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GWR Paddington drivers

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Musti

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21 Mar 2019
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Hello all. I was hoping someone could help me get an idea on Paddington as a depot to work for. Ideally things such as:
•Routes and traction signed
•Diagram examples (typical day)
•Possibility of a permanent swap to earlies/lates?
•Staff parking
•Are Sundays committed? How easy/hard is it to decline working them?
•Do qualified drivers go in on a reduced rate salary initially and for how long?

Any insight you can offer will be very much appreciated.

Thank you all in advance
 
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Musti

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Where are all you GWR experts hiding?
Just kidding, if anyone has any info it will be much appreciated as I'm currently weighing my options.
 
T

theironroad

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Hi,

Same questions here if anyone can help.

I'd be interested in what GWR at Reading do as well?

I know gwr are losing work to cross rail from December, just not sure what will be left for paddington and reading drivers?

Thanks
 
C

CharlesR

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From 2020 you would be on 51k for the first 12 months rising to 62k once completed. You can be diagrammed a Sunday however you can decline with enough notice in the week (unsure what it is for drivers, sorry.)

Paddington LTV:
Paddington - Reading - Didcot/Oxford
Reading - Newbury/Bedwyn
Paddington/West Ealing - Greenford
Maidenhead - Bourne End
Twyford - Henley-on-Thames
Slough - Windsor & Eton Central
Redhill - Gatwick Airport

Paddington HSS:
London - Bristol (all variations)
Bristol - Taunton
Reading - Exeter St Davids via B&H.
Didcot - Oxford
Swindon - Cheltenham Spa
Bristol Parkway - Swansea via Pontyclun
West Ealing - Old Oak Common West via Park Royal
Old Oak Common Depot

Reading and Paddington will still have plenty of work come December.
 
T

theironroad

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CharlesR said:
From 2020 you would be on 51k for the first 12 months rising to 62k once completed. You can be diagrammed a Sunday however you can decline with enough notice in the week (unsure what it is for drivers, sorry.)

Paddington LTV:
Paddington - Reading - Didcot/Oxford
Reading - Newbury/Bedwyn
Paddington/West Ealing - Greenford
Maidenhead - Bourne End
Twyford - Henley-on-Thames
Slough - Windsor & Eton Central
Redhill - Gatwick Airport

Paddington HSS:
London - Bristol (all variations)
Bristol - Taunton
Reading - Exeter St Davids via B&H.
Didcot - Oxford
Swindon - Cheltenham Spa
Bristol Parkway - Swansea via Pontyclun
West Ealing - Old Oak Common West via Park Royal
Old Oak Common Depot

Reading and Paddington will still have plenty of work come December.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for that list.

I guess that it takes years and years to move from the pad LTV link to the hss one?

Will Heathrow express work become part of the ltv link as well?
 
I

irish_rail

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No more movement between LTV link and HSS link. You would be LTV (GWR) forever, although over time it is likely that as HSS drivers retire some of their work will be handed over to LTV drivers.
 
S

Stigy

Established Member
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Musti said:
Hello all. I was hoping someone could help me get an idea on Paddington as a depot to work for. Ideally things such as:
•Routes and traction signed
•Diagram examples (typical day)
•Possibility of a permanent swap to earlies/lates?
•Staff parking
•Are Sundays committed? How easy/hard is it to decline working them?
•Do qualified drivers go in on a reduced rate salary initially and for how long?

Any insight you can offer will be very much appreciated.

Thank you all in advance
Click to expand...
Re the salary, it’s 90% of the full salary on entry for qualified drivers for the first year. That will be 90% of £61k ish though from next year I believe.

Edit: just seen this has already been posted above.
 
K

KT530

Member
Joined
12 Jan 2013
Messages
184
CharlesR said:
From 2020 you would be on 51k for the first 12 months rising to 62k once completed. You can be diagrammed a Sunday however you can decline with enough notice in the week (unsure what it is for drivers, sorry.)

Paddington LTV:
Paddington - Reading - Didcot/Oxford
Reading - Newbury/Bedwyn
Paddington/West Ealing - Greenford
Maidenhead - Bourne End
Twyford - Henley-on-Thames
Slough - Windsor & Eton Central
Redhill - Gatwick Airport

Paddington HSS:
London - Bristol (all variations)
Bristol - Taunton
Reading - Exeter St Davids via B&H.
Didcot - Oxford
Swindon - Cheltenham Spa
Bristol Parkway - Swansea via Pontyclun
West Ealing - Old Oak Common West via Park Royal
Old Oak Common Depot

Reading and Paddington will still have plenty of work come December.
Click to expand...
theironroad said:
Hi,

Same questions here if anyone can help.

I'd be interested in what GWR at Reading do as well?

