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Trainee Driver Training

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MistaMatthews

Member
Joined
20 Apr 2020
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97
Location
Brighton, United Kingdom
Hi all, just wondering if anyone can shed any light on some of the questions I have regarding the training. I have just been given a start date (dependant on medical) with GTR. Just to note, this is from a previous recruitment drive, I initially applied about 2 years ago...

1.) What is the expected attire? Would I need to be dressed smartly or is it ok to go in comfortable clothes?

2.) Does the training take place at the depot or at some other venue / mixture of both?

3.) I have just booked a holiday which falls on a week about 2 weeks after my start date. How is holiday managed in training? I wouldn't want to fall behind the class. Is it best to cancel the holiday?

4.) I'm currently a COSS for a contractor. Will I have much relevant background knowledge? I've done PTS a few times, Lookout, Possession Support aswell as a Railway engineering diploma. Would be nice to have a little head start!

5.) What is the deal with free travel? I've currently got a company van which I will obviously lose. Will I be able to get free travel on the trains from the get go or is that something you have to be with the company a certain amount of time for?

Many Thanks for all your help in advance! Also happy to share my experiences of the application process but hopefully it won't hijack the thread!
 
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Markdev

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Joined
17 Oct 2017
Messages
78
Hi buddy

I would go smart dressed for the training school until you get your uniform, but don’t know where gtr do their training so I don’t know how strict they are,
Normally about 12 weeks 1st off doing rules, then normally to depot after that period for the start of driving hours, pts you will need to do again when you start your rules,
and you should get free travel from the start probably won’t get your priv card for a few weeks but the company will probably supply you with a pass until that arrives for travel on their network.

I think holiday wise they’d probably expect you to cancel as a week away from rules is massive but they should have asked you in all fairness before giving you the start date.
GTR drivers will give you better info on how they work with everything, I’m sure there’ll be a few on here.
 
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SNDave

Member
Joined
3 May 2019
Messages
28
Location
London
Hi all, just wondering if anyone can shed any light on some of the questions I have regarding the training. I have just been given a start date (dependant on medical) with GTR. Just to note, this is from a previous recruitment drive, I initially applied about 2 years ago...

1.) What is the expected attire? Would I need to be dressed smartly or is it ok to go in comfortable clothes?

2.) Does the training take place at the depot or at some other venue / mixture of both?

3.) I have just booked a holiday which falls on a week about 2 weeks after my start date. How is holiday managed in training? I wouldn't want to fall behind the class. Is it best to cancel the holiday?

4.) I'm currently a COSS for a contractor. Will I have much relevant background knowledge? I've done PTS a few times, Lookout, Possession Support aswell as a Railway engineering diploma. Would be nice to have a little head start!

5.) What is the deal with free travel? I've currently got a company van which I will obviously lose. Will I be able to get free travel on the trains from the get go or is that something you have to be with the company a certain amount of time for?

Many Thanks for all your help in advance! Also happy to share my experiences of the application process but hopefully it won't hijack the thread!

Congratulations and welcome to the GTR family! ;)

1: you will receive your uniform pack during the first week. Until you've got those it's smart, defo not casual

2: 5 months at the training school (Selhurst/Hornsey) then about 6 months out with your DI at your allocated depot

3: cancel it

4: PTS comes handy, rest won't matter much

5: free travel on all GTR trains (Thameslink, Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southeastern) from day 1
 
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MistaMatthews

Member
Joined
20 Apr 2020
Messages
97
Location
Brighton, United Kingdom
Congratulations and welcome to the GTR family! ;)

1: you will receive your uniform pack during the first week. Until you've got those it's smart, defo not casual

2: 5 months at the training school (Selhurst/Hornsey) then about 6 months out with your DI at your allocated depot

3: cancel it

4: PTS comes handy, rest won't matter much

5: free travel on all GTR trains (Thameslink, Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southeastern) from day 1

Amazing, thank you so much for your response!
 

