RailUK Forums

Yes I'm currently a Newcastle Conductor, is there anything in particular you would like to know?

Yes, what are your typical shift patterns?

Both earlies and lates, ealries starting from around 0500, latest finishing around 0130. Shifts varying in length up to around 10 hours. Normally around a 4 day week 35 hours. Monday to Saturday, Sundays are outside your contracted hours and are paid at an enhanced rate, you are obliged to work your rostered Sundays if you are booked and there is no cover.

Thankyou for that, what routes do you do at Newcastle?

The Tyne Valley which is
Newcastle to Carlisle
with trains terminating at Hexham/Prudhoe and Metrocente
Newcastle via the Coast to Hartlepool/ Middlesbrough/ Nunthorpe
Newcastle to Middlesbrough via Darlington on the main line
Mainline to Morpeth and Chathill
Bishop Auckland to Saltburn
Also I believe the new influx in recruitment will be for the Blyth and Tyne service which will be starting in the next few years

That’s great Thankyou, so say for example if I was offered a place as a conductor for the Blyth and Tyne I would start for a few years?

No, you would be taken on as you would still learn all other routes, also training takes a while so they need to get staff in place for when it does start

Fingers crossed!, I passed the assessments last time and was waiting to hear about a interview when the job was put on hold, so maybe better luck this time

Best of luck with it