Chiltern Railways Trainee Driver Vacancies

[benno79]

Excuse my ignorance but where is the northern depot? They did mention Stourbridge at my interview.

 

[12guard4]

Excuse my ignorance but where is the northern depot? They did mention Stourbridge at my interview.

Stourbridge and Birmingham. Not sure if they would class Banbury as Northern

 

[benno79]

Thanks for the info

 

[djsmith200]

doesnt seem like anyone on here got on this years course then?!?

 

[Jonnyboy]

I still haven't heard anything!

 

[Spankthemonkey]

Sorry to hear that, my main problem is my psychometrics run out next October so I don't have a lot of time. Yes I could take them again but I don't really want to.

How long are you thinking your psycometrics last? Some tocs it's two years, some 3, but technically it's 5?

 

[12guard4]

How long are you thinking your psycometrics last? Some tocs it's two years, some 3, but technically it's 5?

You're right they are valid for 5 but some TOCs can only accept them for a certain amount of time. All depends on the TOC

 

[benno79]

My 5 years is up next October

 

[Max287]

Fingers crossed they decide there is a need for Birmingham based trainees before next October then benno! Did you request any feedback from them or ask any questions regarding an expected time frame?

 

[benno79]

I was told at interview there's a 7/8 year waiting list for Birmingham but that there were likely to be vacancies at Stourbridge but they weren't sure when. I haven't contacted them since getting the rejection email.

 

[Jippy101]

So is everybody here who got in the talent pool from within the industry?

 

[djsmith200]

No I'm outside industry. On list for 2018

 

[Max287]

I was told at interview there's a 7/8 year waiting list for Birmingham but that there were likely to be vacancies at Stourbridge but they weren't sure when. I haven't contacted them since getting the rejection email.

Really? Well that doesn't sound promising! Hardly worth keeping us on file in that case as all of our results will have expired before they recruit! ??????

 

[Spankthemonkey]

Really? Well that doesn't sound promising! Hardly worth keeping us on file in that case as all of our results will have expired before they recruit! ��

I was told at my interview that they have a "strict succession plan" at Birmingham - basically blokes from aylesbury and Marylebone are on a huge waiting list for vacancies and move up cashing in the equity from houses which are twice the price in the east! There is also the issue of the 68s - trainees do not sign them for two years. At Marylebone they do this with accommodated links but it is a lot harder at Brum and stourbridge.

 

[JonnyH]

Being from the north I asked about Birmingham in the interview and was told that there could be a possibility of some vacancies next year. The case may be that those vacancies will be filled with existing drivers transferring or taking on qualified drivers from elsewhere, but they definitely told me next year was a possibility!

It would seem a bit daft keeping some people from this recruitment on hold for none existing jobs....

 

[12guard4]

Anyone else who is currently in the industry will be able to tell you things change quickly in the industry. This vacancy that was originally for this year but has ended up being for this year, next year Banbury and Northern depots is a great example of plans rapidly changing.

 

[djsmith200]

no news on this from anyone else then? seems like its just me on the waiting list?!?!?

 

[stevieoz]

I was offered Banbury depot driver job in early 2016, went for medical, received a start date but one week before I was due to start chiltern retracted the offer. They said that the job offer was still there but I would not start until spring 2017. On the 27/12/2016 I received an email to say there was no longer a position on offer.

Make of this what you will

 

[choochoochoo]

I was offered Banbury depot driver job in early 2016, went for medical, received a start date but one week before I was due to start chiltern retracted the offer. They said that the job offer was still there but I would not start until spring 2017. On the 27/12/2016 I received an email to say there was no longer a position on offer.

Make of this what you will

What a disgrace. I'm glad I told them to stick their job. Could still be hanging around if I'd gone with them.

They seem all over the place. Their recruitment don't have a clue how anything works.

 

[OneTrackMind]

What a disgrace. I'm glad I told them to stick their job. Could still be hanging around if I'd gone with them.

They seem all over the place. Their recruitment don't have a clue how anything works.

Agreed.

The whole of the HR department and recruitment process is shambolic, infact one of the worst I have ever experienced.

How you can judge a candidate on three application questions alone has always surprised me.

I believe it's just as bad for current employees as well.

 

[PaoloG92]

Agreed.

The whole of the HR department and recruitment process is shambolic, infact one of the worst I have ever experienced.

How you can judge a candidate on three application questions alone has always surprised me.

I believe it's just as bad for current employees as well.

I couldn't agree more. I've found the HR to be by far the worst that I have experienced up to now, from the 5 companies I have had communications with.

I requested feedback via an email to Vimbai who I had received correspondence from and have heard nothing back since. It feels like the 6 months from submitting the application up to getting an answer were a complete waste of time!

 

[dwizzle123]

no news on this from anyone else then? seems like its just me on the waiting list?!?!?

On the waiting list here too

 

[RedZed]

So no one's actually 'fessed up yet to being offered one of these alleged positions?
A bit odd don't you think? This thread has had 56000, views and not one of them is one of the lucky ten?

 

[djsmith200]

exactly. very strange. i was thinking perhaps it was never their intention of taking on people for this year (they had 10 people in mind already-internals etc) and the interviews were for next year and onwards only?

 

[Spankthemonkey]

So no one's actually 'fessed up yet to being offered one of these alleged positions?
A bit odd don't you think? This thread has had 56000, views and not one of them is one of the lucky ten?

Very odd. I wonder if like emt they got a nudge from the dft to employ some freight men half way through the process. Though not overly annoyed at being rejected I do look back on the whole process with mild amusement. My interview was conducted by a guy who loved the sound of his own voice, he did 80% of the talking and then I get feedback saying my answers lacked detail! Well if I could have for got a word in edgeways.....

Also the idea that we all got asked the same questions is nonsense - I got asked some extremely odd things which I will save for another day!

 

[RedZed]

My interview was conducted by a guy who loved the sound of his own voice, he did 80% of the talking and then I get feedback saying my answers lacked detail!

At least you got feedback. I've asked three times now. The first time went ignored. The second got a response on Friday saying they would send it on Monday (never did). Third time ignored me again. TBH I can't fault the interviewers Neil and Nigel, but I think the underlying recruitment process is very poor where members of the recruitment team think it OK to just not respond to questions from applicants.

And as I've said before, the rejection email was factually incorrect and a concoction of poor syntax and bad grammar and if this is representative of being "The Best" of people they are looking for, they are probably not the kind of company I want to work for after all.

 

[stevieoz]

I think once you are in then this is a fantastic company to work for, and it is not hr who decide to employ drivers they do it under instruction from senior management ( at least I assume this from my previous experience). They also told me that the position would be available the following year but only because they realised there was no job in the current year, so just be careful that even if they tell you this, I was informed on Boxing Day that there was no job at all..... nice timing.

 

[Driverme10]

I can confirm there is a group of trainees out doing their hours now, and i believe the depot drivers they took on last year will now be trained mainline. I think further trainee intakes had been postponed due to the situation with Banbury depot. Network rail will not pay unless Chiltern contribute, Chiltern will not pay because nearly end of franchise. thus it looks like will be just a few sidings compared to the original plan. Chilterns plans were to introduce more mk3s and 170s, but with no where to put them, its not happened hence no need for the extra drivers at present. We have also had a couple from the frieght side come accross to fill the odd vacancy. I guess it will be franchise time when the next trainees come thru.

 

[Drh78]

Still waiting for my feedback. I emailed querying some things I was told in the interview and still no response. I can appreciate they are busy, but it would be nice to get some acknowledgement.

 

[Jonnyboy]

Ok I have been offered a job as a trainee driver for this years intake.