Stigy

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2009
Messages
4,879
Just to add about your background @MistaMatthews; the training is intended to teach you everything you need to know, and therefore it’s best not to go in with the assumption that you’ll have a head start. You will, naturally have a lot of prior knowledge as during rules you’ll go in to areas you’ve worked in (a lot presumably) in your current role (possessions, emergency/assistance protection, PTS etc etc).

My view is that it’s good to have a bit of background knowledge and personally speaking I feel if I was from outside the railway when I became a trainee driver, I’d have struggled a lot more. Just bear in mind that the trainers are there to train, and you’re there with an open mind ;)

Good luck with it!
 

TheAnswer89

Member
Joined
3 Feb 2020
Messages
105
Location
England
Just to add about your background @MistaMatthews; the training is intended to teach you everything you need to know, and therefore it’s best not to go in with the assumption that you’ll have a head start. You will, naturally have a lot of prior knowledge as during rules you’ll go in to areas you’ve worked in (a lot presumably) in your current role (possessions, emergency/assistance protection, PTS etc etc).

My view is that it’s good to have a bit of background knowledge and personally speaking I feel if I was from outside the railway when I became a trainee driver, I’d have struggled a lot more. Just bear in mind that the trainers are there to train, and you’re there with an open mind ;)

Good luck with it!

I just wanted to tell you Stigy you are probably the most uplifting person I have ever met online. Keep it up, mate. People really need this kind of vibe around them !
 

Pilotman

Member
Joined
22 Feb 2017
Messages
67
Yes, agree with Stigy. Regardless of what you know from your previous role, wipe the slate clean and learn it from a driver's point of view. Sometimes subjects can be more in-depth depending on the role. PTS is your first milestone, along with 14 weeks of rules. However, if they are working with the new DLP (Driver Learning Program) this time may vary as this is more discovery learning. After this, you will learn traction, normally 4 weeks core, and then conversions to other units. Then finally a 5-day "Principles of Route Learning" which looks at the techniques used to learn a route. Then, you will leave the school and hopefully be placed with a driving instructor to achieve, I think 280 hours driving, 40hrs in the dark, and then finally pass out.

It's a long road of learning but worth it. A little tip, when you are rules competent after the initial 14 weeks, ensure you keep up with the knowledge. As a lot of people struggle on their Part C (final) as they have concentrated so much on routes and traction, the rules have slipped.

If it helps, I used this website, which was created by a trainer and proved useful. Best of all it's free to learn.

https://uktrainingsolutions.com

Anyway, enough rambling, hope this helps.
 

Stigy

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2009
Messages
4,879
I just wanted to tell you Stigy you are probably the most uplifting person I have ever met online. Keep it up, mate. People really need this kind of vibe around them !
Thank you for your kind words, much appreciated mate :D

Yes, agree with Stigy. Regardless of what you know from your previous role, wipe the slate clean and learn it from a driver's point of view. Sometimes subjects can be more in-depth depending on the role. PTS is your first milestone, along with 14 weeks of rules. However, if they are working with the new DLP (Driver Learning Program) this time may vary as this is more discovery learning. After this, you will learn traction, normally 4 weeks core, and then conversions to other units. Then finally a 5-day "Principles of Route Learning" which looks at the techniques used to learn a route. Then, you will leave the school and hopefully be placed with a driving instructor to achieve, I think 280 hours driving, 40hrs in the dark, and then finally pass out.

It's a long road of learning but worth it. A little tip, when you are rules competent after the initial 14 weeks, ensure you keep up with the knowledge. As a lot of people struggle on their Part C (final) as they have concentrated so much on routes and traction, the rules have slipped.

If it helps, I used this website, which was created by a trainer and proved useful. Best of all it's free to learn.

https://uktrainingsolutions.com

Anyway, enough rambling, hope this helps.
Agree with that. Worth noting that PTS is also probably the easiest part of the whole training program, regardless of TOC/FOC. I so wish all my tests were akin to PTS (multiple choice was a thing of the past once we had PTS out the way....we had to actually think for ourselves :)).
 

Pilotman

Member
Joined
22 Feb 2017
Messages
67
Hi Mista

Normally yes, but don't rely on it. Traction courses may differ in times due to unit availability but rules course and PTS should be daytime ie. 9-4 approx.
 
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