Eurostar International Train Driver 2019

[flash]

Hi,

Does anyone know what the night work is like? And rough start and finish time?

Cheers

Nights = to and from the depot, with an occasional shunt.... earliest nights start 20:00 ish and the latest finish is 08:08.

See current SNCF roster below - (4 digit turn numbers are lodges, yellow highlights are dated diagrams)

 

[Holt0121]

Nights = to and from the depot, with an occasional shunt.... earliest nights start 20:00 ish and the latest finish is 08:08.

See current SNCF roster below - (4 digit turn numbers are lodges, yellow highlights are dated diagrams)View attachment 64523

Thanks.

Lot less nights than what I do at the moment

 

[Economist]

I must admit, this does look like a tempting opportunity though with just over a year of qualified driving, albeit intense subsurban DOO work, I somehow doubt I'd get very far. They used to ask specifically for three years, so I do wonder now that the specific requirement has been removed, whether they'd consider anyone with less.

Is it worth a long shot just to see? I wouldn't need to relocate either.

 

[bionic]

Put in for it and see.

 

[TTDARL]

I must admit, this does look like a tempting opportunity though with just over a year of qualified driving, albeit intense subsurban DOO work, I somehow doubt I'd get very far. They used to ask specifically for three years, so I do wonder now that the specific requirement has been removed, whether they'd consider anyone with less.

Is it worth a long shot just to see? I wouldn't need to relocate either.

Put in for it. Apart from a bit of effort and time, you’ve nothing to lose.
A lot of drivers that have more years driving on paper don’t take into account sickness, restricted from driving, off track, etcetc so don’t actually have as much experience as the years lead you to believe. And a driver with less than 2 years experience can actually have valuable experiences that a driver with many years driving has never had. So a lot of TOCS no longer specify a time period anymore.

 

[DonkeyKong]

Do you need to live within a certain distance from St Pancras to be considered? I'd be looking at a roughly 2 hour commute by road or rail.

 

[TTDARL]

Some TOC management prefer new drivers also because you’ve had the latest training / information whereby someone with years in has been trained the old school way and has had a lot of time to pick up bad habits and become cynical about being ‘experoenced’ because of the years they have on the railways.

 

[TTDARL]

Experienced**

 

[TTDARL]

Do you need to live within a certain distance from St Pancras to be considered? I'd be looking at a roughly 2 hour commute by road or rail.

I’m not in the know on that point and the advert doesn’t state. But I reckon it’ll be a ‘reasonable commute’ baring in mind the diagrams can be quite long and the fatigue factor of adding the travelling to your working day.

 

[bionic]

Do you need to live within a certain distance from St Pancras to be considered? I'd be looking at a roughly 2 hour commute by road or rail.

You would have to be insane to want to give yourself a two hour commute each way... and they would have to be insane to let you do it!

 

[387star]

Put in for it. Apart from a bit of effort and time, you’ve nothing to lose.
A lot of drivers that have more years driving on paper don’t take into account sickness, restricted from driving, off track, etcetc so don’t actually have as much experience as the years lead you to believe. And a driver with less than 2 years experience can actually have valuable experiences that a driver with many years driving has never had. So a lot of TOCS no longer specify a time period anymore.

Yeah I did single line wrong direction twice which is rare at another toc

 

[DonkeyKong]

You would have to be insane to want to give yourself a two hour commute each way... and they would have to be insane to let you do it!

Yes, i agree, having looked at the roster someone posted earlier moving closer seems to be the only plausible option.

 

[S-Car-Go]

A lot of E* colleagues that come from outside London live near the Midland mainline, primarily because GTR Thameslink run an all night service. Easy for nights & early starts, and you arrive into your workplace.

 

[Station 2]

Learning the French language is the difficult bit I think! Interested to find out how one can go from 0 to fluent in 7 months.... MUST BE REALLY INTENSIVE!!!

 

[WrongRoad]

Learning the French language is the difficult bit I think! Interested to find out how one can go from 0 to fluent in 7 months.... MUST BE REALLY INTENSIVE!!!

I made and enquiry about applying a few years ago, the HR lady I spoke to at E* told me that the learning to speak French involves spending a few weeks living in France with a French family that will help you with French conversation etc and classroom based learning in the UK. Not sure if the living in France is still done now but seems a good idea to help you learn.

