Trainee Train Driver - Virgin Trains East Coast

[MarTrainDriver]

The only slight positive thing I can think of is the fact that if it was bad news, wouldn't we have been told by now?
There's been rumours we'd find out this/next week for just over a week now (most likely to tie in with this week's news) so obviously they must have some idea of what's going on. If at this stage we were going to be let go I'm sure we would have heard by now.

This is very true. Also David Horne tweeted about his meeting earlier this week where the azuma introduction was discussed. I wonder if our positions were discussed in this meeting. Maybe virgin are not far off being able to give us an update as they are trying or have just about secured the future trainee positions but don't want to confirm anything until it is set in stone. Maybe I am clutching at straws but just trying to find something positive amongst all the doom and gloom, it is a difficult time for us all waiting aswell as all the Virgin staff

 

[Ffcsteve14]

This is very true. Also David Horne tweeted about his meeting earlier this week where the azuma introduction was discussed. I wonder if our positions were discussed in this meeting. Maybe virgin are not far off being able to give us an update as they are trying or have just about secured the future trainee positions but don't want to confirm anything until it is set in stone. Maybe I am clutching at straws but just trying to find something positive amongst all the doom and gloom, it is a difficult time for us all waiting aswell as all the Virgin staff

Hope your right. Just seems odd that we all got an email 3 ish weeks ago saying time scales are the same and there is a new contact in Virgin to you may get an update. I don’t think any start dates would have materialised in 3 weeks and if they would, wouldn’t be for all. So a email sent out to all doesn’t seem right.

 

[Lincdsg]

I think the point of the email a few weeks ago was just to let us know who our new point of contact will be. I'm certainly not expecting an update on start dates next week, i think realistically the best we can hope for is confirmation that they still intend to take us on despite recent events

 

[E&W Lucas]

lalalala
Removed

 

[BELLIE]

Blimey I've just caught up on here after the news we got in October.
I just put everything to the back of my mind until I assume April 30th.
I also got the email recently and took that as a positive.
My only hope is that they stay true to their word. After catching up though there is a lot of uncertainty out there. I'm gonna just wait til April and see what happens. Is anyone considering applying to other TOCs?

 

[FManc]

Blimey I've just caught up on here after the news we got in October.
I just put everything to the back of my mind until I assume April 30th.
I also got the email recently and took that as a positive.
My only hope is that they stay true to their word. After catching up though there is a lot of uncertainty out there. I'm gonna just wait til April and see what happens. Is anyone considering applying to other TOCs?

By the sounds of it we should be finding out where we stand very soon (possibly next week). This is going by the response people have received from the talent team after they've emaied them.

 

[MarTrainDriver]

I have just checked David Horne's Twitter and I have noticed that yesterday he tweeted a link to an article on the York press website. The article was about the York station revamp, virgin seem to have pledged they plan to continue with the £1.5 million station upgrade. Here is a direct quote from the end of the article...

City of York Council’s transport executive member and leader-in-waiting, Cllr Ian Gillies, said he had initially been concerned about the station project but was now more optimistic after receiving a letter today from the company’s managing director David Horne.

He said Mr Horne had said the company remained fully committed to the customers and communities it served and had been in discussions to facilitate the transition to a new East Coast Partnership whilst continuing to meet, or exceed, all its commitments.


I am hoping this means they will also meet their planned commitments of employing all us as trainees!

 

[Ffcsteve14]

Anybody else been expecting an email with what has been said this week and now Wednesday and haven’t got one!!!

No news is good news! I’m holding on to that!

 

[Skyrail]

Anybody else been expecting an email with what has been said this week and now Wednesday and haven’t got one!!!

No news is good news! I’m holding on to that!

All quiet here too. All we can do is wait. And hope.

Incidentally, whilst I was told I passed all the psychs with strong results, I was never told to what standard. Does anyone know if VTEC are enhanced or national standard?

 

[Ffcsteve14]

All quiet here too. All we can do is wait. And hope.

