Avanti Qualified Drivers - Euston, Wolves and Liverpool (06/03/2024)

[tiptoptaff]

Recruiting at the above depots. Can't get the links to embed properly


Closes 20th March

Good luck

 

[DA1]

Thanks for posting this. Debating whether to apply or not. Currently live in the London suburbs so weighing up whether it’s worth the extra travelling or not. I also do have an incident on my record but the worst they can say is no.

Anyone have an idea on earliest starts? Latest finishes? What are the taxi agreements in place (if any)? Happy to PM if that’s any easier.

 

[cebz9]

Does anyone know if they accept relocations? I’m not within 60mins of any depot but would relocate if I was offered a job

 

[tiptoptaff]

Does anyone know if they accept relocations? I’m not within 60mins of any depot but would relocate if I was offered a job

Not sure, if you can find an email address for the recruitment team, it doesn't hurt to ask

 

[DA1]

Does anyone know if they accept relocations? I’m not within 60mins of any depot but would relocate if I was offered a job

It was a question on the application so go ahead and apply.

 

[Bolero]

It states about the salary increasing incrementally over two years (after core routes & traction). Does anyone know what the time frames are for that?
As I see there's quite a big difference between the Euston incremental increases and the Liverpool ones

 

[Efini92]

Thanks for posting this. Debating whether to apply or not. Currently live in the London suburbs so weighing up whether it’s worth the extra travelling or not. I also do have an incident on my record but the worst they can say is no.

Anyone have an idea on earliest starts? Latest finishes? What are the taxi agreements in place (if any)? Happy to PM if that’s any easier.

Euston have a taxi agreement from your house outside of public transport times.

It states about the salary increasing incrementally over two years (after core routes & traction). Does anyone know what the time frames are for that?
As I see there's quite a big difference between the Euston incremental increases and the Liverpool ones

You’re looking at roughly 4 months for core route and traction.
The Euston incremental skips a tier, so in essence they get to the £67k a year before all other depots.

 

[DA1]

Euston have a taxi agreement from your house outside of public transport times.

Thanks, appreciate that info.

 

[Bolero]

Thanks @Efini92
Do you have any knowledge of the driver terms and conditions on Avanti? Such as; movement from spare; ad hoc leave deadlines & granting; RDW situation; Sundays?; 4-day or 5-day links; Anything else notable? It would be nice to have some knowledge of what one could be walking into, if you can help...

 

[Efini92]

Thanks @Efini92
Do you have any knowledge of the driver terms and conditions on Avanti? Such as; movement from spare; ad hoc leave deadlines & granting; RDW situation; Sundays?; 4-day or 5-day links; Anything else notable? It would be nice to have some knowledge of what one could be walking into, if you can help...

There’s two types of spare, weekly and daily. Weekly spare your rest day can be moved. Normally what happens is you pick up a line of work that is uncovered (sick,leave,training,vacancy etc). The weekly mark out is posted the Wednesday before.
Daily spare is unlimited movement but must book off within 11 hours of the original book on time.
Daily leave guarantees are based on establishment figures. You apply via email up to before the daily alteration sheet is posted (72 hours).
There is currently no RDW agreement, but that could change shortly.
Sundays are outside the working week but are committed, so if you can’t find cover you have to do it. I believe it’s only wolves that struggle to get rid of Sundays.
The links are all 5 day expect polmadie who have a 4 day. A side note to that is whilst training you will go in a training link which is only 4 days. You have the option to work a rest day (if there’s an agreement in place).
Another thing worth knowing is that when booking on you can have your job changed and day extended by an hour.

 

[Grvrdvicdr]

Thanks for posting this. Debating whether to apply or not. Currently live in the London suburbs so weighing up whether it’s worth the extra travelling or not. I also do have an incident on my record but the worst they can say is no.

Anyone have an idea on earliest starts? Latest finishes? What are the taxi agreements in place (if any)? Happy to PM if that’s any easier.

