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Trainee Depot Driver East Midlands Trains

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Twotwo

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Joined
10 Aug 2018
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586
Hi all, I failed at Assessment day stage a year ago but my OPC results are valid til November so I'm considering reapplying this time, just weighing up if I want to put myself through it all again as was gutted at failing last year. Has anything changed at all now it's not Midland Mainline and is Abellio instead?

Which part did you fail on? Only go for it if u are confident. I took a risk and resat my mmi after 6 months and luckily I passed it second time round.
 
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RailUK Forums

Joined
7 Oct 2015
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590
Hi all, I failed at Assessment day stage a year ago but my OPC results are valid til November so I'm considering reapplying this time, just weighing up if I want to put myself through it all again as was gutted at failing last year. Has anything changed at all now it's not Midland Mainline and is Abellio instead?

Midland Mainline?! If you do reapply make sure you read up on the company!
No nothing has changed, apart from we all got new ties.
 

Lopez

Member
Joined
1 Dec 2018
Messages
21
Midland Mainline?! If you do reapply make sure you read up on the company!
No nothing has changed, apart from we all got new ties.
Yes I realised my error after I’d posted - meant to put East Midlands trains obviously - just getting over that nasty flu and lack of sleep got the better of me I’m afraid.
 

Ception

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Joined
11 Jan 2017
Messages
27
Hi All
Does anyone know what routes kings cross drivers sign? Also do they adopt a true 4 day week roster?

Thanks
 
Joined
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590
Hi All
Does anyone know what routes kings cross drivers sign? Also do they adopt a true 4 day week roster?

Thanks

Another one who needs to research the company pre interview.
All new EMR mainline drivers have a 4 day week with Sundays inside the working week. Shed drivers at Derby and Notts is not a 4 day week.
 
Joined
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Which part did you fail on? Only go for it if u are confident. I took a risk and resat my mmi after 6 months and luckily I passed it second time round.
Hi twotwo, i also failed my MMI for EMR late last year, gutted but in reflexion i think id didnt prep enough for it, and it turned out tougher than i thought. How did you find the MMI second time around ???? Did it help having a little insight into what was required, i take it was as nerve wracking again second time around.
Also ive contacted OPC for feed back several times, but surprise, surprise as of yet i have had nothing back. Did you receive any feedback first time round, and if so was it helpful ???

Regards
 

Ptrains

Member
Joined
21 Nov 2019
Messages
43
Location
Derby
What is stage 2? Is it their assesment ?

As Dynamonic posted on the previous page;
Stage 2 is an EMR run assessment day, normally composed of some group exercises and ‘speed’ interviews.

In my case it was morning at their office in Derby along with around 40 other hopefuls, several group exercises followed by the speed interview - imagine speed dating and you won't be far wrong. If I recall there was just 3 questions and less than 2 minutes to answer before the bong sounds....
 

severussnape

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Joined
7 Feb 2019
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85
Has anyone been notified if they're on the March course yet?
Feeling a little concerned at the moment. If I'm not on a course by October, it's game over.
 

Dynamonic

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Joined
10 Jan 2013
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648
Location
Nottinghamshire
Has anyone been notified if they're on the March course yet?
Feeling a little concerned at the moment. If I'm not on a course by October, it's game over.

This recruitment drive is for courses commencing in 2020 and 2021, which would hopefully suggest the current Talent Pool will be emptied this year. :)
 
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Has anyone been notified if they're on the March course yet?
Feeling a little concerned at the moment. If I'm not on a course by October, it's game over.

I got told that the course in March will fill any remaining empty Kettering slots and be topped up with Nottingham candidates, roughly 5 of each probably.

Those wanting Derby have a long wait by all accounts. Apparently there are 36 people on a 27 man roster at Etches Park because the progression to mainline has ground to a halt and they bizarrely kept training more and more shed folk. All the Derby mentors and instructors are scheduled to train the Kettering mob.

To anyone whose assessment passes are due to expire, particularly if you stuck Derby as your preference, I'd advise ringing HR and see what sort of dates are available, and possibly proclaiming your love for all things great about Nottingham: dogboxes, Robin Hood, Lace, castle rock ale, Forest, trams and huge colleges of female nurses.
 

