• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

A career as a train driver

CloudDriver

Member
Joined
10 Dec 2019
Messages
51
Location
Doncaster hi
Very helpful info thank you.
Do you get anything to say you have passed or is it purely word of mouth and placed in a system somewhere?
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

ComUtoR

Established Member
Joined
13 Dec 2013
Messages
9,399
Location
UK
The DMI is not a pass/fail situation. It is a more traditional interview where you either get the job or you don't.
 

baz962

Established Member
Joined
8 Jun 2017
Messages
3,280
The DMI is not a pass/fail situation. It is a more traditional interview where you either get the job or you don't.
Not sure I quite agree. Some people , myself included , have been told that they weren't strong enough on a particular answer.
 

Stigy

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2009
Messages
4,879
Failure rates taper off the deeper you get in to the process but there is still failure at EVERY level. High at the initial sift, still quite high at first assessments, smaller drop off if you take the MMI seperate, small numbers at the medical stage and then the DMI.....

The DMI could, in theory, pass everyone. The problem is that you have a limited number of vacancies. Getting large numbers of applicants still means that there is competition for the job. This doesn't mean you 'fail' at the DMI You could smash your DMI out the park but you still don't get a job offer. Of course there will be those who still can't make it pass the DMI stage for whatever reason. I would hope that TOCs only invite people to a DMI with the intention of offering someone the job It isn't like the assessments where you need a high number of applicants because the failure rate is so high.

I would say that most who pass the assessments go on to the next stage. Maybe not with the TOC they applied to but as others highlight, you have a pass and can apply elsewhere.
I agree regarding the DMI. It’s not an assessment therefore there’s no pass or fail. It’s often sold that it is an assessment and we often hear of people saying they passed or failed.
 

Stigy

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2009
Messages
4,879
Not sure I quite agree. Some people , myself included , have been told that they weren't strong enough on a particular answer.
I see where you’re coming from here too, however, it’s all relative to the competition with interviews. Scoring is usually done comparatively against other interviewees so where you may not have scored highly enough, that’s more than like based on others scoring higher on certain questions. If everybody was scoring below or on a par with you, you may have been offered a job.

Admitedly it depends on the manager, and whether Or not they have their own benchmark they want to set, but there’s not a pass or fail in the same way as there is for an assessment.
 

Daydr3am3r

Member
Joined
7 Dec 2018
Messages
408
I agree regarding the DMI. It’s not an assessment therefore there’s no pass or fail. It’s often sold that it is an assessment and we often hear of people saying they passed or failed.

It’s an interview that you can be successful or unsuccessful with. It becomes a little more complicated than a standard interview as you are not going for one particular post, you are looking to make it into the talent pool on the majority of cases now. Each TOC will vary slightly in how the then select those successful (date of interview, highest scores etc)
 

baz962

Established Member
Joined
8 Jun 2017
Messages
3,280
I see where you’re coming from here too, however, it’s all relative to the competition with interviews. Scoring is usually done comparatively against other interviewees so where you may not have scored highly enough, that’s more than like based on others scoring higher on certain questions. If everybody was scoring below or on a par with you, you may have been offered a job.

Admitedly it depends on the manager, and whether Or not they have their own benchmark they want to set, but there’s not a pass or fail in the same way as there is for an assessment.
I was asked more structured questions, than in the mmi . I was also told by that particular manager , that he had another 200 trainee's to take on . Baring in mind that I heard back after a week , he wouldn't of known wether the next 200 would be stronger/higher scoring. To be honest though , I had a different opinion as to why I was unsuccessful , and had some sort of confirmation that I was almost certainly binned for age reasons. Good job my current toc could see my potential.
 

Dynamonic

Member
Joined
10 Jan 2013
Messages
648
Location
Nottinghamshire
I think it’ll boil down to TOCs with how they approach the DMI. Whilst they can be like ‘traditional’ job interviews, mine was definitely a structured pass or fail affair, with questions not unlike those found in the MMI, such as those ‘Tell me about a time when...’ ones.
 