Incidentally, whilst I was told I passed all the psychs with strong results, I was never told to what standard. Does anyone know if VTEC are enhanced or national standard?

I was just told I passed, never with a result. Not sure to what standard VTEC are

 

[Tyrion]

Rumour going around today that there will be an email going out to say no more recruitment will happen this year!

Hope for your sakes it is untrue and I reiterate get applying for other TOCS

 

[Lincdsg]

Pretty much what i expected to be honest. It's frustrating and does feel like we've been misled as it was only 4 weeks ago that they emailed saying we'd know a definite start date in April

 

[FManc]

Rumour going around today that there will be an email going out to say no more recruitment will happen this year!

Hope for your sakes it is untrue and I reiterate get applying for other TOCS

Disappointing if true but hardly a shock if I'm honest. I just feel like it's all been a wild goose chase if it's true.

Quite a few TOCs in the north west have recently recruited for trainees (TPE and Northern come to mind) so I don't envisage that much else coming up.

 

[Tyrion]

Send a speculative in, you never know!
I think the farcical situation with franchise not helping the situation, also the head of talent team has left as has the Training department manager (or in process of going) and I do not think there is anymore training scheduled this year so far! But it may all change

 

[FManc]

I guess if it's true we should find out Thursday or Friday. I can't see why they'd delay any further.

 

[Ffcsteve14]

I guess if it's true we should find out Thursday or Friday. I can't see why they'd delay any further.

I think it’s what we have all expected deep down!

 

[E&W Lucas]

Deleted

 

[Lincdsg]

It does seem odd that they are still keeping us waiting to tell us that it isn't going to happen. If I'm honest i think I'd prefer to just know that it won't happen at all, at least it's a definitive answer. Being told that we are in a pool and may get a future date would be worse i think, I'm fed up of waiting for an email that may never come, just like the last 18 months.

 

[Duns2208]

I guess we all expected this outcome and although I have tried to remain positive the more news that has come out about the EC franchise the less likely it seemed new trainees would form part of this moving forward. Personally I’m absolutely gutted, add to this that Tyne and Wear metro had its first big driver recruitment for decades during the wait time and Northern seem unlikely to recruit locally the prospect of any other driver roles seem a long way off. I guess a lot of current staff within VTEC are also facing uncertain times which I’m guessing is the main cause of the delay in informing us. Best of luck to all of you with whatever you do next it’s been a strange 18 months and this forum certainly helped my sanity at times. Like others have said be nice now to just be told for definite it’s not happening rather than remain any longer in limbo.

 

[heedfan]

Be careful what you wish for guys. Would you not rather find out that there is another delay but you are still in line for a job? Remember, we are ‘off the street’ trainees in line for one of the most sought after driving jobs in the UK.

The way I see it, yes things are looking grim, but if the internet has taught me anything it’s never take anything you read on an online forum as gospel on its own. Keep the faith.

 

[MarTrainDriver]

I am personally very frustrated at the whole situation. After 18 months it looks like it's back to the drawing board. Like it has been said above, we have missed some great opportunities to apply for other trainee driver jobs whilst waiting. The reality is that most of us won't get a trainee driver job for many years. Will the psycho testing/medical passes we all have be of much value when applying to other TOCs? They will all have their own selection process so we will be up against thousands of other people. I would be happy to wait another year, but I just can't see it happening.

 

[MarTrainDriver]

Be careful what you wish for guys. Would you not rather find out that there is another delay but you are still in line for a job? Remember, we are ‘off the street’ trainees in line for one of the most sought after driving jobs in the UK.

The way I see it, yes things are looking grim, but if the internet has taught me anything it’s never take anything you read on an online forum as gospel on its own. Keep the faith.