I know gwr are losing work to cross rail from December, just not sure what will be left for paddington and reading drivers?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Re above, Padd depot do not sign Bourne end, Henley, Redhill or Gatwick.

Reading Driver Depot (5 Links):

Paddington - Reading - Didcot
Didcot - Oxford
Reading - Newbury
Paddington - Bedwyn
Reading - Basingstoke
Reading - Gatwick Airport
Twyford - Henley on Thames
Maidenhead - Marlow
Slough - Windsor & Eton Central

Traction is 165/6, 387, 800 & 769s from next year.

800s currently only Link 1, more than likely Link 2 aswell from December.

Links 1 and 2 sign Reading-Gatwick, takes on average 5-6 years to get to Link 2.

Reading is by far the largest depot in the East region, a nice mix of work and overtime for those that want it.

Earlies, lates and about 4 weeks of nights per year. Permanent swaps available.

TfL Rail are only taking 2 stopping services an hour from GWR, Reading depot will be running new fast services Padd-Reading-Newbury, plus other service enhancements mean plenty of work available.
 
8

800 Driver

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Messages
89
Location
London
Paddington GWR Driver (ex LTV) All Links sign 800s, 802s, 165s, 166s and 387s

Routes:
Padd - Bristol (Top Link)
Padd to Oxford (inc Padd to Didcot stoppers)
Padd to Bedwyn (inc Reading - Newbury stoppers)
West Ealing to Greenford
Slough - Windsor
North Pole Depot and Reading TCD

Top link is starting to sign Bristol (via Box and Pky) and will add the other HSS routes over the next few years as HSS is 'ring fenced' and no one else can move in, more long distance routes will transfer over to GWR Drivers in the next few years. (Current HSS Padd Routes are Bristol, Cheltenham, Swansea and Exeter).

It's a nice mix of high speed, local, suburban and branch lines. You'll sign 125mph traction.

Earliest start 02.30 latest finish 02.00. Night turn every 12 weeks.
60% of the depot have permanent swaps, so only do earlies or lates.
Sundays are outside, new recruits will have a commitment, but seeing as most of the depot don't it's not that enforceable.
Nice bunch of people on the GWR side (younger than HSS)
Great diagram parameters too in GWR
 
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W

Welshman04

Member
Joined
1 Jul 2020
Messages
8
Location
Northampton
Hello,

Im thinking about applying for a drivers job at Bristol Temple Meads, does anyone know the above information for this depot? Any help would be appreciated
 
T

theironroad

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Messages
3,697
Location
London
Welshman04 said:
Hello,

Im thinking about applying for a drivers job at Bristol Temple Meads, does anyone know the above information for this depot? Any help would be appreciated
Click to expand...

Can't help really as don't work for them, but the routes and traction are in a 'sticky' post at the top of the jobs section which will be a start.
 
tiptoptaff

tiptoptaff

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Joined
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Messages
3,017
Welshman04 said:
Hello,

Im thinking about applying for a drivers job at Bristol Temple Meads, does anyone know the above information for this depot? Any help would be appreciated
Click to expand...
Qualified or Trainee?

Looks like New trainees will go to SPM as depot drivers for a minimum of 2years before being eligible to transfer to the mainline depot. Or at least, that's the plan, with the last campaign only advertising SPM depot drivers.

In any case, current trainees and new qualified drivers start in the starter link, doing only BTM-Cardiff, Weston Super Mare, Severn Beach and Bristol Parkway. Plus SPM depot. Traction is 16x and 150+158.
Earliest start 0250 last off 0100ish
Nights every 5 weeks in the bottom link

Move to next link up moves relatively quickly and this adds Taunton and 2+4s. Nights still frequent in this link.

Link 2 add Gloucester and Westbury, Frome and Warminster. Nights less frequent, think only two weeks a year.

Link 1B add Portsmouth and Weymouth (although this may go to link 2 for 2+4s) and lose 2+4HST. No nights.

Link 1A as per 1B but gain 800s and Reading. 1A and 1B were due to be combined in the May timetable just gone but been deferred due to Covid. For a new driver coming in, 1Aand1B may as well be treated the same as they will be combined by the time you get there.
 
I

irish_rail

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Location
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theironroad said:
How often are nights at Plymouth for the new entrant (quakified) in the gwr link and will that get worse as time goes on? Thanks.
Click to expand...
No nights on the GWR side at present. All covered by HSS. We have a night only link at plymouth , and eventually manouverers will start and one would expect them to have some night work. So you wouldn't have any nights at first and eventually you may end up doing some, but provided a night link remains I wouldn't worry too much on them.
 
