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GWR Train Driver talent pool

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jacey

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29 Sep 2020
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115
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UK
18 months on the waiting list for me, but we stay positive the call will come one day.......o_O
 

officewalla

Member
Joined
4 Aug 2021
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11
Location
Oxfordshire
Got called mid June for the Oct 18th start day for the course. Medical on Jul 1st, coupe of weeks wait and contract has arrived. I passed the process and was placed into the 19/20 talent pool for Oxford in Apr 2019.

Taking the severely reduced training conducted into account, I am more than happy to get my chance.

As a reassurance to external and older candidates, I am very firmly in the external category having had no railways experience whatsoever and I am well over 50.

If you are the right candidate then you will get an offer is what I take away from the whole experience.
 

dabollicks

Member
Joined
30 Jun 2019
Messages
99
that's a long time i hope you get that sorted soon. Have you heard anything at all ?

correct me if im wrong but didn't you change depots ? maybe why its taking time
Yeah. I had an email back in February saying that the depot I applied for wasn’t recruiting any time soon and would I like to keep my application going by changing depot
 

jacey

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Joined
29 Sep 2020
Messages
115
Location
UK
Got called mid June for the Oct 18th start day for the course. Medical on Jul 1st, coupe of weeks wait and contract has arrived. I passed the process and was placed into the 19/20 talent pool for Oxford in Apr 2019.

Taking the severely reduced training conducted into account, I am more than happy to get my chance.

As a reassurance to external and older candidates, I am very firmly in the external category having had no railways experience whatsoever and I am well over 50.

If you are the right candidate then you will get an offer is what I take away from the whole experience.
Well done mate, that's so good to hear gives people hope and its a nice story.



Yeah. I had an email back in February saying that the depot I applied for wasn’t recruiting any time soon and would I like to keep my application going by changing depot
fingers crossed Plymouth picks up soon mate and we all hear something.
 
Joined
1 Mar 2018
Messages
988
Anyone heard any updates? Feel like this is never going to happen anymore

It's very ad hoc at the moment. I got the call a couple of weeks ago and assuming the medical goes OK next week I'll start in January for Paddington. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to it so hang on in there
 

Cowcow15

Member
Joined
17 Jul 2019
Messages
46
Just seen they are recruiting for a qualified driver talent pool at both exeter st davids and plymouth. I think this is positive news for us sat in exisiting trainiee talent pools as it shows the demand for drivers is still strong.

Would appreciate others views.......
 

crwl

Member
Joined
17 Apr 2021
Messages
22
Location
SW England
Just seen they are recruiting for a qualified driver talent pool at both exeter st davids and plymouth. I think this is positive news for us sat in exisiting trainiee talent pools as it shows the demand for drivers is still strong.

Would appreciate others views.......
Not 100% with regards to Plymouth and Exeter, but the Qualified vacancy for Penzance was open at the time I applied (November 2018) and has been open for the entire team, bar one week where it vanished and then re-appeared the week after.

I don't know if many qualified drivers have started based on these vacancies, you don't seem to seem to get many post on here about qualified transfers. The fact it has been open for so long may be a positive, or it may be they just keep the vacancy open because they're not flooded with applicants like they would for trainees, and there's not a lot to lose.
 

T-Karmel

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Joined
20 Mar 2010
Messages
394
Location
London
Just seen they are recruiting for a qualified driver talent pool at both exeter st davids and plymouth. I think this is positive news for us sat in exisiting trainiee talent pools as it shows the demand for drivers is still strong.

Would appreciate others views.......
Agree with crwl and can say for myself, I've seen those Qualified vacancies open for the majority of that time for most of the depots.
 

G30RG3

Member
Joined
4 Jul 2019
Messages
77
Anyone heard any updates? Feel like this is never going to happen anymore
Come November I will also be 1 year in and waiting since DMI. Its a long haul and does feel like you'll never hear at times. There is hope if you look at the waiting times from some of the recruits on this forum though. Unfortunately I cannot find any prospective news for Plymouth, despite searching. Hopefully time will tell
 

WishIHadAName

Member
Joined
8 Jul 2015
Messages
46
Not 100% with regards to Plymouth and Exeter, but the Qualified vacancy for Penzance was open at the time I applied (November 2018) and has been open for the entire team, bar one week where it vanished and then re-appeared the week after.

