Eurostar: International Train Driver (Qualified) - 05/07/2022

[Val3ntine]

Eurostar International

Chez Eurostar, nous nous efforçons de rendre l'expérience de voyage la plus appréciée d'Europe encore meilleure que jamais. Rejoignez-nous et vous ferez partie d'une équipe dynamique, connectée et cosmopolite qui se sent chez elle dans cinq...

apply.workable.com

Description​

Eurostar Train Drivers are some of the proudest Train Drivers we know. Their expertise in driving High Speed Trains, over an international network, has helped shape a service that is high in reliability and focused on the Customer Experience.
Joining the Eurostar family as an International Train Driver you too will take pride in the service you provide.
Safety and reliability will be at the heart of everything you do and you will make it your job to deliver a service that not only stands true to these values but also offers the very best experience to our customers.

​

Requirements​

A bit about you and what you need…

• You will be able to communicate and express yourself clearly in English and French
• This role requires a level of technical understanding that will enable you to fault find and rectify issues where possible.
• You will need to learn and follow important safety rules and regulations and also demonstrate a good level of judgement in applying them.
• You will be self-disciplined.
• This is a role that will require you to work well on your own as well as enjoying engaging with others, be it our customers or the rest of the Eurostar family.
• You will already be a qualified Train Driver with three year’s train driving experience with a good safety record.

Salary: from £64,779.71 whilst training rising to £81,147.44 for a senior qualified International Train Driver (3 years post final validation), rising periodically in the interim.
Shift Patterns: varied over 24 hours/7 days per week.
Hours: 35 hours/4 days average per week over the course of a year
Holidays: 33 days
This role is an RFJ garde based in SPI

Benefits​

• Travel benefits for work and play
• A great pension
• Exclusive discounts and perks

We offer an attractive salary plus a range of benefits from an impressive final year salary pension (part of the railway pension scheme) to advantageous travel facilities for you and your family and protected safe guarded status for continuous rail employees.
If you feel like your skills and experience are relevant for the role, please don't hesitate to apply!
Eurostar is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

 

[choochoochoo]

RFJ garde ? is that meant to be grade ?

I take it you'd have to do the on-board supervisor/guard role as well as the driver role ?

Is there much rest day work ?

 

[Corin_VL]

Any Eurostar drivers on here mind giving an insight into the role?
What links there are? Shift patterns? Cons and pros?
Thanks

 

[Astro_Orbiter]

RFJ garde ? is that meant to be grade ?

I take it you'd have to do the on-board supervisor/guard role as well as the driver role ?

Is there much rest day work ?

No, only French drivers also do TM duties, UK drivers only drive. RDW agreement currently but historically there hasn't been

 

[martin2345uk]

Was hoping these guys wouldn't recruit until I had 3 years under my belt, I've only been passed out for 2 - I can speak French as well, gutted

 

[choochoochoo]

No, only French drivers also do TM duties, UK drivers only drive. RDW agreement currently but historically there hasn't been

Thanks for the info.

Is there a Taxi Agreement ? Or do they hotel crew the night before for early turns ?

The RDW agreement ? Is that committed RDW ? My current TOC doesn't have committed but there's still plenty of RDW available. Is this the same at Eurostar ?

 

[tiptoptaff]

Thanks for the info.

Is there a Taxi Agreement ? Or do they hotel crew the night before for early turns ?

The RDW agreement ? Is that committed RDW ? My current TOC doesn't have committed but there's still plenty of RDW available. Is this the same at Eurostar ?

RDW agreement means that you CAN RDW, not that you have to. If there's no agreement then there's no RDW offered at all.

 

[BR1]

Didn’t Eurostar used to teach incoming drivers in the French language? I wonder if this is a new requirement where everyone entering must already be bilingual? Shame, as this looks like a great opportunity - although I take the point I should’ve probably learnt it in School!

 

[Class2ldn]

Probably too much agro to take people on that don't speak it fluently. Must say its the first time I've ever seen that requirement.

 

[ItchyRsole]

Thanks for the info.

Is there a Taxi Agreement ? Or do they hotel crew the night before for early turns ?

The RDW agreement ? Is that committed RDW ? My current TOC doesn't have committed but there's still plenty of RDW available. Is this the same at Eurostar ?

Taxi or hotel stay, your choice depending on your book on time.

 

[Andypandy1968]

Why on earth would anyone be worried about a rest day agreement on a salary like Eurostar?!

