety related and there is no doubt that this job has to be done correctly every time without making a mistake.

 

[badassunicorn]

I'm a trainee DD with GA, and this is the most money I have ever earned before so I feel damned lucky to be doing this job, plus I am loving it!

 

[Dave1987]

Hello badassunicorn

What depot are you at? Ever since I passed out I have had a lovely feeling that I have accomplished somehing in my life! I know that I am very lucky to be getting paid decent wages to drive trains and will get paid more in the future. Hope your training is going well my friend!

Regards

David

 

[tom1681]

Hi everyone!

I've applied for the trainee depot driver at Norwich and have been invited for assessment at Stratford on 23rd November - woo! Anyone else here going then?

Does anyone know what tests are likely to take place at this first stage? Is it just concentration and mechanical comprehension as per this blog or will it be everything except for the interviews (the letter says the structured interview would be on a separate day)?

Also, do GA use the Group Bourdon test or SCATT (as suggested by the aforementioned blog)?

Cheers!

 

[Mix107]

Should be all tests except structured interview. They do the paper version group bourdon. I did them for GA in May. I start my company induction that week at the academy. Best of luck!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Also there is no mechanical comprehension with GA even though they still seem to be sending the practice materials out. That has been replaced with more appropriate fault finding test, which you get practice test materials for anyway.

 

[tom1681]

Thanks Mix107 - good luck with your training!

 

[185]

There is no comparison between a Guards job and a Depot Drivers job in terms of responsbility. Every aspect of a depot drivers role is all safety related and there is no doubt that this job has to be done correctly every time without making a mistake.

Slightly badly timed, but there really is just as much risk for most PTS/Scwid holding safety critical staff. At the end of the day, we could all face this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-20211498

 

[Dave1987]

Hi 185

You are correct, everyone who holds a SCWID card or any kind of safety critical role has a huge amount of responsibility. But as a driver I feel that the amount of responsibility I have exceeds that of other roles. The buck always does seem to stop with the driver on most incidents that happen.

Regards

David

 

[notadriver]

Depot drivers spend most of their driving time doing 5 mph in depots and with no passengers aboard. I would say the responsibility is a lot less than a mainline driver. I still don't go for the better t&cs arguement. Doing 12 hour shifts of mainly night shifts is not my idea of great terms and conditions.

 

[Dave1987]

Sorry but I do not do 12 hr shifts and only do night shifts once every 10 weeks.

Regards

David

 

[notadriver]

Fair comment. It's what they do at a TOC I know. How long are your shifts ?

 

[Beveridges]

Depot drivers spend most of their driving time doing 5 mph in depots and with no passengers aboard. I would say the responsibility is a lot less than a mainline driver. I still don't go for the better t&cs arguement. Doing 12 hour shifts of mainly night shifts is not my idea of great terms and conditions.

Responsibility is the risks involved and as a Depot Driver your at more risk of having a safety of the line incident than a Mainline Driver. Yes if a Mainline Driver has an incident it could potentially be a lot worse than an incidient a depot driver could have (e.g. a major crash, unlikely though with TPWS) but I'd say a Depot Driver has more chance of killing someone through not following procedure and ending up in court. A Depot is a very high risk area, and you spend all of your time on a depot. You could end up in court just for getting on the wrong unit and starting the engines up and killing someone working underneath! How easy is it to make that mistake?
I've seen mainline drivers get on the wrong unit and take them off the sidings, no major hassle other than a few cancellations, but now if they had done that in a maintenance shed building they would be in serious s**t
I wouldn't say theres a great deal of difference in the reasonability between the two roles, in both roles theres a lot of risks and you could end up killing someone if you don't do the job right. I think the responsiblity of an MDD is seriously underestimated by the people who do not do this job. You can kill someone for thinking you had permission to move when you didnt, or forgot that a block was on (no signals to tell you its on, just memory), I know its nearly happened.

As for T&C's between Depot Drivers and Mainline - It really does depend on your TOC doesnt it? Theres no comparison between T&C's in Northern though; depot drivers have 8 weeks A/L instead of 6, No booking on at stupid times, entitled to half an hour at the end of a shift to have a shower, entitled to half an hour at the start of your shift to get changed, guaranteed finish times, no spare turns your hours cannot move. No training rate - trainees go straight onto top rate. Amount of time spent driving is also considerably lower due to time spent walking to units, fuelling, prepping, ground shunting and fault finding. Most other conditions the same except MDD's work longer shifts / less days while Mainline work shorter shifts / more days - personally I'm not fussed about shift length as long as its only a 35 hour week average.
MDD Money is a lot less than a post PQA Mainline driver but thats the downside and the T&Cs are part of the reason, the gap would be smaller if T&C's were the same for both.

