Scotrail shift system.

Maximillion · 10 Jul 2019

@scotraildriver or anyone else, who may have the knowledge to answer this.

Hi i’m new to the board and have recently got through application and 1st assessment with scotrail, and i’m now awaiting interview with management.
I was wondering if you could give me a rough idea of the shift pattern, and any other pointers.
I have tried to find any illustration of the shifts but nothing shows up, although I did read that the new 6.5% pay offer was based upon flexibility etc, can you elaborate on this please.
I want to be able to demonstrate as much knowledge as possible regards the job, but we were all advised against going to depots, so Ive decided here is the next best option.
Thanks.

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scotraildriver · 10 Jul 2019

Shift pattern is earlies/lates and some nights depending on depot. Your days off are Mon/Tue week 1, Wed/Thu week 2 then Fri/Sat/Sun week3 then Mon/Tue again. Rural depots don't follow this pattern though. The pay deal didn't affect flexibility much. Some more flexibility with holidays.

Maximillion · 10 Jul 2019

Hi thanks for getting back.
It would hopefully be Airdrie @scotraildriver should I be successful in the DMI and 2nd assessment and MMI.
Only had 1st assessment yesterday so now trying to really ramp up my research.

scotraildriver · 10 Jul 2019

Just talk safety safety safety...

Maximillion · 10 Jul 2019

scotraildriver said:
Just talk safety safety safety...

My current role is safety motivated so I will give as much examples as I can with regards to it.
Can I just clarify the shifts as 2 banks of 7on 2 off followed by 5 off then the same again?

scotraildriver · 10 Jul 2019

No it's a weird system to anyone outside the railway. Your days off are a described above but you may or may not have a rostered Sunday in the middle. Sundays are "overtime" but that doesn't mean "voluntary". You will have 1 or 2 rostered Sundays per month which you must work, but are paid extra for. You won't be rostered a Sunday at your long weekend. ie Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon/Tue Days off.

Maximillion · 10 Jul 2019

Right yes I get you now.
Appreciate you getting back with regards to that @scotraildriver and giving me an idea of the system, just need to try and arrange a depot visit- advised not to- but first hand experience for an interview helps best when a novice.. I don’t want to sound like Im quoting news reports about ‘Abellio scotrail’ at the DMI, I want to gather as much info as possible.

scotraildriver · 10 Jul 2019

If you've been told not to visit a depot then don't do it! Everything in the railway is about following procedure and doing what you're asked/trained to do. If they've said don't visit a depot then don't visit a depot! It's all about doing as you are asked.

Maximillion · 11 Jul 2019

scotraildriver said:
If you've been told not to visit a depot then don't do it! Everything in the railway is about following procedure and doing what you're asked/trained to do. If they've said don't visit a depot then don't visit a depot! It's all about doing as you are asked.

@scotraildriver taken aboard, just need to search all I can find out and hopefully choose the right info for bullet point answers.

Ndlx · 11 Jul 2019

I start on 26th August and this is the first post I’ve seen about shift patterns etc. Could someone confirm if you work 7 days in a row or am I looking at the above shift pattern wrong? When you say sundays are ‘overtime’ shifts but you are rostered for them anyway, what is the rate of pay I.e time and a third etc?

Maximillion · 11 Jul 2019

Ndlx said:
I start on 26th August and this is the first post I’ve seen about shift patterns etc. Could someone confirm if you work 7 days in a row or am I looking at the above shift pattern wrong? When you say sundays are ‘overtime’ shifts but you are rostered for them anyway, what is the rate of pay I.e time and a third etc?

Think the way @scotraildriver above explains it well- seems to be a 3 week roster which entails 1 sunday to work per cycle - sunday being the start of the working week, so how I see it is

Week 1. Week 2. Week 3.
Mon. Off. On. On
Tue Off. On. On
Wed. On. Off. On
Thu. On. Off. On
Fri. On. On. Off
Sat On. On. Off
Sun. Off. On. Off

Then back to the start again it would just be start finish times would differ.

scotraildriver · 11 Jul 2019

Ndlx said:
I start on 26th August and this is the first post I’ve seen about shift patterns etc. Could someone confirm if you work 7 days in a row or am I looking at the above shift pattern wrong? When you say sundays are ‘overtime’ shifts but you are rostered for them anyway, what is the rate of pay I.e time and a third etc?