387star

On Moderation
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
6,653
I think it’ll boil down to TOCs with how they approach the DMI. Whilst they can be like ‘traditional’ job interviews, mine was definitely a structured pass or fail affair, with questions not unlike those found in the MMI, such as those ‘Tell me about a time when...’ ones.
In 2015 Freightliner was a 15 min chat with no explain a time questions
GWR and SWT had an intense interview with loads of questions
Thameslink and GA were somewhere in between
 

387star

On Moderation
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
6,653
I passed my DMI with the TOC I was with as a Guard waited six months and nothing so got my key with another TOC and now happily back at the original
 
Last edited:

387star

On Moderation
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
6,653
Failure rates taper off the deeper you get in to the process but there is still failure at EVERY level. High at the initial sift, still quite high at first assessments, smaller drop off if you take the MMI seperate, small numbers at the medical stage and then the DMI.....

The DMI could, in theory, pass everyone. The problem is that you have a limited number of vacancies. Getting large numbers of applicants still means that there is competition for the job. This doesn't mean you 'fail' at the DMI You could smash your DMI out the park but you still don't get a job offer. Of course there will be those who still can't make it pass the DMI stage for whatever reason. I would hope that TOCs only invite people to a DMI with the intention of offering someone the job It isn't like the assessments where you need a high number of applicants because the failure rate is so high.

I would say that most who pass the assessments go on to the next stage. Maybe not with the TOC they applied to but as others highlight, you have a pass and can apply elsewhere.
See above
 

daddy_badger

Member
Joined
21 Mar 2013
Messages
300
Location
54.083061, -0.192220
I would'nt necessarily say your application will go no further, possibly put on hold for forever and a day. I cant find any sources to say that Arriva is going to be stripped of its Northern franchise only that it is being discussed.
 

Markylad

Member
Joined
10 Dec 2019
Messages
48
Location
Chester le street
I would'nt necessarily say your application will go no further, possibly put on hold for forever and a day. I cant find any sources to say that Arriva is going to be stripped of its Northern franchise only that it is being discussed.

4C5973C8-73D4-485C-B206-00B7C7E095D1.png 25E63509-B953-43E2-A988-08CA8DEF8BA4.png

It’s going to happen, transport secretary has already said the process has started, other option would be to reduce the amount of time left on their contract, but i can’t see that happening under the circumstances.
 

S-Car-Go

Member
Joined
19 Mar 2019
Messages
222
Well Arriva trains are to be stripped of their franchise in the north of England. So looks like my application will be going no further.
TOCs recruit regardless of the state of the franchise. Stagecoach East Midlands Trains recruited drivers in 2019 to start when the changeover to Abellio East Midlands Railway happened. So don't give up hope!
 

baz962

Established Member
Joined
8 Jun 2017
Messages
3,280
TOCs recruit regardless of the state of the franchise. Stagecoach East Midlands Trains recruited drivers in 2019 to start when the changeover to Abellio East Midlands Railway happened. So don't give up hope!
I'm sure I read on this forum somewhere before that it's part of the agreement of franchises , that they still recruit as necessary.
 

ComUtoR

Established Member
Joined
13 Dec 2013
Messages
9,399
Location
UK
I'm sure I read on this forum somewhere before that it's part of the agreement of franchises , that they still recruit as necessary.

I don't make a habit of reading franchise agreements but recently I have taken an interest.

There isn't usually a clause to say that a franchise must have X number of staff or need to recruit X many of staff. However, a GTR agreement a few years back did state that they had to recruit a specific number of Drivers. This is actually quite unique in a franchise agreement.

What does happen is that a TOC needs to provide the existing staff counts and that any bidder must enter these into a matrix and show that they have costed all staffing and any future staffing arrangements. This is pretty much standard across all franchise agreements and invitations to tender.

in reality, the recruitment process never stops. The day to day just continually ticks over. What is more important to watch is what happens when there is large infrastructure and timetable changes. GTR and Southeastern just had a major infrastructure project finish (or at least should be finished) that required a major internal change to staffing, depots, training, stock etc etc. This had to come with a huge overhaul of staffing. GTR has had an impact at Southeastern.

