Driving for GWR in the South West

[Daydr3am3r]

Keep an eye out for trainee roles at Plymouth. It's a relatively older depot and bound to recruit for trainees again at some point in the future. Similarly Exeter , if you are willing to settle for less haha

Harsh and not true

 

[Carrie-Cole]

Also waiting in a talent pool for Plymouth.

 

[FGW_DID]

I would just add the south west isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be, the weather is rather hit or miss and it can often feel like a bit of a time warp. Think Ireland in the 1970s lol.

Hopefully minus the bombings, the shootings, the kneecappings etc etc

 

[irish_rail]

Hopefully minus the bombings, the shootings, the kneecappings etc etc

Haha I'm thinking more Galway than Belfast lol

 

[craigybagel]

I know of no LNER/Avanti moving to my TOC only a mad rush the other way but there are bound to be the odd example at other TOCs probably to relocate somewhere intercity doesn't have a depot for family reasons etc.

Plenty leave Avanti. One of those who has done is (if he is who I think he is) a poster on this site. I know lots of others who've made the move and regretted it. Each to their own though - personally I can see it being an appealing option in the future.

Hopefully minus the bombings, the shootings, the kneecappings etc etc

The poster said Ireland. Don't tar the entire island with the mad behaviour of a few idiots in the North.

Haha I'm thinking more Galway than Belfast lol

Funnily enough, I visited Cornwall for the first time last Summer and was struck immediately by how much it felt like being back in Ireland. I even went as far as to research house prices to see if a move would be feasible some day

 

[theironroad]

Plenty leave Avanti. One of those who has done is (if he is who I think he is) a poster on this site. I know lots of others who've made the move and regretted it. Each to their own though - personally I can see it being an appealing option in the future.




The poster said Ireland. Don't tar the entire island with the mad behaviour of a few idiots in the North.



Funnily enough, I visited Cornwall for the first time last Summer and was struck immediately by how much it felt like being back in Ireland. I even went as far as to research house prices to see if a move would be feasible some day

....and the house prices put you off?????

 

[craigybagel]

....and the house prices put you off?????

They were an eye opener for someone who lives in the North of England alright to be fair though the pay difference between my TOC and GWR would make then cover the increased mortgage. I'll have to see where myself and my family stand in a few years - my current employer has been very good to me and in any case I'm still Post Qual so I'm thinking years down the line if at all, and certainly not any time soon.

 

[irish_rail]

They were an eye opener for someone who lives in the North of England alright to be fair though the pay difference between my TOC and GWR would make then cover the increased mortgage. I'll have to see where myself and my family stand in a few years - my current employer has been very good to me and in any case I'm still Post Qual so I'm thinking years down the line if at all, and certainly not any time soon.

Cornwall is extremely affordable in the right areas. True Cornwall where the people are of Celtic stock and not retirees , places like Camborne, Redruth, St Austell etc are far more affordable and comparable with the north. Not to mention the wonderful "border" city of Plymouth! You'd be more than welcome at GWR my friend if you do decide you want a change.

 

[theking]

Who's on 15k less than GWR.

According to the aslef website the highest GWR get is 60k.

The so called jealous drivers from the commuter tocs are on more than that.
ARL
MTR
SOUTHERN
SWR (with new pay deal)

 

[irish_rail]

Who's on 15k less than GWR.

According to the aslef website the highest GWR get is 60k.

The so called jealous drivers from the commuter tocs are on more than that.
ARL
MTR
SOUTHERN
SWR (with new pay deal)

I think we are on about 62k. May not be as much as a driver stopping 150 times a day in inner London, but I know which id prefer.

 

[irish_rail]

I think we are on about 62k. May not be as much as a driver stopping 150 times a day in inner London, but I know which id prefer.

Not to mention house prices/cost of living being far cheaper in the south west compared with London , the lower salary down here goes much much further.

 

[donpoku]

Hi, what would you say is a good working depot with cheapest house prices at GWR?

