Thanks, that's a big help, do you know how often you have to do the 03.30 starts?
How many hours a week is the contract?
Thanks, that's a big help, do you know how often you have to do the 03.30 starts?
How many hours a week is the contract?
Chester has a lot of starts before 5am with a few before 4am, you could end up with quite a few as you can get these early shifts off spare, the contract is a 35 hour week averaged out in a link of about 80 I think so some weeks can be well over 45 hours and some under 30 hours however the average will be 35 over the link period.
The rest day pattern is the usual 4 day week pattern where one week you get Mon/Tue off, the next week Wed/Thu off and the 3rd week Fri/Sat off with a guaranteed Sunday so every 3 weeks you get a long weekend from Fri/Wed.
Sundays are committed and this means if you have a rostered Sunday you work it unless you can get someone to cover it for you, you do get what is called a golden ticket that entitles you to one guaranteed Sunday off a year.
Chester is a good depot to work at with a good variety of routes but it isn't the depot for the feint hearted both for drivers and guards.
What do you mean by its not for the feint hearted?
The shifts are quite intense with many early starts and late finishes
According to those who work there at least. Others depots may beg to differ!
That said,the nature of their work is pretty challenging. North Wales coast and Wrexham-Bidston have a lot of social issues.
In common with most other ATW depots, Chester also has to worry about multiple request stops and/or short platforms so the work can be pretty challenging compared to some other companies.
Other depots will always beg to differ - look at the roster, the length of the spare turns, the amount of starts before 5am and then compare it to any other north depot and it is clear that at Chester the work is more challenging, it is more so for the driving grade to be fair. However in comparison Chester do have more breaks from working trains than some other depots.
From what I've seen of the drivers diagrams I'd definitely agree with you for their grade. Chesters night turns for drivers are the stuff of legend, along with the triple Bidstons. Though as you say you do get better breaks. But for guards I'd happily take Chester's hours over ours any day (not to mention their comission!) and I'm sure the depot on the third side of the triangle would say the same as well. Route wise they work more challenging routes than we do, but their hours and breaks are far better, despite what some of them may say. Swings and roundabouts I suppose.
Bottom line is being a guard at ATW, at any depot, is a pretty fantastic job.
Of course, you probably know me, in the driving grade However I listen to the whining on a daily basis LOL. It is normality for one depot to say their work is more challenging however I do feel that Chester have a lot more early starts than any ATW depot except for Cardiff I have worked for many companies and have no complaints about any of them, they always look after their staff, listen to any suggestions and also pay up on time
One day I'll work out which one you are!Of course, you probably know me, in the driving grade
However I listen to the whining on a daily basis LOL. It is normality for one depot to say their work is more challenging however I do feel that Chester have a lot more early starts than any ATW depot except for Cardiff
I have worked for many companies and have no complaints about any of them, they always look after their staff, listen to any suggestions and also pay up on time
last time your link saw an early start was when the bin men made too much noise outside their house in the morning!!!! lol
One day I'll work out which one you are!
I always laugh at the whining in every newsroom, especially in depots that have a reputation for being a holiday camp! Can't speak authoritively for drivers, but I think most who take the time to be balanced about it would accept my own depot is worst for conductors hours, but we have other advantages that make up for it.
Agreed. And the nice thing for the OP here, or anyone else joining, is that if they like the job but don't like Chester depot, as we were discussing on another thread recently they can always transfer! 3 other depots within an hours drive after all.
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An, is TDK in the old man link? That might explain why I haven't identified him yet. And why he's very happy sounding for a Chester man
I am in the working link not the old man link, was in the starter link with 15 years experience for 18 months as I have told you previously Red you can have all my early shifts when you move up, bin men? They are all at home by the time I start it's called progression I think
I am in the working link not the old man link, was in the starter link with 15 years experience for 18 months as I have told you previously Red you can have all my early shifts when you move up, bin men? They are all at home by the time I start it's called progression I think
One day I'll work out which one you are!
I always laugh at the whining in every newsroom, especially in depots that have a reputation for being a holiday camp! Can't speak authoritively for drivers, but I think most who take the time to be balanced about it would accept my own depot is worst for conductors hours, but we have other advantages that make up for it.
Agreed. And the nice thing for the OP here, or anyone else joining, is that if they like the job but don't like Chester depot, as we were discussing on another thread recently they can always transfer! 3 other depots within an hours drive after all.
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An, is TDK in the old man link? That might explain why I haven't identified him yet. And why he's very happy sounding for a Chester man