Ptrains

Member
Joined
21 Nov 2019
Messages
43
Location
Derby
Thanks for the heads up... I'm in the talent pool with Derby as my selected station. I've got just over a year before my part 1 expires, so no urgency in that respect, but I was hoping to get a start date around late spring or summer 2020.
I might give it until Easter and then email HR to see what my options are, as although I live in Derby I'd happily commute to Nottingham if it means I can get a start date this year.
 

severussnape

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Joined
7 Feb 2019
Messages
85
I got told that the course in March will fill any remaining empty Kettering slots and be topped up with Nottingham candidates, roughly 5 of each probably.

Those wanting Derby have a long wait by all accounts. Apparently there are 36 people on a 27 man roster at Etches Park because the progression to mainline has ground to a halt and they bizarrely kept training more and more shed folk. All the Derby mentors and instructors are scheduled to train the Kettering mob.

To anyone whose assessment passes are due to expire, particularly if you stuck Derby as your preference, I'd advise ringing HR and see what sort of dates are available, and possibly proclaiming your love for all things great about Nottingham: dogboxes, Robin Hood, Lace, castle rock ale, Forest, trams and huge colleges of female nurses.
Not looking good then as I have chosen Derby.
Cheers for the heads up.
 

SemaphoreSlim

Member
Joined
18 Apr 2019
Messages
19
I got told that the course in March will fill any remaining empty Kettering slots and be topped up with Nottingham candidates, roughly 5 of each probably.

Those wanting Derby have a long wait by all accounts. Apparently there are 36 people on a 27 man roster at Etches Park because the progression to mainline has ground to a halt and they bizarrely kept training more and more shed folk. All the Derby mentors and instructors are scheduled to train the Kettering mob.

To anyone whose assessment passes are due to expire, particularly if you stuck Derby as your preference, I'd advise ringing HR and see what sort of dates are available, and possibly proclaiming your love for all things great about Nottingham: dogboxes, Robin Hood, Lace, castle rock ale, Forest, trams and huge colleges of female nurses.

And 6 more starting in the depot on Monday too Monkey Spanker!
 
Joined
8 Nov 2019
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18
Location
Oxford
Here's a question then, what if somebody who has already passed everything applies for a role this time around? Ok so they have to sit the EMR assessment centre and DMI but they're scheduled for March and April. So let's say they get into the talent pool but their assessments expire in summer 2020? Will they be fished out of the pool sharpish and put on a course before the other people on here who have say still a year or so 'lifespan' on their assessments?
 

Dynamonic

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Joined
10 Jan 2013
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648
Location
Nottinghamshire
Here's a question then, what if somebody who has already passed everything applies for a role this time around? Ok so they have to sit the EMR assessment centre and DMI but they're scheduled for March and April. So let's say they get into the talent pool but their assessments expire in summer 2020? Will they be fished out of the pool sharpish and put on a course before the other people on here who have say still a year or so 'lifespan' on their assessments?

EMR normally accept passes that are under two years old, to ensure you can stay in the Talent Pool for the full duration if necessary.
If your passes are older then that, then you’d typically have to sit the assessments again. Hope this helps. :)
 
Joined
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EMR normally accept passes that are under two years old, to ensure you can stay in the Talent Pool for the full duration if necessary.
If your passes are older then that, then you’d typically have to sit the assessments again. Hope this helps. :)

Well, they're under two years old but due to expire in May & August respectively, however EMR's recruitment should be done and dusted by March according to their schedule...
 

2011dandd

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Joined
2 Nov 2018
Messages
97
Location
Northamptonshire
To those if you that are already employed with EMR, do you have any idea on how many people are in the talent pool at any one time?

From what has been said in previous posts, to me it sounds like Derby depot is very much over subscribed. But the job has recently been advertised again weeks if not days ok.

some moves from the talent pool are expected to be made surely? Wouldn’t they simply just advertise the job for notts depot drivers? Ic the case was that none will be needed in Derby for quite some time?
 