Yes. If you have booked Sunday you can work 7 days in a row. You can however, declare yourself unavailable for a Sunday and they will give the shift to someone else who wants an extra one. If no one wants it you are contracted to work it. You get a book on fee for a Sunday I think it's £75 but standard rate.

stuthomas06 · 17 Jul 2019

Hi @scotraildriver @Maximillion and @Ndlx,

I am in the same position as @Maximillion and I have passed the application and first assessment day for the drivers position and I have a managers interview on 01/08. I have been finding it difficult to find out information regading the role. There have been a lot of generalisations when answering questions when I have been gong through articles and forums, but this thread has by far been the most helpful so far! The information about the shift patterns is great! Could anyone advise what time an early and a late shift is?

My local depot is Bathgate or Edinburgh Haymarket. After my assessment day I was given the same advice as @Maximillion, Scotrail dont allow depot visits. But we were asked to find out as much information about your local depot as possible (types of trains, rote information etc). Again I have found accurate information this hard to come by, can anyone advise where is best to find this type of specific information out? I dont mind doing the research if you can point me in the right direction?

I was also wondering:
how many days annual leave you get as a driver?
Is the pension final salary?
Where do you do your training if you are sucessful?

Sorry for the bombardment of questions, I just want to give this my best shot and make sure Ive done as much prep as possible?

Cheers

Maximillion · 17 Jul 2019

stuthomas06 said:
Hi @scotraildriver @Maximillion and @Ndlx,

I am in the same position as @Maximillion and I have passed the application and first assessment day for the drivers position and I have a managers interview on 01/08. I have been finding it difficult to find out information regading the role. There have been a lot of generalisations when answering questions when I have been gong through articles and forums, but this thread has by far been the most helpful so far! The information about the shift patterns is great! Could anyone advise what time an early and a late shift is?

My local depot is Bathgate or Edinburgh Haymarket. After my assessment day I was given the same advice as @Maximillion, Scotrail dont allow depot visits. But we were asked to find out as much information about your local depot as possible (types of trains, rote information etc). Again I have found accurate information this hard to come by, can anyone advise where is best to find this type of specific information out? I dont mind doing the research if you can point me in the right direction?

I was also wondering:
how many days annual leave you get as a driver?
Is the pension final salary?
Where do you do your training if you are sucessful?

Sorry for the bombardment of questions, I just want to give this my best shot and make sure Ive done as much prep as possible?

Cheers

I was supposed to attend the DMI on 02/08 but I’m on holiday, and now at the back of the queue for a DMI. Now I just have to hope they come back to me sooner than some of the others on here. In a good way it allows me more prep time, always on eggshells wandering how long the piece of string is as to when my DMI can be re-scheduled for.

stuthomas06 · 18 Jul 2019

Maximillion said:
I was supposed to attend the DMI on 02/08 but I’m on holiday, and now at the back of the queue for a DMI. Now I just have to hope they come back to me sooner than some of the others on here. In a good way it allows me more prep time, always on eggshells wandering how long the piece of string is as to when my DMI can be re-scheduled for.

No worries, hopefully you get the call soon. Good luck when your time comes.

scotraildriver · 18 Jul 2019

Although depot visits have been stopped don't be afraid to go to Waverley station and ask random drivers stuff. Most (not all!) are friendly and will help you. Don't worry if you get a grump try someone else. Drivers can be recognised by their ASLEF tie. There are no drivers based at Haymarket depot it would be Waverley. Shifts vary depot to depot. Our earliest early is 3.50am latest finish 01.48.
Bathgate drivers drive from Edinburgh to Helensburgh on Class 334. That's all they do.
Edinburgh has much more variety, driving to Queen St, Fife, Dundee, Borders, North Berwick,Perth,Dunblane and others. They drive class 158, 170, HST, 380 and 385.

You get 4 weeks holiday plus several lieu days to use as you please.
The first few months classroom training is done at Atrium Court in Glasgow. After that you're based at the home depot.[/QUOTE]

stuthomas06 · 18 Jul 2019

scotraildriver said:
Although depot visits have been stopped don't be afraid to go to Waverley station and ask random drivers stuff. Most (not all!) are friendly and will help you. Don't worry if you get a grump try someone else. Drivers can be recognised by their ASLEF tie. There are no drivers based at Haymarket depot it would be Waverley. Shifts vary depot to depot. Our earliest early is 3.50am latest finish 01.48.
Bathgate drivers drive from Edinburgh to Helensburgh on Class 334. That's all they do.
Edinburgh has much more variety, driving to Queen St, Fife, Dundee, Borders, North Berwick,Perth,Dunblane and others. They drive class 158, 170, HST, 380 and 385.