From what I’m hearing from those who’ve moved, it really depends on the incident

 

[baz962]

There’s two types of spare, weekly and daily. Weekly spare your rest day can be moved. Normally what happens is you pick up a line of work that is uncovered (sick,leave,training,vacancy etc). The weekly mark out is posted the Wednesday before.
Daily spare is unlimited movement but must book off within 11 hours of the original book on time.
Daily leave guarantees are based on establishment figures. You apply via email up to before the daily alteration sheet is posted (72 hours).
There is currently no RDW agreement, but that could change shortly.
Sundays are outside the working week but are committed, so if you can’t find cover you have to do it. I believe it’s only wolves that struggle to get rid of Sundays.
The links are all 5 day expect polmadie who have a 4 day. A side note to that is whilst training you will go in a training link which is only 4 days. You have the option to work a rest day (if there’s an agreement in place).
Another thing worth knowing is that when booking on you can have your job changed and day extended by an hour.

Sounds brutal. When booking on do you mean if spare or including black ink turns. And you can have your rest days moved off weekly spares.

 

[Efini92]

Sounds brutal. When booking on do you mean if spare or including black ink turns. And you can have your rest days moved off weekly spares.

It includes booked jobs.
Yeah only on a spare week though.

 

[dctraindriver]

It includes booked jobs.
Yeah only on a spare week though.

How many spare weeks are you likely to get in a year? Thanks for posting some of the T&Cs which seem a little bit harsher than where I am. However, the question I have is do you enjoy it and do you find the T&Cs hard going? I guess the extra working Sundays add a bit more money.

I’m tempted to apply as within the hour of Euston.

 

[diego1234]

Is there staff parking at Euston & regarding the taxi agreement when on an early turn & you can't get in, I assume that's from home to work? Thanks

 

[AverageJoe]

are avanti drivers actually happy?

I mean those conditions don’t seem enjoyable at all to me, considering most tocs are only 7/8k less but have much better quality of life t&cs im not sure I could justify the money and the move.

 

[Efini92]

How many spare weeks are you likely to get in a year? Thanks for posting some of the T&Cs which seem a little bit harsher than where I am. However, the question I have is do you enjoy it and do you find the T&Cs hard going? I guess the extra working Sundays add a bit more money.

I’m tempted to apply as within the hour of Euston.

I enjoy it but I do enjoy driving trains.
The politics are ruining the job and morale but I think that’s the same at most tocs at the minute.
The t&c’s aren’t great, but the work is a lot less taxing than other tocs I’ve been at.

Is there staff parking at Euston & regarding the taxi agreement when on an early turn & you can't get in, I assume that's from home to work? Thanks

I believe there is some parking at Euston but I’m not certain. It’s an agreement local to Euston but as far as I’m aware it’s from your house to depot.

are avanti drivers actually happy?

I mean those conditions don’t seem enjoyable at all to me, considering most tocs are only 7/8k less but have much better quality of life t&cs im not sure I could justify the money and the move.

I don’t think any drivers under Dft control are happy. The conditions are the same as when it was virgin and there was very little complaints then.

 

[AverageJoe]

I enjoy it but I do enjoy driving trains.
The politics are ruining the job and morale but I think that’s the same at most tocs at the minute.
The t&c’s aren’t great, but the work is a lot less taxing than other tocs I’ve been at.

I believe there is some parking at Euston but I’m not certain. It’s an agreement local to Euston but as far as I’m aware it’s from your house to depot.

I don’t think any drivers under Dft control are happy. The conditions are the same as when it was virgin and there was very little complaints then.

Most drivers I know complain because things aren’t what they used to be.
But in the case of avanti I’d complain because those conditions seem unliveable to me, doesn’t matter how much money you get if the day to day quality of life is poor.

 

[Chippychips]

Is there a booking on payment for nights? I heard there is, but couldn't verify the source.

Also, if its BH, if youre rostered to work do you get a lieu day, enhanced BH payment rate? Both?
And if RD on a BH, im guessing you must get a Lieu day right?

As for Sunday working, its flat rate right? But whats the minimum payout (if one exists)? Is it 7 hours minimum? 6 hours minimum?
Would be pretty harsh coming in for a 5 hour Sunday turn.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Is there a booking on payment for nights? I heard there is, but couldn't verify the source.