 

[StevieH]

Not to mention house prices/cost of living being far cheaper in the south west compared with London , the lower salary down here goes much much further.

Do you get many machette attacks, terrorist attacks, stabbings and acid attacks in the south west? Lol

 

[craigybagel]

Cornwall is extremely affordable in the right areas. True Cornwall where the people are of Celtic stock and not retirees , places like Camborne, Redruth, St Austell etc are far more affordable and comparable with the north. Not to mention the wonderful "border" city of Plymouth! You'd be more than welcome at GWR my friend if you do decide you want a change.

Thanks, good to know I was thinking if I did it I'd probably be looking more closer to Plymouth to be honest - both because deep Cornwall is a little too isolated for my liking, and because as a depot I assumed there's more variety?

 

[irish_rail]

Thanks, good to know I was thinking if I did it I'd probably be looking more closer to Plymouth to be honest - both because deep Cornwall is a little too isolated for my liking, and because as a depot I assumed there's more variety?

For sure Plymouth has most variety at present, whether that will change remains to be seen. Par do now do HSTs 158s and 150s but only cover Cornwall as far as Plymouth. Penzance only go as far as Exeter but with fewer branch lines thrown in than Par. I imagine Par will at some point learn 802s as well.
New starters at Plymouth currently only sign Taunton to Par plus gunnislake looe and Newquay, however as more retire, so the "west" side at Plymouth will grow and spread it's wings, with Reading being a likely future destination. Whether they will go London as HSS do at present remains to be seen.

Lots of lovely areas to live in east Cornwall too, it's more off the tourist trail but I think far nicer than west Cornwall.

 

[irish_rail]

Do you get many machette attacks, terrorist attacks, stabbings and acid attacks in the south west? Lol

Oh all the time lol. Plymouth has its problems the same as any big city, but overall it's a world away from London!

 

[StevieH]

Oh all the time lol. Plymouth has its problems the same as any big city, but overall it's a world away from London!

I'd take my chances with Jesters on a Friday Saturday night over many parts of London lol

 

[Carrie-Cole]

Jesters hahaha

 

[tiptoptaff]

Hi, what would you say is a good working depot with cheapest house prices at GWR?

Swansea by a longshot. Some of the commutable areas to Swansea are some of the poorest in the UK. You can buy a 3bed house in certain commutable areas of Swansea for our annual salary at GWR.

But they only sign Swansea to London with diversions (VoG, Gloucester and Bristol TM via Box) so the work content isn't the widest. But, for a long time, Swansea was a depot no one left. Still is, to a degree

 

[387star]

Swansea by a longshot. Some of the commutable areas to Swansea are some of the poorest in the UK. You can buy a 3bed house in certain commutable areas of Swansea for our annual salary at GWR.

But they only sign Swansea to London with diversions (VoG, Gloucester and Bristol TM via Box) so the work content isn't the widest. But, for a long time, Swansea was a depot no one left. Still is, to a degree

Yeah when I route learned Cardiff nearly all the Swansea drivers were ex BR although a few have only been driving a few years. I think in 2015 a few got taken on including a female driver who appears on the driver advertisements.

 

[theironroad]

I assume from what I've read that new drivers enter on a gwr contract rather than west, hss etc.

If you were a external qualified, what would be the pros and cons of Exeter or Plymouth depots?

Keep it friendly

 

[irish_rail]

I assume from what I've read that new drivers enter on a gwr contract rather than west, hss etc.

If you were a external qualified, what would be the pros and cons of Exeter or Plymouth depots?

Keep it friendly

Yes you would go on the GWr grade side.
At present where you to join Exeter would be the branch link and the triangle of doom, but after a couple of years would do 2+4 HSTs and IETs , and some sign as far as Reading.
At the moment gwr at plymouth have very little work and it is mainly branch line. They do sign IETs as well but only really for Laira and exeter. Also technically they sign HSTs. So at Plymouth it's mainly 150s to gunny looe and newquay, HOWEVER as it is only a small link at present as they pick up more and better work in the next couple of years you would already be in the main link so would potentially get the better work faster.

