Southern Trainee Train Driver (Metro Depots Only)

MostlyHarmless · 22 Mar 2018

Jose Manuel said:
will a two month notice be something negative in the application?

Well it is what is is I guess - just put it down unless you are confident that your employer will let you go earlier. Looking at threads on here it seems that the time between being offered a job and the starting date can often be considerable so it may not be an issue anyway. If its any consolation, my notice period is 6 weeks but doesn't seem to have hindered my application (with another TOC)

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Saracen_83 · 22 Mar 2018

I didn’t even see that question on the app lol

Jose Manuel · 22 Mar 2018

MostlyHarmless said:
Well it is what is is I guess - just put it down unless you are confident that your employer will let you go earlier. Looking at threads on here it seems that the time between being offered a job and the starting date can often be considerable so it may not be an issue anyway. If its any consolation, my notice period is 6 weeks but doesn't seem to have hindered my application (with another TOC)

Yeah, I guess it is what it is. I just recently got a new job, and during the first 6 months is a month, but after that, jumps to two months. Hopefully there enough time from being offered a job and the starting date.

thanks!

osh91 · 22 Mar 2018

Been trying since yesterday to get the application sorted but the website keeps failing me.
Was able to get into the application form twice but was frozen out

Any time i go to login its loading until the page times out and other times its not even letting into the login/careers page itself

Anyone having the same problem???

Cheers

MarTrainDriver · 22 Mar 2018

Can anyone confirm whether there is a limit on the distance/time that you currently have to live from the depots? Nothing is specified in the job advert

Adamski · 22 Mar 2018

I can't even sign in to my gtr account. They obviously have website gremlins.

Jimmy86 · 22 Mar 2018

stay patient guys, it took me about an hour on Tuesday to get through each stage but you'll get there.

MarTrainDriver - I've seen other TOCs say within 60 minutes

MarTrainDriver · 22 Mar 2018

Jimmy86 said:
stay patient guys, it took me about an hour on Tuesday to get through each stage but you'll get there.

MarTrainDriver - I've seen other TOCs say within 60 minutes

I too have seen nearly every other trainee driver job advert state the 60 minutes but this one mentions nothing

Nobby · 22 Mar 2018

MarTrainDriver said:
I too have seen nearly every other trainee driver job advert state the 60 minutes but this one mentions nothing

You can't mention the minimum distance if you don't mention the actual depots where the trainees will be based, otherwise how would you know if you lived 60 minutes away?

Adamski · 23 Mar 2018

Is it worth applying for this position as I've applied for Orpington or would it be dentrimental? TIA

Jaydon Jay · 23 Mar 2018

Hey guys I would like abit of advice if you don't mind... Ive passed all the assessments along with my MMI interview, do you think my next step should be to contact HR to inform them of my position & hopefully get fast tracked to my DMI and medical. What would you do in ny position guys?

MostlyHarmless · 23 Mar 2018

Jaydon Jay said:
Hey guys I would like abit of advice if you don't mind... Ive passed all the assessments along with my MMI interview, do you think my next step should be to contact HR to inform them of my position & hopefully get fast tracked to my DMI and medical. What would you do in ny position guys?

I'm pretty sure HR will know that you have passed and will be making arrangements for the next stages for you. My experience of HR is that they will move at their own speed and that will depend on how busy they are! I've been waiting 3 weeks for a DMI date but I know they are very busy so I'm not going to hassle them at the moment.

I'd give it a couple of weeks at least before you contact them

purplepaj · 23 Mar 2018

Nobby said:
Did you apply for Thameslink as well?

No. I can only think that because I ticked the 'I have applied before' box, their software has rejected me.
Shame really as I haven't failed anything, and they said I would be 'welcome to apply again in the future'. Clearly not so!

Emmsie · 23 Mar 2018

purplepaj said:
No. I can only think that because I ticked the 'I have applied before' box, their software has rejected me.
Shame really as I haven't failed anything, and they said I would be 'welcome to apply again in the future'. Clearly not so![/QUOTE
Its

You have to wait 6 months before you can apply again if it is a similar job role

Saracen_83 · 23 Mar 2018

Emmsie said:
You have to wait 6 months before you can apply again if it is a similar job role

OPC and GTR southern confirm to me if you passed the tests to national standard but was rejected from a toc who has enhanced as you failed to enhanced level, you can apply to any toc that allows national only. (Unless, like thameslink they specifically state otherwise)

If you wish to apply to the same toc, or any toc where enhanced standard is required, this has to be 6 months later.

I can apply for southern as I passed stage 1 to enhanced except GB, so I can apply to southern but have to wait 6 months to reapply to arriva or any other toc that requires enhanced.

Hope this helps

purplepaj · 23 Mar 2018

Emmsie said:
You have to wait 6 months before you can apply again if it is a similar job role

My previous application was just over a year ago.

purplepaj · 23 Mar 2018

Matt711 said:
OPC and GTR southern confirm to me if you passed the tests to national standard but was rejected from a toc who has enhanced as you failed to enhanced level, you can apply to any toc that allows national only. (Unless, like thameslink they specifically state otherwise)

If you wish to apply to the same toc, or any toc where enhanced standard is required, this has to be 6 months later.

I can apply for southern as I passed stage 1 to enhanced except GB, so I can apply to southern but have to wait 6 months to reapply to arriva or any other toc that requires enhanced.

Hope this helps

As above. Unfortunately they must be screening out more than they are publicly saying.

Emmsie · 23 Mar 2018

purplepaj said:
As above. Unfortunately they must be screening out more than they are publicly saying.

Thats does seem odd, have you doubled checked your application to make sure you haven't inadvertently changed an answer. Rejecting you 15 minutes after you applied at 10pm seems unusual

Rachael92 · 23 Mar 2018

Can you still apply for this even if you already have an on going application with GTR for Thameslink?

rhys37429 · 24 Mar 2018

whats the difference between a normal depot and a metro depot?

