Etihad Rail info

S7kyx · 22 Jul 2022

Hi.
I recently have been invited for an interview for ethihad rail. I have allready completed the online Opc stuff they have sent me. Was just looking if anybody else has any experience with them. The lady on hr who called me had very broken English and wasn't very clear. I am going to ask question on my interview but thought I would get any information I can.
Also I will update thread after interview in case anybody else in future requires information

RailUK Forums

godfreycomplex · 22 Jul 2022

I don’t know much about Etihad Rail I’m afraid but what role have you gone for?

S7kyx · 22 Jul 2022

Sorry i should have included in above post.
Train driver.
I am allready qualified. I have 8 years of driving experiance

43066 · 22 Jul 2022

If you don’t mind my asking, what sort of money are they paying?

Randomer · 22 Jul 2022

As a more generalised comment how long do you see yourself doing the role?

I know more and more people from "western" countries in my industry who have moved out to the UAE, mostly in Dubai, who are being replaced by locally recruited staff as time goes on. A good thing for developing local capability and job skills not so good a thing for the people who purchased property and intended to stay out there longer term.

Efini92 · 22 Jul 2022

43066 said:
If you don’t mind my asking, what sort of money are they paying?

Nothing like what we’re on over here.

S7kyx · 22 Jul 2022

I don't have an exact figure.
I was told my housing and health insurance would be paid for. They asked if I had children in school (which I dont) but they didn't give me an exact figure. Once again the hr lady on the phone had very broken English. I will ask on the interview. But I do imagine it's alot better then what I'm on at the moment. Considering half my money goes on rent and bills.

Robcuk · 24 Jul 2022

S7kyx said:
Hi.
I recently have been invited for an interview for ethihad rail. I have allready completed the online Opc stuff they have sent me. Was just looking if anybody else has any experience with them. The lady on hr who called me had very broken English and wasn't very clear. I am going to ask question on my interview but thought I would get any information I can.
Also I will update thread after interview in case anybody else in future requires information

Good luck. Will be following this thread with interest.

choochoochoo · 24 Jul 2022

Good luck. Keep us posted on how you get on. I have to admit I’d be tempted to go spend some time in the sand pit if they paid well enough.

iSquared · 24 Jul 2022

Randomer said:
As a more generalised comment how long do you see yourself doing the role?

I know more and more people from "western" countries in my industry who have moved out to the UAE, mostly in Dubai, who are being replaced by locally recruited staff as time goes on. A good thing for developing local capability and job skills not so good a thing for the people who purchased property and intended to stay out there longer term.

To be fair, they’re normally very transparent about that. They recruit foreign qualified trades to get their system up and running and train their own nationals to take over. Air traffic controllers used to see it as a couple of years on big bucks, save then go home and buy a house.

When you consider salary, remember that they don’t pay income tax.

choochoochoo · 24 Jul 2022

Also if you go play trains in another country I don’t think you can keep your competency here in the UK so would you have to apply as a trainee again ?

traintraining · 25 Jul 2022

S7kyx said:
Hi.
I recently have been invited for an interview for ethihad rail. I have allready completed the online Opc stuff they have sent me. Was just looking if anybody else has any experience with them. The lady on hr who called me had very broken English and wasn't very clear. I am going to ask question on my interview but thought I would get any information I can.
Also I will update thread after interview in case anybody else in future requires information

Hello mate, i registered on their recruitment site many many years ago, and i think they completely changed their recruitment website, did you apply on their careers website or was it through linkedin?

Im qualified 6 years and would like to apply myself aswell.

If its a website can you send me a link please to their site so i can re-register as their website keeps redirecting me to linked in.

Many thanks!

Heaps92 · 25 Jul 2022

S7kyx said:
Hi.
I recently have been invited for an interview for ethihad rail. I have allready completed the online Opc stuff they have sent me. Was just looking if anybody else has any experience with them. The lady on hr who called me had very broken English and wasn't very clear. I am going to ask question on my interview but thought I would get any information I can.
Also I will update thread after interview in case anybody else in future requires information

Lucky! I sent them a cv and never heard back

S7kyx · 2 Aug 2022

Hey guys. Just an update had the interview. Went really well. Currently waiting for a response. They did ask what u earn here in the UK. But asked how negotiable I am. And said more details would be provided if I was offered a position. So nothing solid yet. But fingers crossed.
In regards of how long i would like to live there. I understand ethiad is a government run organisation, so the visa would be 3 years. Depending on the package and salary, I would be more then happy doing 3 years, especially if I can come back and get a very healthy deposit or even buy outright.
They run ETCS signaling out there. I'm guessing that coming back to the UK and finding a job shouldn't be so difficult. As east coast mainline is getting ETCS and Heathrow tunnels has it aswell. I'm sure there are other places which aswell. All communication on the railway is in English aswell.
For applying I applied on LinkedIn. They do advertise on there LinkedIn page every so often. Completely forgot about it until they invited me for an online assesment via the OPC. Very similar to the one you do when you become a train driver.
Will give updates when I hear back