Joined
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590
To those if you that are already employed with EMR, do you have any idea on how many people are in the talent pool at any one time?

From what has been said in previous posts, to me it sounds like Derby depot is very much over subscribed. But the job has recently been advertised again weeks if not days ok.

some moves from the talent pool are expected to be made surely? Wouldn’t they simply just advertise the job for notts depot drivers? Ic the case was that none will be needed in Derby for quite some time?

I've always felt that the idea that tonnes of people are in the talent pool is utter nonsense. It's usually 2-3 course loads. I think I remember a recent intake had the figures - 2200 applicants, 500 stage 1 (GBT etc) , 80 stage 2 (speed interviews etc), 40 DMI, 24 stage 4 (mmi etc) of which most if not all passed. A few were taken on too with passes from elsewhere etc.

I'm guessing but they'll normally just use the same Derby/Notts advert everytime. The situation in 12 months could be reversed and they'd have shot themselves in the foot if they had a load of people in the talent pool who just lived in Grantham or somewhere. Once Kettering is up and running (Dec timetable I believe) Derby will be moving again I'm sure.
 

Bagnall

Member
Joined
1 Jun 2019
Messages
8
Hello

I’ve made it through the first sift :).

Can someone give me an example of a weekly shift pattern for a depot driver role please? And also if I was to progress to mainline what shift pattern could I expect?

I currently have a very good work life balance , and trying to way up the pros and cons before progressing further.

Thank you :)
 

Sapra

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Joined
21 May 2019
Messages
11
I have passed the initial sift, im really chuffed with that..The only bit im worried about is that I have already had two strikes on my OPC stage 1 testing, BUT on my last attemp I passed it all at the standard rate pass mark. Do I stand a chance getting through?
 

Stigy

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Joined
6 Nov 2009
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I have passed the initial sift, im really chuffed with that..The only bit im worried about is that I have already had two strikes on my OPC stage 1 testing, BUT on my last attemp I passed it all at the standard rate pass mark. Do I stand a chance getting through?
Are you saying you’ve used both attempts and failed to meet the enhanced standard, but have passed the national standard on your second attempt? If this is the case, then you’ll be okay as long as the TOC accept national passes. Unless I’m misreading it?
 

Sapra

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Joined
21 May 2019
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11
Are you saying you’ve used both attempts and failed to meet the enhanced standard, but have passed the national standard on your second attempt? If this is the case, then you’ll be okay as long as the TOC accept national passes. Unless I’m misreading it?

Yes Stigy thats exactly what I wanted to say, thank you very much for the reply you have put me at ease. I will just await for them to email me. Fingers crossed. Thanks again.
 
Joined
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Yes Stigy thats exactly what I wanted to say, thank you very much for the reply you have put me at ease. I will just await for them to email me. Fingers crossed. Thanks again.

You'll just have to do the GBT again. Pretty sure this 'enhanced score' thing is nonsense. EMT use the same passmark as every other TOC. They use the GBT to progress the number of candidates they want to for stage 2. i.e. if they have 200 people who have passed stage 1 (either with them or previously with another TOC) but only have 80 places on stage 2, they just use the 80 best scores on the GBT (the dots test). So that's what everyone reading this should be spending hours a day practicing...
 

Sapra

Member
Joined
21 May 2019
Messages
11
You'll just have to do the GBT again. Pretty sure this 'enhanced score' thing is nonsense. EMT use the same passmark as every other TOC. They use the GBT to progress the number of candidates they want to for stage 2. i.e. if they have 200 people who have passed stage 1 (either with them or previously with another TOC) but only have 80 places on stage 2, they just use the 80 best scores on the GBT (the dots test). So that's what everyone reading this should be spending hours a day practicing...

Thank you for that valuable reply you have give me and others. I do hope that EMT will honour that, and let me just sit the GBT. I will be practicing it as much as I can. Will look forward to hearing from them and will post you with an update. Your right this enhanced score malarky is nonsense and just not far. I have been a guard(senior conductor) for WMT for 10 years and its not fair that I have been refused applications for Trainee Train Driver roles because I have not met enhanced pass marks for OPC stage 1 testing.
 
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