Barry K · 24 Mar 2018

rhys37429 said:
whats the difference between a normal depot and a metro depot?

Essentially,you'll be on the "Southern Metro" network, doing commuter locals, as opposed to the main Southern network doing Fast and Semi-Fast. So Caterham/Tattenham Corner, Vic-London Bridge, Sutton Loop etc

Adamski · 24 Mar 2018

Rachael92 said:
Can you still apply for this even if you already have an on going application with GTR for Thameslink?

Did you apply for both?

IKB · 24 Mar 2018

rhys37429 said:
whats the difference between a normal depot and a metro depot?

A "metro" depot is essentially a depot inside the London Metro area (which broadly mirrors the Oyster travel zone, with exceptions...no pedants, please don't write in). They are London Victoria, London Bridge, Selhurst, Norwood Jn, Caterham, Epsom. You won't get Caterham or Epsom as a trainee as there's an internal waiting list. You could get any of the others, although Selhurst and Victoria are taking most of the trainees at the moment (which stands to reason as they are the biggest). If at Selhurst or Vic you will do almost exculsively Metro work in the bottom links for several years. There is a fair amount semi-fast Epsom/Dorking/Grinstead/Tattenham stuff in with that Metro work. The new timetable change in May is recasting what routes depots are retaining, so watch this space. But as mentioned, essentially you'd be doing a lot of stop/go Metro work. Don't expect to be doing 90mph down to Brighton within your first ten years.

rhys37429 · 24 Mar 2018

IKB said:
A "metro" depot is essentially a depot inside the London Metro area (which broadly mirrors the Oyster travel zone, with exceptions...no pedants, please don't write in). They are London Victoria, London Bridge, Selhurst, Norwood Jn, Caterham, Epsom. You won't get Caterham or Epsom as a trainee as there's an internal waiting list. You could get any of the others, although Selhurst and Victoria are taking most of the trainees at the moment (which stands to reason as they are the biggest). If at Selhurst or Vic you will do almost exculsively Metro work in the bottom links for several years. There is a fair amount semi-fast Epsom/Dorking/Grinstead/Tattenham stuff in with that Metro work. The new timetable change in May is recasting what routes depots are retaining, so watch this space. But as mentioned, essentially you'd be doing a lot of stop/go Metro work. Don't expect to be doing 90mph down to Brighton within your first ten years.

I'm assuming mainly DOO trains.

tsr · 24 Mar 2018

IKB said:
A "metro" depot is essentially a depot inside the London Metro area (which broadly mirrors the Oyster travel zone, with exceptions...no pedants, please don't write in). They are London Victoria, London Bridge, Selhurst, Norwood Jn, Caterham, Epsom. You won't get Caterham or Epsom as a trainee as there's an internal waiting list.

To be fair, Epsom has actually had one or two trainees of late, though I can't see many (if any) more, unless their work expands somewhat.

(It's a tiny depot anyway... both in terms of establishment numbers and its physical size... it's basically a very large store cupboard with some drivers inside it!

)

Norwood is much favoured by trainees at the moment, but it's touch and go whether anyone much will get to go there now. Selhurst and Victoria are indeed favourites. But all 3 are hardly small depots.

There is a fair amount semi-fast Epsom/Dorking/Grinstead/Tattenham stuff in with that Metro work.

Perhaps at Victoria. Selhurst is a bit more of a repetitive one for routes served by drivers in the bottom links - exciting destinations like Caterham, Tattenham Corner, Caterham again, Caterham and Tattenham Corner...

rhys37429 said:
I'm assuming mainly DOO trains.

Almost entirely. You may well work trains with guards whilst undergoing training (except perhaps at London Bridge, depending on rostering - and assuming Caterham has no trainees), but many drivers could then theoretically go years without working a train with a guard.

Barry K · 24 Mar 2018

tsr said:
Selhurst is a bit more of a repetitive one for routes served by drivers in the bottom links - exciting destinations like Caterham, Tattenham Corner, Caterham again, Caterham and Tattenham Corner...

That'd do for me! I could drop my empty hot-cup at WHS on the way to Caterham, and pick it up full on the way back, and the other half could bring the baby to wave to Daddy at the level crossing......

387star · 24 Mar 2018

Selhurst and Norwood depots are pretty much at the same place.

Has there always been two distinct depots ?

I think Norwood has the better work

tsr · 24 Mar 2018

387star said:
Selhurst and Norwood depots are pretty much at the same place.

Has there always been two distinct depots ?

I think Norwood has the better work

The distinct depots go back some way.

Norwood used to handle much more by way of long distance work, freight and suchlike. Wider route knowledge still applies to the top link drivers. At one point, they would have been much more involved in the Down side freight facilities at Norwood, which isn’t even so much a shadow of its former self.

Selhurst drivers traditionally do seem to get more of the repetitive metro-esque work, though their more senior drivers go a little further out to Brighton, and the depot still retains work to the boundaries with trains from the Wessex area - Guildford is one example, and Reigate may as well be.

(The close proximity when viewed by train is a bit of an illusion, anyway, as Norwood Yard is very much an individually identified place when compared to Selhurst Depot, and drivers book on in completely separate buildings...)

Rachael92 · 25 Mar 2018

Adamski said:
Did you apply for both?

My application with Thameslink is at MMI stage which is in a week or so. I don't want to miss the opportunity if I do fail at the MMI.

baz962 · 25 Mar 2018

Rachael92 said:
My application with Thameslink is at MMI stage which is in a week or so. I don't want to miss the opportunity if I do fail at the MMI.

If you fail the mmi, you have to wait six months to go again.

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