 

[Daydr3am3r]

Yes you would go on the GWr grade side.
At present where you to join Exeter would be the branch link and the triangle of doom, but after a couple of years would do 2+4 HSTs and IETs , and some sign as far as Reading.
At the moment gwr at plymouth have very little work and it is mainly branch line. They do sign IETs as well but only really for Laira and exeter. Also technically they sign HSTs. So at Plymouth it's mainly 150s to gunny looe and newquay, HOWEVER as it is only a small link at present as they pick up more and better work in the next couple of years you would already be in the main link so would potentially get the better work faster.

That was a fairly friendly and unbiased post

 

[theironroad]

Yes you would go on the GWr grade side.
At present where you to join Exeter would be the branch link and the triangle of doom, but after a couple of years would do 2+4 HSTs and IETs , and some sign as far as Reading.
At the moment gwr at plymouth have very little work and it is mainly branch line. They do sign IETs as well but only really for Laira and exeter. Also technically they sign HSTs. So at Plymouth it's mainly 150s to gunny looe and newquay, HOWEVER as it is only a small link at present as they pick up more and better work in the next couple of years you would already be in the main link so would potentially get the better work faster.

Thanks. How many links at Plymouth then? Sounds like there's a gwr section, west section and hss section. Does each have multiple links?

Also, how many drivers at exd and ply?

Am I right in thinking all gwr passnegr services have a guard on board ?

 

[dan2610]

Out of interest, does anybody know the number of drivers currently at the Cornish depots (Pnz & Par)?

And following that, with the increased services planned, pre-Covid at least, is there a requirement to up those numbers, or will it largely be a case of only replacing departures for a while?

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[Pugland53]

Swansea by a longshot. Some of the commutable areas to Swansea are some of the poorest in the UK. You can buy a 3bed house in certain commutable areas of Swansea for our annual salary at GWR.

But they only sign Swansea to London with diversions (VoG, Gloucester and Bristol TM via Box) so the work content isn't the widest. But, for a long time, Swansea was a depot no one left. Still is, to a degree

They also all sign to Carmarthen, plus link one signs Pembroke Dock in the summer. Swansea is a great depot to work at, that is why people don't leave.

 

[Daydr3am3r]

Thanks. How many links at Plymouth then? Sounds like there's a gwr section, west section and hss section. Does each have multiple links?

Also, how many drivers at exd and ply?

Am I right in thinking all gwr passnegr services have a guard on board ?

Yes all guarded work in Devon & Cornwall.

 

[irish_rail]

Thanks. How many links at Plymouth then? Sounds like there's a gwr section, west section and hss section. Does each have multiple links?

Also, how many drivers at exd and ply?

Am I right in thinking all gwr passnegr services have a guard on board ?

At plymouth there are several HSS links and one GWR link. The GWR link currently only has about 10 in it and that is where you would go. Over time it will take more and more work from the HSS links as drivers in those retire. So at the moment plymouth is extremely HSS top heavy but as I said that will change over time.
In my view it is probably better to be a big fish in a (currently) small pond at GWR plymouth than the mass of gwr links already existing at exeter

 

[craigybagel]

Yes you would go on the GWr grade side.
At present where you to join Exeter would be the branch link and the triangle of doom, but after a couple of years would do 2+4 HSTs and IETs , and some sign as far as Reading.
At the moment gwr at plymouth have very little work and it is mainly branch line. They do sign IETs as well but only really for Laira and exeter. Also technically they sign HSTs. So at Plymouth it's mainly 150s to gunny looe and newquay, HOWEVER as it is only a small link at present as they pick up more and better work in the next couple of years you would already be in the main link so would potentially get the better work faster.

If qualified drivers go to Exeter do they need to start in the branch link too or is it just for internal PQA drivers?

 

[irish_rail]

If qualified drivers go to Exeter do they need to start in the branch link too or is it just for internal PQA drivers?

As far as I know they start at the bottom as in the branch link yes.