 

[tiptoptaff]

Why on earth would anyone be worried about a rest day agreement on a salary like Eurostar?!

Because, invariably, you'll be living in some of the more expensive parts of this country.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

At my school French was compulsory to age 16. What language standard is needed? (A1, A2, B1 etc)

 

[choochoochoo]

RDW agreement means that you CAN RDW, not that you have to. If there's no agreement then there's no RDW offered at all.

Without RDW how do TOCs cover turns when crew call in sick/unavailable ? Do they just make sure they have adequate spare turns in the roster ? Lots of drivers sitting in the messroom drinking tea on the occasions they're not needed.

Why on earth would anyone be worried about a rest day agreement on a salary like Eurostar?!

Living close to St Pancras is expensive. Even if you can hotel the night before on early turns. Although if they hotel you before every turn then maybe one could live a little further afield and just go home on the eve of your rest days.

At my school French was compulsory to age 16. What language standard is needed? (A1, A2, B1 etc)

Would GCSE French be adequate ? I'd be happy to go do the staying with a french family thing to get back my fluency.

 

[Fragezeichnen]

The German Government requires B1, which is similar to GCSE standard, in order to hold a train driving license endorsed for use in Germany. As far as I know the same applies in other European Countries. Of course, Eurostar themselves might requires something more(I assume they would do for their train managers).

Although, B1 can mean different things to different people, from "I enrolled in a a course entitled B1" via "I passed a classroom exam at B1 level" to "I fulfil the description of the level in everyday life"

 

[martin2345uk]

It says this on Eurostar's application page:

*I can speak French to a B1 level-Level B1, which is sometimes referred to as 'Threshold' or 'Breakthrough' stage, is the point at which a French speaker moves away from the most simplistic language usage and is able to cope with most of the situations they are likely to encounter when travelling around a French-speaking country.

 

[BB1991]

Is French a necessity to apply or can you learn on the job?

 

[Class2ldn]

You need to have it before you apply , seems they've done away with sending people to learn it for a period of time.

 

[ExRes]

Eurostar International Train Driver overview as found on line

"You will be able to communicate and express yourself clearly in English and French"

 

[class373]

I’ve always wondered how many train drivers actually speak French?

 

[choochoochoo]

I suspect for the number of vacancies they have, they'll have more than enough applicants who meet the language criteria without needing to pay the expense of putting candidates through an immersive language training experience.

 

[baz962]

You need to have it before you apply , seems they've done away with sending people to learn it for a period of time.

Do you know that or just going by the advert. Its a bit vague. It says you have to be able to communicate in both English and French , but doesnt state wether that is on application or by time you become productive.

 

[martin2345uk]

Do you know that or just going by the advert. Its a bit vague. It says you have to be able to communicate in both English and French , but doesnt state wether that is on application or by time you become productive.

You have to confirm you already speak French as part of the application

 

[baz962]

I suspect for the number of vacancies they have, they'll have more than enough applicants who meet the language criteria without needing to pay the expense of putting candidates through an immersive language training experience.

I would have thought that the case in previous recruitment drives.

It asks if you do or not

You have to confirm you already speak French as part of the application

.

 

[TheEdge]

I suspect for the number of vacancies they have, they'll have more than enough applicants who meet the language criteria without needing to pay the expense of putting candidates through an immersive language training experience.

You say that but I can't imagine the pool of qualified train drivers in the UK who are fluent in French and don't already work for Eurostar is huge.

 

[Astro_Orbiter]

Probably some more than you'd think

 

[choochoochoo]

I would have thought that the case in previous recruitment drives.

Probably some more than you'd think

I'd have thought given that qualifieds these days come from recruitment from a more diverse pool of applicants from a variety of non-railway backgrounds, many more may have linguistic skills that were not previously found in the role during previous drives.

 

[Efini92]

You have to confirm you already speak French as part of the application

Really? They used to put you on a course.

I’ve always wondered how many train drivers actually speak French?

Probably more than what would live within an hour of St Pancras.

 

[Class2ldn]

Let's be fair, they probably aren't looking for many drivers anyway.

 

[baz962]

Let's be fair, they probably aren't looking for many drivers anyway.

I know half a dozen Eurostar drivers and a few drivers that knows some too. I don't know how true it is but I heard four. But a couple of months ago I was told that they are getting seriously short. Also been told that in future that they might stop recruiting qualified and go trainee to depot route in future.