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Crosscountry Trainee Driver vacancies nationwide

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Vdt

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For people who have already done the assessment at watford, did the day consist of all assessments as I know west mids have 2 stages.
 
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JI1883

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Assuming you haven't done any assessments and passed any before. Your day will consist of 5 paper tests, 3 computer tests and an interview
 

Ell887

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I recently did an OPC as part of the application for a job that I won’t be able to fulfil. I won’t be able to move industry for a couple of years at least.

I did it to get an idea of what to expect further down the line. Would this have a negative effect should I be applying for a role in years to come? Not in terms of a result, more in regards to I made an application that I didn’t follow through (assuming I’d been at all successful with the OPC).

I felt I wouldn’t be hindering anyone by doing it as those who made the grade would still be moved on to the next stage, those who didn’t won’t regardless.
 

StevieH

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Gone very quiet here anyone heard much recently or we just all having to wait till lockdown eases before things move forward?
 

SJN

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I’ve not heard anything since lockdown. I would imagine courses are delayed as people can’t take tests and hotels are closed anyway so won’t be able to start the 10 weeks in Derby.
 

SJN

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I suppose they might be able to but I was there last year and I don’t think the equipment for the second tests are 2m apart. They might be able to stagger them though. Not sure.
 

MPE

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Hello I wonder if anyone could possibly try and help me, I am pretty new to trying to get in to the industry as a trainee driver.

In an idea word I would love to do HST however I am aware that it’s not always easy to get in to as a new driver. Can I ask did any of you have previous experience before joining CrossCountry and lastly are they likely to recruit again soon?

thanks .
 

SJN

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In the advert it stated 3 years railway experience or 2 years at cross country. Have no idea when they’ll recruit again.
 

Tom Quinne

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Hello I wonder if anyone could possibly try and help me, I am pretty new to trying to get in to the industry as a trainee driver.

In an idea word I would love to do HST however I am aware that it’s not always easy to get in to as a new driver. Can I ask did any of you have previous experience before joining CrossCountry and lastly are they likely to recruit again soon?

thanks .

if youd like to drive class 43s your time is extremely limited, the class will probably be withdrawn on XC once the new franchise (whenever or in whatever form that my take happens). GWR is a limited as well, but probably your best bet as depending on depot you’ll get to sign them fairly quickly - GWR will also recruit sooner than XC again.

Maybe even Scotrail, depending on depot and their links.

However, as I’m sure you already spent many hundreds of hours deeply researching the role you’ll know your not alone in your “dream” of becoming a driver. To open up the odds very slightly you’d be better If practicable applying to london based metro operation like Overground, Crossrail or one the south London operations.

Its not uncommon to have 5000 applicants for 10 jobs, even guards jobs now attract several thousand applicants.
I would keep quiet you went to drive a certain type of train throughout the process, the recruitment people progress don’t know one end of a train from the other let alone the difference between a Class 450 and Class 350.

If your really keen for XC, your very best bet is apply for a first class host or retail service manager job, even these are extremely popular usually going to former cabin crew from airlines.

best of luck.
 

TTDARL

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EMR still run a large quantity of HST’s also. EMR have just taken several HST’s from LNER so they will be around for a while at EMR due to the pandemic delaying the build / introduction of the new 800 series Hitachi trains due.
 

TTDARL

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EMR recruit trainee service drivers, trainee depot drivers, & qualified drivers at depots spread between London / Derby / Nottingham.
 

baz962

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Emr are recruiting for qualified , for talent pool at st pancras .
 

MPE

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if youd like to drive class 43s your time is extremely limited, the class will probably be withdrawn on XC once the new franchise (whenever or in whatever form that my take happens). GWR is a limited as well, but probably your best bet as depending on depot you’ll get to sign them fairly quickly - GWR will also recruit sooner than XC again.

Maybe even Scotrail, depending on depot and their links.

However, as I’m sure you already spent many hundreds of hours deeply researching the role you’ll know your not alone in your “dream” of becoming a driver. To open up the odds very slightly you’d be better If practicable applying to london based metro operation like Overground, Crossrail or one the south London operations.

Its not uncommon to have 5000 applicants for 10 jobs, even guards jobs now attract several thousand applicants.
I would keep quiet you went to drive a certain type of train throughout the process, the recruitment people progress don’t know one end of a train from the other let alone the difference between a Class 450 and Class 350.

If your really keen for XC, your very best bet is apply for a first class host or retail service manager job, even these are extremely popular usually going to former cabin crew from airlines.

best of luck.
Thank you very much for your reply what is the new class that is coming to XC it’s not so much the class just HST would be the ultimate dream for me but I do appreciate how difficult the industry is to get in to
 

irish_rail

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Thank you very much for your reply what is the new class that is coming to XC it’s not so much the class just HST would be the ultimate dream for me but I do appreciate how difficult the industry is to get in to
Certain XC depots have all drivers doing HSTs I think Plymouth is one for example so depending on what depot u applied for you may get to learn HSTs straight away if you are successful.
Id guess Leeds , Derby and Bristol probably all sign HSTs. Birmingham do not and there are lower links that you start in with no HSTs.
 

