Depot Train Drivers!!

[Bobster123]

How much do depot train drivers make? Base only and overtime?? What is the schedule like? How many night? Looking to apply in Reading. Thank you!!

 

[Gooner18]

Different TOCs and depots have different shift patterns / Rotas.
GA illford basic is just over 30k on top of that your roasters Sunday’s and Bh are over time so that will prob take it up to 33-34k , on top of that you get a bonus every few months I think of you don’t take time off sick, if you work a few rest days every couple of weeks can’t see 40k being unreasonable.

Shift pattern I ain’t to sure about but I know at illford they have a long weekend every 3 and have two weeks off every 8, however it is worth noting that in those two weeks are some annual leave days with the other being made up of the hours you have banked up over the 8 weeks , making it a average of a 35 hour week.

 

[Quote]

EMT depot driver earns about £38k basic, x1.5 for overtime. Sundays part of the working week, mostly nights, 7 on, 2 off, 7 on 5 off.

 

[Gooner18]

EMT depot driver earns about £38k basic, x1.5 for overtime.

That’s really good money , wonder why the basic is so high compared to others

 

[Stigy]

That’s really good money , wonder why the basic is so high compared to others

SWR basic is around £38.5k plus regional allowance (inner London weighting is about £2,000). Plus overtime and enhancements etc.

Most Depot driver jobs are roughly this salary I think and they are all driver grades therefore have the same conditions as the specific TOC’s mainline drivers. Because they are drivers too, it makes it arguably easier to then progress on to mainline.

 

[Gooner18]

SWR basic is around £38.5k plus regional allowance (inner London weighting is about £2,000). Plus overtime and enhancements etc.

Most Depot driver jobs are roughly this salary I think and they are all driver grades therefore have the same conditions as the specific TOC’s mainline drivers. Because they are drivers too, it makes it arguably easier to then progress on to mainline.

Greater anglia is 30 k basic , that’s in a depot within Greater London

 

[BallastMonkey]

SWR basic is around £38.5k plus regional allowance (inner London weighting is about £2,000). Plus overtime and enhancements etc.

Most Depot driver jobs are roughly this salary I think and they are all driver grades therefore have the same conditions as the specific TOC’s mainline drivers. Because they are drivers too, it makes it arguably easier to then progress on to mainline.

Not all DD are seen as drivers. For example in Southeastern they are part of the Engineering department, separate to drivers who are under the operation side.

 

[Spankthemonkey]

That’s really good money , wonder why the basic is so high compared to others

Combination of a strong union and a TOC which values the grade and is happy pay for the best new drivers!

 

[scott118]

Greater anglia is 30 k basic , that’s in a depot within Greater London

That'll be because the GA pay isn't so great, compared to any of the other London TOC's, and the reason for a vote of no confidence in their union rep, I'm informed.. However who goes to work just for the money these days?

 

[Stigy]

Not all DD are seen as drivers. For example in Southeastern they are part of the Engineering department, separate to drivers who are under the operation side.

If it’s a depot driver grade it’s a driver grade, otherwise it’s a shunter grade, surely? I think we’ve been through this before here. If you have to drive trains, even round a depot, you’re assessed (initially at least) to national train driver standards.

 

[Dynamonic]

At EMT, you receive full Mainline Rules training, drive on the main line between the station and Depot, plus some mainline shunt manoeuvres and receive a European Train Driving Licence. You’re thus part of the Driver Grade at EMT.

EMT naturally progress Depot Drivers into the Mainline Passenger Grade.

 

[Stigy]

At EMT, you receive full Mainline Rules training, drive on the main line between the station and Depot, plus some mainline shunt manoeuvres and receive a European Train Driving Licence. You’re thus part of the Driver Grade at EMT.

EMT naturally progress Depot Drivers into the Mainline Passenger Grade.

It’s the same to an extent where I work, however you don’t venture on to the mainline, and although some use it as a stepping stone in to mainline driving, a lot of mainline drivers use it to wind down I think...or those who have maybe cocked up a few times in mainline driving? Good little number though

 

[BallastMonkey]

If it’s a depot driver grade it’s a driver grade, otherwise it’s a shunter grade, surely? I think we’ve been through this before here. If you have to drive trains, even round a depot, you’re assessed (initially at least) to national train driver standards.

Im only speaking of my experience with SE. A DD is the same as a Depot Shunter Driver. The training is 3 months long. You don't hold a driving license like that of Mainline, instead you come out with some sort of Customer Service BTEC. And like I said they have now been placed under the Engineering department separate to Mainline drivers who come under Operations.

 

[Bobster123]

Anyone have details on FGW depot driver salaries and if the depot driver grade is same as main line?

 

[Firestarter]

Anyone have details on FGW depot driver salaries and if the depot driver grade is same as main line?

Not seen a vacancy advertised yet, when did you apply?

 

[FGW_DID]

Anyone have details on FGW depot driver salaries and if the depot driver grade is same as main line?

No but I can tell you that GWR ‘Depot Drivers’ or Manoeuvrers (Manos for short ) as they are called at Reading is probably broadly similar to that mentioned in post #3. Lots of scope for OT!