 

[MrPIC]

From what I've read its a total different ball game to normal UK train driving. Another language to learn, more than one rule book, no AWS/TPWS and of course way way faster than anywhere else!

 

[Station 2]

Thanks for the info, “wrong road” I guess you’ll definitely be putting in for it this time

Also I think the salary isn’t amazing for the extras you have to learn... A good few TOC’s are close to 70 today.

 

[WrongRoad]

Thanks for the info, “wrong road” I guess you’ll definitely be putting in for it this time

Also I think the salary isn’t amazing for the extras you have to learn... A good few TOC’s are close to 70 today.

No I I’m happy where I am. I live in Surrey and don’t want the commute to St Pancras each day, and I’m nearly 50 and really don’t want to be taking on all the study of learning a language and the different rule books. It’s a fantastic opportunity though for the right person. Just a word of caution with it though from speaking to and ex EuroStar driver at my TOC, doing the same few routes the novelty of it quickly wears off and it can become very repetitive.

 

[armin99]

I’ve heard the same from an ex e* driver too, don’t think doing the same route would bother me that much. Looking at the roster, wages, driving fast trains to Paris and to learn French, am definitely throwing my hat in the ring. Good luck everyone

 

[Scottpod1981]

I have an interesting situation, I am currently a Serving Police officer. I have a current UK mainline (NR) train driving licence, gained with London TOC driving london routes ELL & SLL, however I haven’t driven for two years.
I am eager to return to train driving and would like the opportunity to do this with E*.
Thoughts and suggestions very welcome in relation to having time out and returning, suitability and possibility or employment with E*

 

[irish_rail]

I have an interesting situation, I am currently a Serving Police officer. I have a current UK mainline (NR) train driving licence, gained with London TOC driving london routes ELL & SLL, however I haven’t driven for two years.
I am eager to return to train driving and would like the opportunity to do this with E*.
Thoughts and suggestions very welcome in relation to having time out and returning, suitability and possibility or employment with E*

I am pretty sure any TOC would require you to return as a trainee as I think your competencies technically would have lapsed. However that may have changed and Eurostar may do things differently so hopefully others will clarify better than I can...

 

[craigybagel]

I am pretty sure any TOC would require you to return as a trainee as I think your competencies technically would have lapsed. However that may have changed and Eurostar may do things differently so hopefully others will clarify better than I can...

I'm sure I was told it was 5 years absence before you need to start again as a trainee driver

 

[irish_rail]

Yes but I know of drivers going on one year sabaticals and having to reapply as trainees.

 

[Red1980]

No I I’m happy where I am. I live in Surrey and don’t want the commute to St Pancras each day, and I’m nearly 50 and really don’t want to be taking on all the study of learning a language and the different rule books. It’s a fantastic opportunity though for the right person. Just a word of caution with it though from speaking to and ex EuroStar driver at my TOC, doing the same few routes the novelty of it quickly wears off and it can become very repetitive.

To be fair I think train driving in general no matter who you drive for has a novelty factor. I had multiple routes on my old card with my old TOC but the way the links/diagrams worked even multiple routes became very repetitive.

I've put my application in, wish me luck. Hopefully 5 years from trainee to now is enough for them. I like to think it will be, not too inexperienced and not too experienced where the bad habits have crept in so fingers crossed haha.

Good luck to everyone else who's applied.

 

[BTU]

What is their take on SOL incidents? I have a couple but also have been around a while so not a total disgrace and they were over 5 years a go, do you think they would blank my application?

 

[BTU]

Thats me finished 2 SOL in 5 years last one 2 years ago, no chance

 

[Maverick88]

Thats me finished 2 SOL in 5 years last one 2 years ago, no chance

Would you be comfortable sharing what the SOLs were, just asking out of curiosity?

 

[Bromley boy]

Thats me finished 2 SOL in 5 years last one 2 years ago, no chance

How do you know?

Worth chucking in for it, to hear it from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

 

[Bromley boy]

What is their take on SOL incidents? I have a couple but also have been around a while so not a total disgrace and they were over 5 years a go, do you think they would blank my application?

Your other post said you had one within the last two years???!

 

[TTDARL]

Some might say that those who have experienced incidents have a greater appreciation having learned how incidents can happen to them. And again we always hear about experienced drivers this, experienced drivers that.... incidents are experience above those that sail through the years without any incidents in their careers.... yes I agree that years count but it’s also about a drivers individual experiences that also count....