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Anyone work for Virgin trains?

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Joshrowlands

Joshrowlands

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Hi, I'm your typical 19 year old lad except from I just have a large interest in trains and the rail Network and how everything works I'm not a train spotter or anything but I do have a big interest in it and know a lot about it.

I really would love to work in the railway either on stations or ideally onboard especially Virgin trains as they are my favourite company and the Pendolinos are one of my favourite trains.

From what I've seen most Virgin on board staff are Young like me (19-21) and it looks a lot of fun I was just wondering does anyone work anywhere for Virgin or has worked and is it a good company to work for? Thanks :)
 
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Jonfun

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I can't speak for Virgin, but generally speaking you'll need a good level of customer service experience, a friendly personality, and the ability to work equally well alone as in a team.

Ambition's a good thing, but make sure you don't fall into the trap of assuming that because you're interested in railways, you've a god given right for a job there. It's also likely to kill, or at least dampen, your enthusiasm for railways. You're right in saying that onboard roles can be fun - but they can be demanding, stressful, and tiring too, and if you're on the tail end of your third consecutive 12 hour shift in the dodgy bit of the roster nobody likes and something goes down on a full and standing train, you need to be able to be confident enough to deal with it properly.

Best of luck - though I would say don't necessarily pin your hopes on Virgin. If you wanted long-distance, CrossCountry has a Manchester depot and catering (Retail Service Manager and First Class Host) vacancies come up periodically. TPE are often on the lookout for Conductors, likewise Northern. You can always move around once you've got a railway job under your belt.
 
chiltern_chidg

chiltern_chidg

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Joshrowlands said:
Hi, I'm your typical 19 year old lad except from I just have a large interest in trains and the rail Network and how everything works I'm not a train spotter or anything but I do have a big interest in it and know a lot about it.

I really would love to work in the railway either on stations or ideally onboard especially Virgin trains as they are my favourite company and the Pendolinos are one of my favourite trains.

From what I've seen most Virgin on board staff are Young like me (19-21) and it looks a lot of fun I was just wondering does anyone work anywhere for Virgin or has worked and is it a good company to work for? Thanks :)
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Hi Josh.

I am a 19 year- old and I am a Guard for South West Trains. From my experience I have found it is best to go for any position to get your foot in the door of a company and go from there.

If I can do it- anyone can. I wish you the best or luck and if you need any help just send me a message. :D
 
Joshrowlands

Joshrowlands

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chiltern_chidg said:
Hi Josh.

I am a 19 year- old and I am a Guard for South West Trains. From my experience I have found it is best to go for any position to get your foot in the door of a company and go from there.

If I can do it- anyone can. I wish you the best or luck and if you need any help just send me a message. :D
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Thank you so much this means a lot I'll give you a message now if you don't mind :)
 
Jonfun

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In Bristol though, which is a fair trek from the OP. Vacancies come up at Piccadilly and New Street depots quite often, mind.
 
Cherry_Picker

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Virgin will have jobs going at Stoke on Trent station from time to time if you have your heart set on Virgin. Personally I say just get in. If you want to be train crew then you are going to have to commute into Manchester, Birmingham, Wolverhampton or Crewe but even that might be a job or two away on a career path.
 
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craigybagel

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Cherry_Picker said:
Virgin will have jobs going at Stoke on Trent station from time to time if you have your heart set on Virgin. Personally I say just get in. If you want to be train crew then you are going to have to commute into Manchester, Birmingham, Wolverhampton or Crewe but even that might be a job or two away on a career path.
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No train crew at Birmingham or Crewe for VT.

I'm ex-Virgin, I was on the catering side at Wolves and then platform staff at a station near you. They're a fantastic company to work for and both jobs were a lot of fun, on board in particular. Very hard work as well though. There are staff who commute from Stoke to both Wolves and Manchester for various on-board roles and they seem to cope all right, although bear in mind that for catering staff your shift could be over 12 hours long on top of your commute!

In general they look for people with customer service experience who can also stand out in a crowd - in other words, friendly outgoing people. That's the most important thing to show to them, not age.
 
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craigybagel

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I was effectively on hold for a guards job at 4 different companies simultaneously, one of which was Virgin. One of the others offered me a start date at a time when due to changing personal circumstances I needed some permanence in my life.

As great as Virgin are, I'm just as happy at my current TOC.
 
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amateur

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Op: is it worth getting your foot in the door on the Ecml - because Vt/stagecoach have won the new franchise.
 
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E&W Lucas

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amateur said:
Op: is it worth getting your foot in the door on the Ecml - because Vt/stagecoach have won the new franchise.
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1. It will be a totally separate company.
2. The OP lives in Stoke, a long way from the ECML.
 