221129

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EMR still run a large quantity of HST’s also. EMR have just taken several HST’s from LNER so they will be around for a while at EMR due to the pandemic delaying the build / introduction of the new 800 series Hitachi trains due.
If you count December as around for a while.
 

221129

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Certain XC depots have all drivers doing HSTs I think Plymouth is one for example so depending on what depot u applied for you may get to learn HSTs straight away if you are successful.
Id guess Leeds , Derby and Bristol probably all sign HSTs. Birmingham do not and there are lower links that you start in with no HSTs.
The poster you're quoting hasn't applied to XC.

Plymouth, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh all sign HSTs. Derby and New St only some links sign HSTs. Manchester, Reading and Bournemouth only sign Voyagers, with Cambridge and Leicester soley signing 170s.
 

PupCuff

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I would keep quiet you went to drive a certain type of train throughout the process, the recruitment people progress don’t know one end of a train from the other let alone the difference between a Class 450 and Class 350.

Whilst I echo advice not to sound like a know-it-all in application/interview, equally, assuming the people doing the recruitment are thick is likely to hinder a candidate's chances too.
 

TTDARL

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If you count December as around for a while.

The current pandemic will delay things considerably. The HST’s were supposed to disappear from EMR totally in 2018, then December 2019! By the time the new Hitachi’s are built (Hitachi currently not building due to the pandemic) and tested including the infrastructure changes, the HST’s will be around for a long while yet. So it won’t be December as originally expected due to the unforeseen pandemic.
 

221129

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The current pandemic will delay things considerably. The HST’s were supposed to disappear from EMR totally in December 2019! By the time the new Hitachi’s are built (Hitachi currently not building due to convo-19) and tested including the infrastructure changes, the HST’s will be around for a long while yet.
The Hitachi units are not replacing the HSTs...
 

MPE

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Thank you so much all of you for your input. I’m still a bit lost in the best way of trying to get in to the industry as a driver some make it sound impossible, although difficult I’m sure it can be done . Does anyone know of any recruitment plans that will be coming once the pandemic is over or what companies are likely to recruit in the near future.
 

43066

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The Hitachi units are not replacing the HSTs...

No, but the GA 360s have been delayed. It’s a fairly safe bet that HSTs will still be plying their trade on the midland mainline beyond December.


Thank you so much all of you for your input. I’m still a bit lost in the best way of trying to get in to the industry as a driver some make it sound impossible, although difficult I’m sure it can be done . Does anyone know of any recruitment plans that will be coming once the pandemic is over or what companies are likely to recruit in the near future.

Not impossible at all! Whereabouts are you based? Set up job alerts for your local depots. Obviously it’s easier if you live in an area of the country where you’re within commuting distance of several TOCs.

I’d echo the advice above about not talking about wanting to drive a particular stock in an interview. Throughout the recruitment process, you need to demonstrate that you have the skills to do the job. Having an encyclopaedic knowledge of rolling stock classes is not one of them!

In fact, I’d go even further: if you’re an enthusiast, I’d urge you not to mention that at all. It’s probably the worst thing you could say in a trainee driver interview. Rightly or wrongly there’s a distinct bias against enthusiasts in the industry.
 
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MPE

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Thank you for your post I am not an enthusiast by any means I do not understand where that has come from I think someone has maybe picked me up wrong further up all I said was that driving High speed & long distance would be my ultimate goal
 

43066

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E
Thank you for your post I am not an enthusiast by any means I do not understand where that has come from I think someone has maybe picked me up wrong further up all I said was that driving High speed & long distance would be my ultimate goal

Fair enough. To be clear, all I meant by that was that having an interest - or not - in the railway, simply isn’t relevant to the skills required to do the job. Those skills are what the recruitment process is focussed on.

Fair enough to have that ambition, but I would tailor what you say according to the TOC. If you went for an interview with ARL, for example, it wouldn’t be wise to say you wanted to drive high speed/long distance.

The most important thing is to get in somewhere and get a key. You can always move depots/TOCs later for better work, if you wish.
 

lammergeier

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The poster you're quoting hasn't applied to XC.

Plymouth, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh all sign HSTs. Derby and New St only some links sign HSTs. Manchester, Reading and Bournemouth only sign Voyagers, with Cambridge and Leicester soley signing 170s.
All Derby drivers sign HST's, but you're right about New St being link dependent.
 

SCREAMR28

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6 Jun 2019
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Given the current situation and numerous companies having PQA drivers sat at home, personally I cant see much in the way of recruitment before next year. I may be wrong but with less trains running and only one allowed in the cab at present training is difficult, route learning none starter.
 

Tom Quinne

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Whilst I echo advice not to sound like a know-it-all in application/interview, equally, assuming the people doing the recruitment are thick is likely to hinder a candidate's chances too.

Certainly not thick, generall. But when it comes to. Class 43s and Voyagers I’d suggest they’ll look at you blankly.
 
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