This is very true. I think what is frustrating me the most is hearing all the rumours. Until we hear from Virgin that is all they are, rumours. It is hard not to let them get to you though with the current situation being like it is. As I have just said I would be happy to wait another year whilst life runs as normal

 

[baz962]

Pretty sure v tec are enhance

I am personally very frustrated at the whole situation. After 18 months it looks like it's back to the drawing board. Like it has been said above, we have missed some great opportunities to apply for other trainee driver jobs whilst waiting. The reality is that most of us won't get a trainee driver job for many years. Will the psycho testing/medical passes we all have be of much value when applying to other TOCs? They will all have their own selection process so we will be up against thousands of other people. I would be happy to wait another year, but I just can't see it happening.

I have watched this thread with interest for a while as i know one of the 78, but not needed to post. Not naming anyone but the person i know applied to arriva and they accepted their psychometrics, only had a couple tests specific to arriva. Arriva rail london take only the highest scores, so to answer your question i think your tests would be welcome elsewhere. As far i am aware you would need a new medical at any toc.

 

[heedfan]

This is very true. I think what is frustrating me the most is hearing all the rumours. Until we hear from Virgin that is all they are, rumours. It is hard not to let them get to you though with the current situation being like it is. As I have just said I would be happy to wait another year whilst life runs as normal

It is very easy to become frustrated reading external sources of information, including this thread and news reports. Personally I have found the wait in the recruitment process since last April incredibly difficult and it has had severe impacts on both my personal and professional life. That being said I will continue to keep the faith and the only information that really matters comes from the HR team.

 

[Duns2208]

It is very easy to become frustrated reading external sources of information, including this thread and news reports. Personally I have found the wait in the recruitment process since last April incredibly difficult and it has had severe impacts on both my personal and professional life. That being said I will continue to keep the faith and the only information that really matters comes from the HR team.

Agree with all you've said, rumours on here help nobody but unfortunately those and news reports are all we've had to cling too so difficult not to get sucked in, it may seem negative but I just think I'm now mentally preparing myself for the worst but don't get me wrong I'm certainly hoping when the email does arrive it's not what we are dreading and it's good news, as difficult as the wait has been I'm sure we'd all probably put up with it for another 12 months or whatever IF there's a train driver role at the end. As you say we're "off the street" so these opportunities don't come around often, this is potentially life changing and it is probably why we are going through the range of emotions. Wanting to know one way or another (even if bad news) to stop the cycle of confusion over what's going on is part of that but you're 100% right only the email from VTEC will tell us that.

 

[FManc]

It ain't over till the fat lady sings or in our case when we get the email from VTEC!! Rumours are just rumours and I imagine only a select few people actually know what's going on. I'd like to think we'd be one of the first to find out if there was some definitive news.

Yes it's looking more than likely it won't be the news we're hoping for but at the same time it might not be. It's been over a week and a half since we got "coming week update" so who knows what's going on behind the scenes.

I just would like some closure now in the short-term. I want to be able to plan a holiday more than anything

 

[xtradj]

We were all told the reason for the delay to a start date was due to their being a lack of trainers. This was to be rectified by early this year. So as far as I am aware this still stands, or else we’d have been told otherwise back then. I’ve read on here various depots are full but that didn’t happen over night if true and they have still said we would be needed.

The change since then is the issue with the franchise but this does not affect the fact the new trains have been built and are coming. They still require drivers, and the new routes and capacity are still also required. The only change is the franchise. It’s been highly frustrating but keep the faith

 

[Lincdsg]

The email that i received last week, although didnt fill me with confidence that it would be good news, did say we'd have as update this week. To be fair to them, they have been good at updating us when they say they will so i expect some news, good or bad, by close of play tomorrow

 

[Tyrion]

Re your point about depots being over staffed “If True” It is a fact no ifs or buts.

Secondly the new services and routes you mention are heavily dependent on infrastrucure improvements taking place that is a fact, this is a main factor that has helped knacker the franchise in the first place!! Keep up to date on developments its not hard!

 

[heedfan]

Secondly the new services and routes you mention are heavily dependent on infrastrucure improvements taking place

Can you provide a specific example please of an infrastructure upgrade that has not yet taken place, or is currently delayed, that will prevent VTEC from introducing the new rolling stock?