choochoochoo · 3 Aug 2022

S7kyx said:
Hey guys. Just an update had the interview. Went really well. Currently waiting for a response. They did ask what u earn here in the UK. But asked how negotiable I am. And said more details would be provided if I was offered a position. So nothing solid yet. But fingers crossed.
In regards of how long i would like to live there. I understand ethiad is a government run organisation, so the visa would be 3 years. Depending on the package and salary, I would be more then happy doing 3 years, especially if I can come back and get a very healthy deposit or even buy outright.
They run ETCS signaling out there. I'm guessing that coming back to the UK and finding a job shouldn't be so difficult. As east coast mainline is getting ETCS and Heathrow tunnels has it aswell. I'm sure there are other places which aswell. All communication on the railway is in English aswell.
For applying I applied on LinkedIn. They do advertise on there LinkedIn page every so often. Completely forgot about it until they invited me for an online assesment via the OPC. Very similar to the one you do when you become a train driver.
Will give updates when I hear back

Cheers for the detailed update.

Would you stay the full 3 years there ? Or would you plan to return within 2 so to keep your Uk licence from lapsing and then having to find a Uk job as a trainee all over again ?

Good luck in the process. It’s an interesting journey I’m sure many including myself are thinking of taking. So very good of you to provide this info.

S7kyx · 4 Aug 2022

I would be happy doing 3 years. Potentially more if i enjoy it. I know they are introducing passenger service in the future so maybe a transition into that side.
All depends what it's like if I do actually end up out there, grass is not always greener as they say.

Heaps92 · 5 Aug 2022

S7kyx said:
I would be happy doing 3 years. Potentially more if i enjoy it. I know they are introducing passenger service in the future so maybe a transition into that side.
All depends what it's like if I do actually end up out there, grass is not always greener as they say.

Bloke I used to drive with went to start up etihad and they let him go once he trained up the locals

iSquared · 5 Aug 2022

Heaps92 said:
Bloke I used to drive with went to start up etihad and they let him go once he trained up the locals

As I commented previously. They’re usually very transparent about that in their foreign recruitment ads. That’s literally your purpose in being hired. The bloke you knew probably didn’t read the whole ad.

WrongRoad · 5 Aug 2022

Maybe worth having a read of pprune.org (Airline Pilots forum) especially the Middle East section, there’s a few threads about living and working out there. It might you think twice about joining.

Sly Sloth · 5 Aug 2022

WrongRoad said:
Maybe worth having a read of pprune.org (Airline Pilots forum) especially the Middle East section, there’s a few threads about living and working out there. It might you think twice about joining.

Strange you say this….I knew a pilot who was on £250k a year tax free with PriVit air but gave it up for BA long haul on a lot less!!

43066 · 5 Aug 2022

choochoochoo said:
Also if you go play trains in another country I don’t think you can keep your competency here in the UK so would you have to apply as a trainee again ?

WrongRoad said:
Maybe worth having a read of pprune.org (Airline Pilots forum) especially the Middle East section, there’s a few threads about living and working out there. It might you think twice about joining.

This is what would concern me. Lifestyle wise it’s a bit of a gamble to say the least. The Middle East doesn’t sound great from a couple of friends of mine who’ve lived out there for work and then swiftly returned to the U.K.

If it didn’t work out and you wanted to return it would be an uphill battle applying for U.K. qualified driver positions from out there. You’d be an oddball candidate, competing with drivers with current UK experience. If your license had expired you’d be lumped in with the off the street applicants and it could take years.

At the very least I’d say stay in touch with your current TOC/manager so that you could potentially try and go back there on their recommendation if things didn’t work out.

In fairness the OP hasn’t asked for advice on these aspects, so may already know it’s for them/have connections there.

Sly Sloth · 6 Aug 2022

43066 said:
At the very least I’d say stay in touch with your current TOC/manager so that you could potentially try and go back there on their recommendation if things didn’t work out.

This would be incredibly unlikely. They’d only let you back in if they had qualified positions available. You’d likely end up having to apply for freight of Balfour

choochoochoo · 6 Aug 2022

43066 said:
This is what would concern me. Lifestyle wise it’s a bit of a gamble to say the least. The Middle East doesn’t sound great from a couple of friends of mine who’ve lived out there for work and then swiftly returned to the U.K.

If it didn’t work out and you wanted to return it would be an uphill battle applying for U.K. qualified driver positions from out there. You’d be an oddball candidate, competing with drivers with current UK experience. If your license had expired you’d be lumped in with the off the street applicants and it could take years.

At the very least I’d say stay in touch with your current TOC/manager so that you could potentially try and go back there on their recommendation if things didn’t work out.

In fairness the OP hasn’t asked for advice on these aspects, so may already know it’s for them/have connections there.

I guess one advantage may be that the OP would be ETCS trained.

I’d still hate to be going through the competitive trainee driver application process all over again. Despite all the ability one may have, there is still an element of luck when it comes to subjective MMIs (and DMIs to some extent - although if the managers already know you it might be easier)

That’s why I’d probably only be tempted to go play in the sandpit for just under 2 years, and be applying for qualified roles in the UK after one year there.

Still good luck to OP. It’s a brave move. And good on them for taking the plunge.

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