Also, if its BH, if youre rostered to work do you get a lieu day, enhanced BH payment rate? Both?
And if RD on a BH, im guessing you must get a Lieu day right?

As for Sunday working, its flat rate right? But whats the minimum payout (if one exists)? Is it 7 hours minimum? 6 hours minimum?
Would be pretty harsh coming in for a 5 hour Sunday turn.

Do any drivers get lieu days or BH payments at any TOC? They're just normal working days for the majority, if not all, train crew. Nothing extra for them, just AL totals reflecting the BHs. ie 33AL days rather than 25AL+8BH

 

[Chippychips]

Do any drivers get lieu days or BH payments at any TOC? They're just normal working days for the majority, if not all, train crew. Nothing extra for them, just AL totals reflecting the BHs. ie 33AL days rather than 25AL+8BH

I believe they do at Thameslink/Great Northern, and also the Docklands Light Railway (though its not really a TOC as such). They get a lieu day + payment for hours worked.
And at my current TOC the BH are given as extra overtime payment for the hours worked unless you state you would prefer the lieu day to rosters.

 

[43066]

There’s two types of spare, weekly and daily. Weekly spare your rest day can be moved. Normally what happens is you pick up a line of work that is uncovered (sick,leave,training,vacancy etc). The weekly mark out is posted the Wednesday before.
Daily spare is unlimited movement but must book off within 11 hours of the original book on time.
Daily leave guarantees are based on establishment figures. You apply via email up to before the daily alteration sheet is posted (72 hours).
There is currently no RDW agreement, but that could change shortly.
Sundays are outside the working week but are committed, so if you can’t find cover you have to do it. I believe it’s only wolves that struggle to get rid of Sundays.
The links are all 5 day expect polmadie who have a 4 day. A side note to that is whilst training you will go in a training link which is only 4 days. You have the option to work a rest day (if there’s an agreement in place).
Another thing worth knowing is that when booking on you can have your job changed and day extended by an hour.

Thanks for the detail. I know a couple who’ve moved over and seem to be making it work. Also a couple who’ve moved back! I think for me these Ts and Cs, specifically the spare movement/lack of predictability and five day week, make it a non starter sadly.

I think I’m right in saying the “five day week” is still an average four day week once the week of rest days is taken into account?

 

[baz962]

Thanks for the detail. I know a couple who’ve moved over and seem to be making it work. Also a couple who’ve moved back! I think for me these Ts and Cs, specifically the spare movement/lack of predictability and five day week, make it a non starter sadly.

I think I’m right in saying the “five day week” is still an average four day week once the week of rest days is taken into account?

You should apply. Right up your street

 

[tiptoptaff]

I believe they do at Thameslink/Great Northern, and also the Docklands Light Railway (though its not really a TOC as such). They get a lieu day + payment for hours worked.
And at my current TOC the BH are given as extra overtime payment for the hours worked unless you state you would prefer the lieu day to rosters.

Interesting - almost everywhere else I know they're just normal working days

 

[whoosh]

Thanks for the detail. I know a couple who’ve moved over and seem to be making it work. Also a couple who’ve moved back! I think for me these Ts and Cs, specifically the spare movement/lack of predictability and five day week, make it a non starter sadly.

I think I’m right in saying the “five day week” is still an average four day week once the week of rest days is taken into account?

I know someone who works there.

Yes it is an average four day week. Here's one of the links at Euston from a while ago, so will give a feel for it. There's four links there apparently, so quite a large depot. At Euston some weeks are 4 days and some 5, so the week of carried over rest days from the 5 day weeks give a week of rest days about every six to seven weeks.

I understand that other depots (apart from Polmadie mentioned above) are all 5 day weeks with a week of rest days every fifth week.

Yellow is 'weekly spare'. Can be given any other week to cover and get given the rest day* for that week - so the rest day on weekly spare is effectively meaningless as it will be moved.
*If you get given a four day week off weekly spare, you decide which rest day you are keeping and which day you'll be working 'daily spare' (presumably with a datum time of a surrounding day - with unlimited movement), as all the weekly spare weeks are five day weeks.