Shift length is up to 12 hours yes but your only actually working for 11 hours due to the aforementioned half hour at either end of shift. Mainline drivers can be working up to 10 hours anyway so what would you rather work, 18:00-06:00 (depot driver worst possible shift), or 03:00-13:00 (mainline driver worst possible shift) with maybe up to an hour added on at the end due to filling in reports and late running?

Theres pros and cons to both jobs but depot drivers T&Cs have got to be better which just makes up for the lower salary.

Now I know this is a long post (especially when its about Northern T&Cs and not Greater Anglia which the thread was started for) and must admit it ended up going on a bit longer than I expected but had to be to make my point in response to the above posts.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Sorry but I do not do 12 hr shifts and only do night shifts once every 10 weeks.

That is strange as surely night time is when all the action is at any passenger depot??
Day shift once every 10 weeks is more like it wherever I know, and a good thing too, as its feels awful having to get up early after being used to all those lie ins.

 

[Dave1987]

My average shift is 8hrs, most of the work in the depot happens in the evenings actually. We usually have 90% of the service together and prepped by 23.00! I assure you in my link I only do a week of nights once every 10 weeks.

Regards

David

 

[Beveridges]

By 23:00 theres still normally 70% of the fleet to come at Northerns depots. Must be a good thing to have mostly evening shifts, better than nights, but I think nights are better than early morning turns.

 

[Dave1987]

Yeah at GA most 12 car sets are reduced to 4 cars or completely out of service by 21.00, makes it a lot easier. I totally agree with you on your point about the depot being a very high risk environment. Especially when it comes to use of the DRA!

Regards

David

 

[notadriver]

When will you go out on the mainline Dave1987?

 

[Dave1987]

Haha how long is a piece of string lol. Hopefully within a year not holding my breath on that though!

Regards

David

 

[tom1681]

Are there set times when GA start driver training? I saw in another thread that the next 'intake' is March - would this be when anyone about to have an assessment would start if they were successful?


Cheers.

 

[Dave1987]

Hi Tom

There is usually a course every 6 months but they don't always advertise the positions as they may have enough people who have passed the assessments already to fill the course.

Keep looking out on the website for the trainee positions! They do come up.

Regards

David

 

[tom1681]

Thanks Dave - I actually have an assessment next week and was trying to work out when, if I was successful, the training might start...

 

[Dave1987]

Tom

I wish you the very best of luck then! I don't know when the next course is as there is a course taking place at the moment.

Regards

David

 

[tom1681]

I wish you the very best of luck then!

Thanks!

I don't know when the next course is as there is a course taking place at the moment.

I thought I had noticed other people mentioning they were starting training in November - will be a good few months before the next one then I imagine.

 

[Dave1987]

Hi Tom

Yeah you would have to wait a while then but the assessment process is not very quick at all! Lol

Regards

David

 

[tom1681]

Have found out from GA today that the training for the Norwich depot jobs would start 4th February.

 

[stinkyparp]

Hi everyone!

I've applied for the trainee depot driver at Norwich and have been invited for assessment at Stratford on 23rd November - woo! Anyone else here going then?

Does anyone know what tests are likely to take place at this first stage? Is it just concentration and mechanical comprehension as per this blog or will it be everything except for the interviews (the letter says the structured interview would be on a separate day)?

Also, do GA use the Group Bourdon test or SCATT (as suggested by the aforementioned blog)?

Cheers!

Well done and good luck with the assessment!!

Did you hear by post or email? As i'm still waiting to hear back......

 

[tom1681]

Well done and good luck with the assessment!!

Thanks!

Did you hear by post or email? As i'm still waiting to hear back......

It was by post at the end of last week - they also sent the practice materials at the same time.

Hope you hear soon too!

 

[Dave1987]

Hi Tom

On the practice materials the group bourdon is different to the actual test. On the practice it is letters (or was) which are quite easy whereas in the test it is dots which are much harder. Just something to consider!

Regards

David

 

[tom1681]

Thanks Dave - yeah I know the real thing has dots. I've been practicing on the PC software, think I might print some out to do as well as the practice ones GA sent me.

 

[tom1681]

Well I passed the assessments today! Five out of nine of us made it through the whole day. Thanks for everyone's input on here regarding the tests!

Now comes the dreaded Structured Interview...

 

[Emilymay86]

Any info to be shared on the driver managers interview??

People have said it is now more criteria based but can anyone recall any specific questions?? Having the info on the structured interview was such a huge help so if anyone can share much appreciated!!