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theironroad

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irish_rail said:
No nights on the GWR side at present. All covered by HSS. We have a night only link at plymouth , and eventually manouverers will start and one would expect them to have some night work. So you wouldn't have any nights at first and eventually you may end up doing some, but provided a night link remains I wouldn't worry too much on them.
Click to expand...

Definite positive there, don't mind lates just don't really want full nights.
 
I

irish_rail

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theironroad said:
Definite positive there, don't mind lates just don't really want full nights.
Click to expand...
I get that , tho you should be prepared to do some nights at some point in future, personally I do them about 4 times a year. The night link may not stay forever, and we don't know exactly what the manouverer grade will be doing yet, so if nights is that big of a no no think carefully about applying to plymouth, as due to Laira, night work is likely to be around here for some time to come.
 
T

theironroad

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irish_rail said:
I get that , tho you should be prepared to do some nights at some point in future, personally I do them about 4 times a year. The night link may not stay forever, and we don't know exactly what the manouverer grade will be doing yet, so if nights is that big of a no no think carefully about applying to plymouth, as due to Laira, night work is likely to be around here for some time to come.
Click to expand...

Sure, understand.

I'd have thought a manouverer was like a depot driver, drives within depot limits and does preps. Paid less than mainline driver's though and possibly with different hours and t&c but still recognized by aslef.
 
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irish_rail

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Location
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theironroad said:
Sure, understand.

I'd have thought a manouverer was like a depot driver, drives within depot limits and does preps. Paid less than mainline driver's though and possibly with different hours and t&c but still recognized by aslef.
Click to expand...
Pretty much, yeah. But as none have started yet we cannot be sure. Though I'd say that is likely and they are definitely on less pay than mainline I know that much.
 
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Welshman04

Member
Joined
1 Jul 2020
Messages
8
Location
Northampton
tiptoptaff said:
Qualified or Trainee?

Looks like New trainees will go to SPM as depot drivers for a minimum of 2years before being eligible to transfer to the mainline depot. Or at least, that's the plan, with the last campaign only advertising SPM depot drivers.

In any case, current trainees and new qualified drivers start in the starter link, doing only BTM-Cardiff, Weston Super Mare, Severn Beach and Bristol Parkway. Plus SPM depot. Traction is 16x and 150+158.
Earliest start 0250 last off 0100ish
Nights every 5 weeks in the bottom link

Move to next link up moves relatively quickly and this adds Taunton and 2+4s. Nights still frequent in this link.

Link 2 add Gloucester and Westbury, Frome and Warminster. Nights less frequent, think only two weeks a year.

Link 1B add Portsmouth and Weymouth (although this may go to link 2 for 2+4s) and lose 2+4HST. No nights.

Link 1A as per 1B but gain 800s and Reading. 1A and 1B were due to be combined in the May timetable just gone but been deferred due to Covid. For a new driver coming in, 1Aand1B may as well be treated the same as they will be combined by the time you get there.
Click to expand...

Thanks for taking the time to reply with all that information, that's a massive help. I would be applying as a Qualified Driver, I wish I could apply now because that job advert has been open for over a year I think but personal circumstances are stopping me from moving back to Wales just yet. Knowing my luck the job advert will close when I'm ready to apply.

I can see a few complaints about night shifts haha I've only worked for one toc but our night shifts are some of the easiest work we've got. Yes you get the odd running turn but normally it's just preps and shunting with an early finish
 
tiptoptaff

tiptoptaff

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Welshman04 said:
Thanks for taking the time to reply with all that information, that's a massive help. I would be applying as a Qualified Driver, I wish I could apply now because that job advert has been open for over a year I think but personal circumstances are stopping me from moving back to Wales just yet. Knowing my luck the job advert will close when I'm ready to apply.

I can see a few complaints about night shifts haha I've only worked for one toc but our night shifts are some of the easiest work we've got. Yes you get the odd running turn but normally it's just preps and shunting with an early finish
Click to expand...
Nights are busy at Bristol. SPM is where you'll do your nights and it's very busy. Frequently find there's not the 4booked night drivers either, which doesn't help
 
tiptoptaff

tiptoptaff

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Class2ldn said:
Is there any gwr depots that dont have nights?
Click to expand...
No. Several haven't got many, some haven't got them in some links, but off hand, all depots, both HSS and GWR depots have nights

Edit - I believe that actually, only Plymouth GWR currently doesn't have nights, but that's more than likely to change as the work moves over
 
S

Stigy

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tiptoptaff said:
No. Several haven't got many, some haven't got them in some links, but off hand, all depots, both HSS and GWR depots have nights

Edit - I believe that actually, only Plymouth GWR currently doesn't have nights, but that's more than likely to change as the work moves over
Click to expand...
Fratton doesn’t have a proper night shift, does that count?
 
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