Blue is 'daily spare'. Unlimited movement, but can't finish later than 11 hours after datum time as mentioned in another post above.

Green is 'route refresh' or 'safety brief'.

Red is 'Bi-Di brief.


Rest days worked have a booking on allowance, I think it's £75 but I'm not 100% on that + flat rate hours worked.

Bank Holidays are treated as normal working days.

I think Sundays are flat rate, but can't remember if there was a booking on allowance similar to rest days worked or not.


There is an agreement that they can't do 'double trips' - so Birmingham and back twice can't be done. They either do an out and back; or go to Birmingham, pass to Preston, Preston to London in a sort of triangle.

The garbage terms and conditions, with a huge amount of being messed about with days off changed and massive movement of times at less than a week's notice, are what the rest of us are fighting not to have forced on us, but they have already been in from Virgin days.

Everything that's been sold, is an aspiration to 'get in' for other TOCs with less desirable work.

 

[Boodiggy]

Is there staff parking at Euston & regarding the taxi agreement when on an early turn & you can't get in, I assume that's from home to work? Thanks

There is staff parking on the parcel deck. Not sure how many spaces at allocated to Avanti.

 

[Evolution]

I know someone who works there.

Yes it is an average four day week. Here's one of the links at Euston from a while ago, so will give a feel for it. There's four links there apparently, so quite a large depot. At Euston some weeks are 4 days and some 5, so the week of carried over rest days from the 5 day weeks give a week of rest days about every six to seven weeks.

I understand that other depots (apart from Polmadie mentioned above) are all 5 day weeks with a week of rest days every fifth week.

Yellow is 'weekly spare'. Can be given any other week to cover and get given the rest day* for that week - so the rest day on weekly spare is effectively meaningless as it will be moved.
*If you get given a four day week off weekly spare, you decide which rest day you are keeping and which day you'll be working 'daily spare' (presumably with a datum time of a surrounding day - with unlimited movement), as all the weekly spare weeks are five day weeks.

Blue is 'daily spare'. Unlimited movement, but can't finish later than 11 hours after datum time as mentioned in another post above.

Green is 'route refresh' or 'safety brief'.

Red is 'Bi-Di brief.


Rest days worked have a booking on allowance, I think it's £75 but I'm not 100% on that + flat rate hours worked.

Bank Holidays are treated as normal working days.

I think Sundays are flat rate, but can't remember if there was a booking on allowance similar to rest days worked or not.


There is an agreement that they can't do 'double trips' - so Birmingham and back twice can't be done. They either do an out and back; or go to Birmingham, pass to Preston, Preston to London in a sort of triangle.

The garbage terms and conditions, with a huge amount of being messed about with days off changed and massive movement of times at less than a week's notice, are what the rest of us are fighting not to have forced on us, but they have already been in from Virgin days.

Everything that's been sold, is an aspiration to 'get in' for other TOCs with less desirable work.

Interesting, those “terms” seem like a Dft’s dream. Does anyone know if the other ex Virgin TOCs such as XC/LNER have the same appalling terms, I think spare moment is the same but unsure about that floating spare week nonsense.

Everything that's been sold, is an aspiration to 'get in' for other TOCs with less desirable work.

Think if all that junk was implemented at my TOC, I’d hand the keys back!

 

[baz962]

Ouch. More Sundays in 38 lines than we have in a year , I'm out

 

[Teddyward]

Interesting, those “terms” seem like a Dft’s dream. Does anyone know if the other ex Virgin TOCs such as XC/LNER have the same appalling terms, I think spare moment is the same but unsure about that floating spare week nonsense.


Think if all that junk was implemented at my TOC, I’d hand the keys back!

GA Great eastern have floating spare weeks. 1 in 8. Roster clerks are usually good though and try to give a line with 2 rest days instead of 1.

 

[BrokenSam]

No double trippers is a good selling point tbf. Do any other Tocs even do that?