GB railfreight Rail Operator

[Ne2theside]

Good morning this is a question for anyone working for GB railfreight or any who have any insight into the way their Operator are paid

question: are they paid 4 weekly or every month, and is Rest day work paid at the same rate ?

 

[Lee898]

Good morning this is a question for anyone working for GB railfreight or any who have any insight into the way their Operator are paid

question: are they paid 4 weekly or every month, and is Rest day work paid at the same rate ?

Worked for them. Great company to be fair. Every 4 week pay (so 13 paydays).

Rest Day Working , from when I was working there (2018-2019) was same rate if not mistaken.

 

[Ne2theside]

Thank you for the reply, I saw a job called Rail Operator and I saw the salary is it basically a shunter and apart from the basic pay is their night allowance or like shift allowance like other rail companies have ??

 

[Ne2theside]

Goood afternoon could anyone shed some light on what a Rail Operator for Gb railfreight does, I read the job description but honestly lol a little lost, what is Marshalling and does this role allow you to actually drive the train (Shunter driver)

The job looks interesting just would like some first hand experience

 

[66701GBRF]

Rail Operator (RO) is predominately groundstaff duties. Ie, on the ground in all weather coupling/uncoupling, walking round trains performing various checks, pulling points etc. Some locations the RO is passed to prep and drive locos or trains within the confines of the yard.

Marshalling just means shunting trains together to form services.

 

[66701GBRF]

Thank you for the reply, I saw a job called Rail Operator and I saw the salary is it basically a shunter and apart from the basic pay is their night allowance or like shift allowance like other rail companies have ??

No enhancements or other type of shift allowances. Rest days are paid at the same hourly rate. You can sometimes bargin the amount of hours you do for a rest day. For example if the shift is 8 hours you could bargin that to 10 or 12 so you end up getting paid a little extra. Not guaranteed though and if the job is already 12 hours that limits what you can get.

 

[Ne2theside]

Thank you

Cleared up a lot, I was thinking of moving from front line (gateline) staff and try the Rail Operator role, I been doing it for almost 9 years and I wanted to try something new, losing staff travel isn't a big deal but it's nice to learn operation side of the railway

 

[Wrexhamfc]

A GBRf Rail Operative is a Shunter by any other name.

GBRf tend to have a reputation for poor rostering. We have a lot of people who are very grateful to have left GB. Stories are abound of cut and paste rostering eg you'll get rostered the same job for every working day of your first week and next week will be a cut and paste of your first week, and that can go on for actual years (which is terrible if it's a night turn). Similarly they like to get as much work out of you as possible.

Although, just for fun, lets consider some of GBRf's recent highlights: last week a class 66 collided with a stationary class 73 which had been left foul of the points in Tonbridge and did quite a lot of damage.
A few weeks ago, a GBRf class 90 was left unattended in Wembley Yard and rolled away, apparently it rolled down the hill and up the other side before rolling back, back and forth until a MOM could get there to put scotches under the wheels to prevent it rolling any further. And in April GBRf had a whole train roll away in Grain, as not enough scotches had been used to secure it. Did you ever here of the GBRf train that Spadded two signals and ran through a junction? Several people isolated the wagon brakes. Then there was Doncaster where the driver fell asleep and spadded a signal at 50mph before crashing into the train infront and wreaking the three three wagons. They have an interesting safety record.

GBRf Rail Operative is a good opportunity to get on the railway, but you'll probably want to move on after about a year.

 

[Wrexhamfc]

You'll be contracted to work a certain number of hours in a year (approx 2000), you can opt to have rest day pay paid in a lump sum at the end of the financial year or every four weeks. If you work more hours than your contract on non rest days, you'll get a lump sum at the end of the financial year.
GBRf were never a respecter of the 12 hour rule, you'll be expected to exceed 12 hours if the job goes over (or expect a call from your ops manager of you refuse [this has happened and can be proved]), similarly if you resume after rest because of the 12 hour rule then you can expect them to take the hours off you [this has happened regularly and can be proved].

 

[Carl98k]

You'll be contracted to work a certain number of hours in a year (approx 2000), you can opt to have rest day pay paid in a lump sum at the end of the financial year or every four weeks. If you work more hours than your contract on non rest days, you'll get a lump sum at the end of the financial year.
GBRf were never a respecter of the 12 hour rule, you'll be expected to exceed 12 hours if the job goes over (or expect a call from your ops manager of you refuse [this has happened and can be proved]), similarly if you resume after rest because of the 12 hour rule then you can expect them to take the hours off you [this has happened regularly and can be proved].

It’s 1576 per year. You’re not expected to exceed either, they can ask but never make you. I’ve been asked and I’ve refused, never been an issue.

 

[66701GBRF]

It’s 1576 per year. You’re not expected to exceed either, they can ask but never make you. I’ve been asked and I’ve refused, never been an issue.