Not the same grade as Mainline although they do get a Train Driving Licence. Although they will have done the same assessments as mainline drivers it’s not an automatic stepping stone, they still have to apply as per everybody else for a trainee slot. Like mentioned above they come under Engineering not Operations.
Driving is purely within the depot bounds all are ‘Shunter’ trained in as far as propelling moves etc using handsignals etc but some have the extra competency to deal with the LHCS (sleepers) on Depot and up at the Station.

Traction is 16x DMU / 387 EMU. Class 08 & 57 is on the cards for some (if not all). Also on the cards in the not too very distant future will be the Class 319 / 769 “tri-mode”

 

[BallastMonkey]

Not the same grade as Mainline although they do get a Train Driving Licence. Although they will have done the same assessments as mainline drivers it’s not an automatic stepping stone, they still have to apply as per everybody else for a trainee slot. Like mentioned above they come under Engineering not Operations.
Driving is purely within the depot bounds all are ‘Shunter’ trained in as far as propelling moves etc using handsignals etc but some have the extra competency to deal with the LHCS (sleepers) on Depot and up at the Station.
”

Thank you for confirming this, there seems to be a lot of confusion with the difference between Mainline drivers and DD. This also is probably down to the different rules that's TOCs have.

 

[Gooner18]

So do depot drivers get a train driving licence ,if so do they come under the same union ( guessing ASLEF)?

 

[Dynamonic]

So do depot drivers get a train driving bing licence , so they come under the same union ( guessing ASLEF)?

It depends on the TOC. I can tell you that at EMT at least, you get a Train Driving Licence, and are covered by ASLEF.

 

[Gooner18]

I have been told GA get a licence and also they are covered by ASLEF as well , curious is it just down to the TOC or are there other factors that determine if depot driver get a licence etc

 

[Stigy]

I have been told GA get a licence and also they are covered by ASLEF as well , curious is it just down to the TOC or are there other factors that determine if depot driver get a licence etc

I was always lead to believe that all Depot drivers are driver grades, however, someone mentioned that at Southeastern it’s different? Some TOCs have Shunters and Depot Drivers, some call depot drivers shunt drivers. Maybe the latter is not a driver grade?

Worth noting that you can join what ever union you like, and some are with RMT.

 

[FGW_DID]

I think most of our Manos are RMT

 

[Gooner18]

I see , just trying to get to grips with it all , unions a total new world to me , had 22 years of no union lol. Also interesting , if not confusing with regards to the Depot drivers and licences, if they hold a licence I presume they have to sit a refresher exam every 2 odd years ?

 

[BallastMonkey]

I see , just trying to get to grips with it all , unions a total new world to me , had 22 years of no union lol. Also interesting , if not confusing with regards to the Depot drivers and licences, if they hold a licence I presume they have to sit a refresher exam every 2 odd years ?

Maybe a current mainline/depot driver can confirm this. Once passed out is there refresher tests?

 

[scott118]

If the 'manos' are all in the RMT, then ASLEF don't possibly recognise them as a 'driving' grade.

All drivers have to resit both rules and regs, every 2 or 3 years, hence the name bi-annual or tri-annual. Should you fail it, you'll be sat spare until you pass your resit.

 

[Gooner18]

Maybe a email to Sally at GA asking these Q’s is needed

 

[Stigy]

Maybe a current mainline/depot driver can confirm this. Once passed out is there refresher tests?

A friend of mine is a depot driver and he said he has to basically redo his driver assessments every three years (the initial assesments) I do find that strange but I’m sure that’s what he said.

 

[Tomnick]

I see , just trying to get to grips with it all , unions a total new world to me , had 22 years of no union lol. Also interesting , if not confusing with regards to the Depot drivers and licences, if they hold a licence I presume they have to sit a refresher exam every 2 odd years ?

It's just different companies taking different approaches, often with historical differences too. Any shed drivers who venture outside the confines of the depot will need a European train driving licence and undoubtedly a much deeper and more extensive rules knowledge than those who don't. It seems that they've traditionally fallen under the engineering function at most TOCs (and thus naturally lean towards the RMT) but have more recently come within the driving function at those locations where they go out onto the mainline (where, at least at the locations I'm aware of, it's a relatively new grade covering work that'd previously have been done by mainline drivers either working dedicated shed turns or as part of a diagram involving passenger work too). I'd expect that, regardless of the differences, there'd be a pretty thorough competence cycle (usually a lot more involved than just an exam every couple of years).

 

[Dynamonic]

Maybe a current mainline/depot driver can confirm this. Once passed out is there refresher tests?

At EMT, all drivers (Mainline and Depot) sit Mainline Rules exams every few years to maintain competence.

I would expect that is the case for all drivers who are issued a Train Driving Licence, no matter the TOC.

 

[Tomnick]

At EMT, all drivers (Mainline and Depot) sit Mainline Rules exams every few years to maintain competence.

I would expect that is the case for all drivers who are issued a Train Driving Licence, no matter the TOC.

Not just rules exams (every year to a certain extent, with other bits in between too) - you can add practical driving assessments, unobtrusive assessments and data recorder downloads to that list. Other grades, including engineering grades, have a similar (if less intense) regime though, so I'm sure that shed drivers elsewhere will have their competence similarly assessed whether they're the proud owner of an ETDL or not.