RJ

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I'll concur that Virgin Trains is a good company to work for. They invest in and look after their people. The pay is high in comparison to caterers at other TOCs or in restaurants/hotels. Pay arrives on time and in full - you never quite appreciate being paid your rest days and unplanned overtime so seamlessly until you work for a company who is bad at it.

I worked weekends only. Perfect as I started a couple of months before starting at university. There marked the beginning of a beautiful relationship with East Midlands Trains - though I was surprised at the contemptuous attitude some of their staff had towards Virgin. Overtime was always available - after a while, I started doing Service Manager turns as overtime on weekdays.

The only grumble really was short staffed trains - but there's enough motivation to get on with what you can. Weekends usually mean working alone in First Class, which can get very busy. To compensate, staff get commission on shop sales. Catch a few football trains and it's quids in. You have to be careful with which trolley you take out - sometimes people want to help themselves to four cans of Pepsi before you have a chance to serve them. After having your stock depleted so once, you learn to use the trolleys with lockable doors.

The high points were satisfied customers and banter with colleagues. Some of the Train Managers' anecdotes were hilarious. To this day, if I want an expensive ticket like a All Line Rover, I'll nip up to Euston and buy from a TM, it makes their day. Plenty of great trips with other CSAs and SMs too. I'm not sure exactly what level of service people expected, some wanted a butler or a porter. I must have made some customers happy as on several occasions, I wholly unexpectedly received displays of affection when bidding a polite farewell at the door.

One low point was being stranded after disruption. Although the company was quick to sort out hotels or a taxi when hundreds of miles from home at the end of service, I preferred to be home. I guess it's an occupational hazard.

The job was a great experience and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys teamwork and giving excellent customer service.
 
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Joshrowlands

Joshrowlands

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RJ said:
I'll concur that Virgin Trains is a good company to work for. They invest in and look after their people. The pay is high in comparison to caterers at other TOCs or in restaurants/hotels. Pay arrives on time and in full - you never quite appreciate being paid your rest days and unplanned overtime so seamlessly until you work for a company who is bad at it.

I worked weekends only. Perfect as I started a couple of months before starting at university. There marked the beginning of a beautiful relationship with East Midlands Trains - though I was surprised at the contemptuous attitude some of their staff had towards Virgin. Overtime was always available - after a while, I started doing Service Manager turns as overtime on weekdays.

The only grumble really was short staffed trains - but there's enough motivation to get on with what you can. Weekends usually mean working alone in First Class, which can get very busy. To compensate, staff get commission on shop sales. Catch a few football trains and it's quids in. You have to be careful with which trolley you take out - sometimes people want to help themselves to four cans of Pepsi before you have a chance to serve them. After having your stock depleted so once, you learn to use the trolleys with lockable doors.

The high points were satisfied customers and banter with colleagues. Some of the Train Managers' anecdotes were hilarious. To this day, if I want an expensive ticket like a All Line Rover, I'll nip up to Euston and buy from a TM, it makes their day. Plenty of great trips with other CSAs and SMs too. I'm not sure exactly what level of service people expected, some wanted a butler or a porter. I must have made some customers happy as on several occasions, I wholly unexpectedly received displays of affection when bidding a polite farewell at the door.

One low point was being stranded after disruption. Although the company was quick to sort out hotels or a taxi when hundreds of miles from home at the end of service, I preferred to be home. I guess it's an occupational hazard.

The job was a great experience and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys teamwork and giving excellent customer service.
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Thank you so much this has made me want to work for Virgin even more but I will take a job with any toc that comes up
 
telstarbox

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I don't doubt that VT are a good employer as I've always found their staff seem motivated and committed, but would also say don't get tunnel vision about particular jobs or companies. Try to remain open minded about opportunities - you might be surprised what employment would suit you best.
 
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red2005

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telstarbox said:
I don't doubt that VT are a good employer as I've always found their staff seem motivated and committed, but would also say don't get tunnel vision about particular jobs or companies. Try to remain open minded about opportunities - you might be surprised what employment would suit you best.
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I'm with you on this one!......there is this myth especially from those wanting to join the railway and some within it that virgin are the 'elite' because of the routes they work, the traction they use the money they earn and the speeds they go and everyone should have aspirations to work for them!

i don't!

i am under no doubt that they would be a great company to work for but remember there are plenty of good companies to work for on the network and shouldn't be discounted just because they don't get the same type of publicity that virgin do!........don't get sucked in by hype!

i for one work for a toc that is on my doorstep....pays less than virgin......works gorgeous scenic routes.......has great conditions....has fantastic colleagues........and you are left alone to do your job!......personally i wouldn't work anywhere else virgin included!.........I'd recommend my toc to anyone but each to their own.
 
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