I don't know if many qualified drivers have started based on these vacancies, you don't seem to seem to get many post on here about qualified transfers. The fact it has been open for so long may be a positive, or it may be they just keep the vacancy open because they're not flooded with applicants like they would for trainees, and there's not a lot to lose.
Id be interested to hear if anyone qualified has moved to either Plymouth or Exeter as considering a move myself in the future.
 

irish_rail

Established Member
Joined
30 Oct 2013
Messages
3,812
Location
Plymouth
Can only comment on Plymouth, to my knowledge we have had one possibly 2 qualifieds join in recent times.
Remarkably few really.
I guess many wishing to relocate choose Cornwall or Exeter rather than Plymouth which is perhaps seen as a little less idyllic....
Work wise at present the new drivers to Plymouth only signing Laira, Gunnislake , Looe, Newquay and Par to Taunton which isn't a great route card, BUT this will inevitably improve in time as training gets done.
Exeter seems to be getting the better work for the none HSS drivers, with newer drivers signing the route to Reading.
I'd still say Plymouth will become an excellent depot in time for newer drivers and don't let the current poor route card for new starters put you off. After all the HSS drivers we sign all the way from Paddington to Penzance and that work has to go somewhere at some point...

And just to add, training of trainees is very much in full swing now and I'm led to believe there will be a moving conveyor belt of new starters in the coming few years , apparently they have been interviewing trainees again recently...
 
Joined
1 Mar 2018
Messages
988
Can only comment on Plymouth, to my knowledge we have had one possibly 2 qualifieds join in recent times.
Remarkably few really.
I guess many wishing to relocate choose Cornwall or Exeter rather than Plymouth which is perhaps seen as a little less idyllic....
Work wise at present the new drivers to Plymouth only signing Laira, Gunnislake , Looe, Newquay and Par to Taunton which isn't a great route card, BUT this will inevitably improve in time as training gets done.
Exeter seems to be getting the better work for the none HSS drivers, with newer drivers signing the route to Reading.
I'd still say Plymouth will become an excellent depot in time for newer drivers and don't let the current poor route card for new starters put you off. After all the HSS drivers we sign all the way from Paddington to Penzance and that work has to go somewhere at some point...

And just to add, training of trainees is very much in full swing now and I'm led to believe there will be a moving conveyor belt of new starters in the coming few years , apparently they have been interviewing trainees again recently...

I'd love to work Plymouth and those routes but persuading my other half to move down there would be very difficult so Paddington it is for the time being!
 

dabollicks

Member
Joined
30 Jun 2019
Messages
99
Can only comment on Plymouth, to my knowledge we have had one possibly 2 qualifieds join in recent times.
Remarkably few really.
I guess many wishing to relocate choose Cornwall or Exeter rather than Plymouth which is perhaps seen as a little less idyllic....
Work wise at present the new drivers to Plymouth only signing Laira, Gunnislake , Looe, Newquay and Par to Taunton which isn't a great route card, BUT this will inevitably improve in time as training gets done.
Exeter seems to be getting the better work for the none HSS drivers, with newer drivers signing the route to Reading.
I'd still say Plymouth will become an excellent depot in time for newer drivers and don't let the current poor route card for new starters put you off. After all the HSS drivers we sign all the way from Paddington to Penzance and that work has to go somewhere at some point...

And just to add, training of trainees is very much in full swing now and I'm led to believe there will be a moving conveyor belt of new starters in the coming few years , apparently they have been interviewing trainees again recently...
Good to hear that interviews are happening. Might get one soon then
 

irish_rail

Established Member
Joined
30 Oct 2013
Messages
3,812
Location
Plymouth
Where do train crew sign on for Plymouth? At the depot or Plymouth station?
Plymouth Station, however I believe the next batch of trainees will be for Laira depot , and start on 70 percent of the mainline salary. That would involve booking on at Laira depot . 2 years before you could apply to go into the mainline links. I'm unsure if qualified drivers would have to start on Laira or go straight to the mainline....
 

WishIHadAName

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Joined
8 Jul 2015
Messages
46
Hope not as 70% salary would not be very attractive. It said last time I looked about £10,000 less for the first year and then goes up to full rate.
 

Class2ldn

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Joined
25 Feb 2011
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1,163
Qualified drivers would be mainline, they wouldn't go to a shunting job first.
The shunters would definitely be on less money
 

Stigy

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Joined
6 Nov 2009
Messages
4,879
Hope not as 70% salary would not be very attractive. It said last time I looked about £10,000 less for the first year and then goes up to full rate.
Qualified mainline drivers who come across to work on the mainline will be paid 90% of the full salary for the first year.

I believe 70% is the depot driver salary, which @Irish Rail is referring to. If you’re a qualified driver you’d not transfer in as a depot driver (unless you want to of course). Depot driver roles tend to be trainee vacancies.
 

Baqanz

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Joined
6 Aug 2021
Messages
9
Location
Leeds
Does anyone have any experience of how long you can expect to hear back from the original application when applying for the Qualified Talent Pools?
 

Class2ldn

Member
Joined
25 Feb 2011
Messages
1,163
I've been waiting a year and a half so don't expect anything quick although I believe it is more depot specific
 
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