Got to be the only two people ever
This is incorrect. There was a group of trainees taken on in early 2014. The trainee jobs were advertised in the autumn of 2013. There were 15 trainee drivers. All of them with the exception of one are still driving today.
I'll pipe up here with some info.
To be clear I am NOT speaking on behalf of the company and anything I write is my own opinion/thoughts. I am NOT involved in ANY part of the recruitment process.
To help some of you though...
The rostering is very much based on job requirements and current workload. Colas do lots of possession trains as well as SCO trippers. They also have their commercial freight flows and the yellow test trains. Generally, to begin with, you'll learn to drive with various instructors and mentors. You'll get familiar with driving many different types of trains and when you pass out you'll have a first route. You'll regularly work over that first route and work as a worksite driver in possessions whether or not you sign the route - this means regular weekends and nights (you do get a rest day pattern so you do also get time off). As you become more experienced you'll begin to learn new routes and as you get a bigger route card you'll get more work. The standard working week for drivers is 36 hours a week, 144 hours every 4 weeks although many drivers generally do more.
Drivers usually get a company van, a Ford Fiesta, and this is a pool van for work use ONLY, it's not personal issue. You will drive a van, from home, to a relieving point and the driver you relieve will take your van and you'll then pick up another van at the next relieving point from the incoming driver or collect one left at your finish point and then drive home. How far you have to drive at the beginning or end of a job is dependant on where the job is and your hours. Some jobs mean you end up staying away in hotels.
There seems to be negativity around this position. You have to remember that the main order of business for Colas is running trains. They rarely recruit trainees and so I don't think they have a massive department that deals with recruitment. I imagine they will take on trainees although it might not be within the time frame they specified. If you've not been on the railway before you need to understand there's standard time and railway time. Things on the railway happen at a different pace to normal life and lots and lots of waiting can be part of the recruitment process and once you're a driver, it most definitely becomes part of your life as a driver!
I hope this helps some of you.