You get 4 weeks holiday plus several lieu days to use as you please.
The first few months classroom training is done at Atrium Court in Glasgow. After that you're based at the home depot.

[/QUOTE]

@scotraildriver thanks for the reply. The info above is great, and appreciated! I will try and get through to Waverly either this weekend or next and see if I can speak to a driver.
With regards to the shifts thats really good to know. Do the length of the shift times vary also?
Sounds like Edinburgh would provide greater opportunities if I am sucessful.
The holidays can probably workout well if you can tie them into the 5 days off at the end of a 3 week cycle.
Is there an option join a final salary pension scheme? I have read that there is 2 or 3 different schemes?

scotraildriver · 18 Jul 2019

Shifts can vary in length yes. And you generally work at different shift every day to eliminate repetitive mistakes. Sometimes you are spare too and on a good day that can mean doing very little. Equally on a bad day you can be running around like mad!

It's not a final salary pension but it's a very good one. I only know of the Railway Pension scheme, I've not heard of any other ones in Scotrail although GBRF have a different one.

Ndlx · 18 Jul 2019

Great information. Do you know what routes drivers from Motherwell do and what class trains are used?

Also after your classroom based learning when you go your depot and before you achieve your licence do you get paid the extra for Sunday’s?

scotraildriver · 18 Jul 2019

Sorry I don't know Motherwell routes but it will be 328/320/334/385 traction I imagine. Maybe 156 and 158 as well. Not certain. You won't work Sundays when training.

Ndlx · 18 Jul 2019

No worries, cheers anyway!

So in the first year I won’t work a Sunday?

scotraildriver · 19 Jul 2019

Not unless it's deemed necessary to hurry you along. They won't pay overtime to someone in training.

stuthomas06 · 19 Jul 2019

scotraildriver said:
Shifts can vary in length yes. And you generally work at different shift every day to eliminate repetitive mistakes. Sometimes you are spare too and on a good day that can mean doing very little. Equally on a bad day you can be running around like mad!

It's not a final salary pension but it's a very good one. I only know of the Railway Pension scheme, I've not heard of any other ones in Scotrail although GBRF have a different one.

Thanks @scotraildriver

Bigdriver · 19 Jul 2019

Thanks for the info scotraildriver . Just waiting on a start date been a good few weeks since I passed the medical

chris7380 · 24 Jul 2019

scotraildriver said:
Sorry I don't know Motherwell routes but it will be 328/320/334/385 traction I imagine. Maybe 156 and 158 as well. Not certain. You won't work Sundays when training.

Hi scotraildriver,

Would you be able to help and answer a question or 2? I have an interview on the 1st August and I am looking to find out about what you do before you start your shift e.g. what checks you have to do on the train, visual, manual, route etc Any information would be a big help, Thanks in advance.

scotraildriver · 24 Jul 2019

You book on at the allocated time. Check late notices, emergency speed restrictions etc. Look at the SPAD notices for anything new. If you are taking over a train from someone else it's just a quick handover. If at the depot you may do a safety check or full prep. A safety check is a relatively quick check of safety equipment systems on the train. A full prep involves checking almost everything on the train is ok. Safety equipment, oils,coolant, sand, engines, lights, seats, doors and all other systems. It's quite involved. This is normally an early shift duty.

Edward Cairns · 24 Jul 2019

scotraildriver said:
Bathgate drivers drive from Edinburgh to Helensburgh on Class 334. That's all they do.

You say Bathgate drivers only do Edinburgh-Helensburgh, is that actually true as there at least a couple very early Airdrie-Balloch services that come from Bathgate and later on at night around 7/8ish there are Balloch-Airdrie services that terminate at airdrie but then immediately go straight to Bathgate depot to end the day for that train.

chris7380 · 25 Jul 2019

scotraildriver said:
You book on at the allocated time. Check late notices, emergency speed restrictions etc. Look at the SPAD notices for anything new. If you are taking over a train from someone else it's just a quick handover. If at the depot you may do a safety check or full prep. A safety check is a relatively quick check of safety equipment systems on the train. A full prep involves checking almost everything on the train is ok. Safety equipment, oils,coolant, sand, engines, lights, seats, doors and all other systems. It's quite involved. This is normally an early shift duty.

Thats great, can't thank you enough for your time.

Scotrail shift system.

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