MTR for Crossrail had a recruitment drive recently and that will have had an impact on the TOCs local to them, especially where they initially toc part of a TOC and TUPE'd them over.

If Northern do lose the franchise, I really wouldn't worry. Everything will tick along as normal. If the franchise splits then I would be thinking about it and may have a small concern as there will be a split in depots and that will cause some kind of internal shift with which staff would go to what part of the split. There would probably be a pause and a complete rethink of staffing levels and and potential candidates would get bumped to a different depot. (a bit like hat happened in the epic GTR recruitment thread)

Potentially this is where a talent pool may actually be a good thing. A TOC is more likely to hold back on posting any new vacancies and dip into their talent pool because it would save time, and money. It would no doubt be easy to reflect numbers when a franchise changes as you have existing staff+talent pool as a fixed number.....

...not forgetting the Williams review :/
 

Loganberry

New Member
Joined
5 Dec 2019
Messages
3
Location
Manchester
Well Arriva trains are to be stripped of their franchise in the north of England. So looks like my application will be going no further.
Not necessarily, I currently work for northern as a guard and have my assessment day for driving in Manchester next week. They are also still running training courses. if/when it happens they will still need more staff and the recruitment and HR staff won't change so will likely just carry on as before.
I spoke to a few higher ups because I was worried about my application so don't worry too much. Maybe contact HR to confirm if you aren't internal but I can't see it being any different
 

Markylad

Member
Joined
10 Dec 2019
Messages
48
Location
Chester le street
Not necessarily, I currently work for northern as a guard and have my assessment day for driving in Manchester next week. They are also still running training courses. if/when it happens they will still need more staff and the recruitment and HR staff won't change so will likely just carry on as before.
I spoke to a few higher ups because I was worried about my application so don't worry too much. Maybe contact HR to confirm if you aren't internal but I can't see it being any different

thanks for the info, really appreciate it. I still haven't heard anything from my application as yet, its still showing as being processed. How long did it take to get a reply from your initial application?
 

Markylad

Member
Joined
10 Dec 2019
Messages
48
Location
Chester le street
thanks for the info, really appreciate it. I still haven't heard anything from my application as yet, its still showing as being processed. How long did it take to get a reply from your initial application?

i have literally just received an email from Northern stating they apologise for the long delay and to please allow them 2 weeks to process and review my application lol what a coincidence that was!!
 

Soho

Member
Joined
14 Jan 2020
Messages
15
Location
West Midlands
Hi folks
I’m new to the forum. Yesterday I was trawling through these forums and I came across a list of links for all the TOC recruiting pages, I thought I’d saved it as I knew it would be very helpful in my quest to become a trainee driver. Unfortunately it didn’t save and I’ve looked all over and I just can’t find it again. I wonder if someone could direct me to the post or if they would mind reposting it. My apologies in advance. For anyone’s interest I’ve been working on the Crossrail project since 2015 so I do have some although limited knowledge of the rail industry. Many thanks in advance and once again my apologies. I’d also just like to add that the enormous delay with the Crossrail project has absolutely nothing to do with myself :)
 
Last edited:

Soho

Member
Joined
14 Jan 2020
Messages
15
Location
West Midlands
Hi folks
I’m new to the forum. Yesterday I was trawling through these forums and I came across a list of links for all the TOC recruiting pages, I thought I’d saved it as I knew it would be very helpful in my quest to become a trainee driver. Unfortunately it didn’t save and I’ve looked all over and I just can’t find it again. I wonder if someone could direct me to the post or if they would mind reposting it. My apologies in advance. For anyone’s interest I’ve been working on the Crossrail project since 2015 so I do have some although limited knowledge of the rail industry. Many thanks in advance and once again my apologies. I’d also just like to add that the enormous delay with the Crossrail project has absolutely nothing to do with myself :)
After lots more trawling I’ve eventually found this post that lists a hell of a lot of TOC’s however I think it’s slightly outdated and doesn’t appear to take you to the recruitment pages I’d hoped it would. If someone knows where the post is that list the TOC’s recruitment pages then I’d be most grateful if they could direct me.I’ll post the link I found here in case it’s of any help to others in my position. https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trainee-train-driver.160331/#post-3338081
 