It's a bit more for an RO, but yes, they can ask you to do more but you don't have to agree. Same with the 12 hours, if the job has gone to **** they can ask you carry on but you don't have to. Though it's often quicker to carry on (within reason) then have to sit around for a relief.

similarly if you resume after rest because of the 12 hour rule then you can expect them to take the hours off you [this has happened regularly and can be proved].

Not sure I see the problem here, if it's contract hours and you are not working the full hours they are not going to credit you the full hours, pretty standard. What you lose there you gained when you exceeded the previous shift. If it's a rest day work then they usually are pretty good at paying the full hours.

 

[Wrexhamfc]

It’s 1576 per year. You’re not expected to exceed either, they can ask but never make you. I’ve been asked and I’ve refused, never been an issue.

Wait until you join GWR, then you'll see a strong union and pretty good T&C's.

Not sure I see the problem here, if it's contract hours and you are not working the full hours they are not going to credit you the full hours, pretty standard. What you lose there you gained when you exceeded the previous shift. If it's a rest day work then they usually are pretty good at paying the full hours.

Ha, that's why you have rubbish T&C's, because you keep on putting up with it.

These things don't happen in other companies.

 

[Sly Sloth]

I knew a chap who went to freight purely to drive the traction! Lasted 6 months before he begged for his job back due to the ts&cs being worse than a toc! Freight works well for most but not all

 

[66701GBRF]

Ha, that's why you have rubbish T&C's, because you keep on putting up with it.

Not sure anyone can complain about not being paid for hours not worked. As we are annualised hours it makes little difference anyway and as already said, if the following (now shorter) shift was a rest day work then they are pretty good at paying the full original hours.

These things don't happen in other companies.

Good for them, but we all know the T&Cs before we sign up.

 

[Ne2theside]

Hello all quick question new to the whole railway thing, the Payrise that I hear them talking about that only for T.O.C right or do freight train companies get it as well?

 

[Indistinct]

That deal doesn’t apply to freight. I believe GB have been offered 2.5% plus £250 “bonus”

 

[driver9000]

Hello all quick question new to the whole railway thing, the Payrise that I hear them talking about that only for T.O.C right or do freight train companies get it as well?

It only applies to passenger operators contracted to the DfT.

 

[66701GBRF]

That deal doesn’t apply to freight. I believe GB have been offered 2.5% plus £250 “bonus”

The deal is still working it's way through the balloting steps (think we are on our 2nd or 3rd) but the £250 has already been paid (back in February).

Hello all quick question new to the whole railway thing, the Payrise that I hear them talking about that only for T.O.C right or do freight train companies get it as well?

Freight is completely separate from TOCs.

 

[Wrexhamfc]

Good for them, but we all know the T&Cs before we sign up.

Freight drivers do know what GB's like, that's why they generally don't join GB until they can't get a job anywhere else.

Which is why GB has such a big push to recruit Passenger Drivers who don't have a clue what they're getting themselves into and then they generally leave after one year: "we had quite a few resignations from people we have trained from passenger operators to freight within a short space of time of joining us (1 year)"

That deal doesn’t apply to freight. I believe GB have been offered 2.5% plus £250 “bonus”

If they're offering a cash payment, then it's a rubbish deal and they know it

 

[Ne2theside]

Hello. I Have been speaking to a few old GB railfreight staff and I asked why does the RO need a full driving licence, they said because they are mobile Rail Operator but the job descriptions doesn't say anything about moving to different yards.

can anyone clear this up for me please

careers job details - GBRf

 

[Carl98k]

All ROs get given a van. You’ll need to this to get to and from different yards, and drive within the yards.

 

[Ne2theside]

Really I see, sounds kool

Well I haven't got one so no point in applying lol

 

[Hovis5156]

Worked for them. Great company to be fair. Every 4 week pay (so 13 paydays).

Rest Day Working , from when I was working there (2018-2019) was same rate if not mistaken.

Hi, just been given an interview ? Any tips or knowledge of what the shift patterns are? Is the 5 week training really difficult?

 

[Shunter Bones]

It varies from yard to yard, some 12 hour days/nights others mixed start/finish and shift length. Minimum shift length 5 hours. Course is 1week induction, 3 weeks classroom, 1 week practical.

 

[craig30127493]

It varies from yard to yard, some 12 hour days/nights others mixed start/finish and shift length. Minimum shift length 5 hours. Course is 1week induction, 3 weeks classroom, 1 week practical.

Hi just wanted to know about the 5 weeks RO course ? Is it difficult to pass? Is it all track safety PTS ?

Thanks

 

[Shunter Bones]

1 week PTS, 3 weeks other class room, 1 week practical. It is pass or fail, but put in the effort and they will try and help you get over line. You will need to study and revise. Put the effort in, you will get the rewards.

 

[craig30127493]

1 week PTS, 3 weeks other class room, 1 week practical. It is pass or fail, but put in the effort and they will try and help you get over line. You will need to study and revise. Put the effort in, you will get the rewards.

Thank you I’ve been revising PTS and shunting duties also trying to revise other railway stuff but I think I’ll fill my head with stuff I don’t need to. Thanks for the advice mate