Last edited:

JRE

Member
Joined
11 Nov 2016
Messages
65
Not necessarily, I currently work for northern as a guard and have my assessment day for driving in Manchester next week. They are also still running training courses. if/when it happens they will still need more staff and the recruitment and HR staff won't change so will likely just carry on as before.
I spoke to a few higher ups because I was worried about my application so don't worry too much. Maybe contact HR to confirm if you aren't internal but I can't see it being any different

Hi Loganberry.

I have my interview soon for the Driver role in Manchester.

I've prepared some answers to questions that I might be asked, ie competency based questions such as 'Tell me when you've dealt with an emergency... XYZ'.

Is there anything else that you'd recommend doing in preparation for the interview?

Thanks for any help, and good luck with your assessment day!

JRE
 

Lee0901

Member
Joined
20 Sep 2018
Messages
88
Hi Loganberry.

I have my interview soon for the Driver role in Manchester.

I've prepared some answers to questions that I might be asked, ie competency based questions such as 'Tell me when you've dealt with an emergency... XYZ'.

Is there anything else that you'd recommend doing in preparation for the interview?

Thanks for any help, and good luck with your assessment day!

JRE

If it's for Northern I was asked

Tell me about yourself
What do you know about the company?
Why do you want to be a driver and not a conductor?
A time when I've had to do something in sequence to achieve a goal
A time when I've disagreed with a decision of a manager
A time when I've been on a course longer than 2 weeks
A time when I've delivered excellent customer service
Personal development
A time when I've resolved a problem and obstacles I overcome

I used examples from work and hobbies to answer these.

Good luck
 

JRE

Member
Joined
11 Nov 2016
Messages
65
If it's for Northern I was asked

Tell me about yourself
What do you know about the company?
Why do you want to be a driver and not a conductor?
A time when I've had to do something in sequence to achieve a goal
A time when I've disagreed with a decision of a manager
A time when I've been on a course longer than 2 weeks
A time when I've delivered excellent customer service
Personal development
A time when I've resolved a problem and obstacles I overcome

I used examples from work and hobbies to answer these.

Good luck
Thanks so much Lee0901.

How long ago was your interview with Northern if you don't mind me asking?

Also, I'm really struggling to think of anything that would answer 'doing something in sequence to achieve a goal' - maybe I'm not thinking outside the box enough?
 
Last edited:

Lee0901

Member
Joined
20 Sep 2018
Messages
88
Thanks so much Lee0901.

How long ago was your interview with Northern if you don't mind me asking?

Also, I'm really struggling to think of anything that would answer 'doing something in sequence to achieve a goal' - maybe I'm not thinking outside the box enough?

January last year. You could get different questions just thought I'd give you a heads up. I used multi pitch climbing for that example and spoke about the importance of safety and sticking to what you've been taught and also team work. Think outside the box it doesn't have to be work related.
 

Lee0901

Member
Joined
20 Sep 2018
Messages
88
Thanks so much Lee0901.

How long ago was your interview with Northern if you don't mind me asking?

Also, I'm really struggling to think of anything that would answer 'doing something in sequence to achieve a goal' - maybe I'm not thinking outside the box enough?
Also the questions I had were very much like the MMI questions but just worded differently
 

JRE

Member
Joined
11 Nov 2016
Messages
65
Thanks Lee0901. Really appreciate that.

I've written about.. maybe.. 15 different scenarios and have them in my mind, so hopefully I'll be able to draw on them to answer whatever they ask me.

Cheers again!
 

Top