GWR Trainee talent pool Plymouth

[monkeyskillz]

https://uk.firstgroupcareers.com/va...r---plymouth--9814-plymouth/9843/description/

Good luck to those that apply. Says 60 min travel rule is non negotiable but reading through various previous threads not sure if that’s 100%

 

[Daydr3am3r]

I’d be very surprised if that advert lasted until the current closing date of 22 April.

 

[monkeyskillz]

I’d be very surprised if that advert lasted until the current closing date of 22 April.

Exactly. Anyone who’s thinking of applying should stop thinking and get it done quick time.

 

[Stigy]

GWR do seem to be having a massive campaign. So many trainee adverts of late....I guess being for a talent pool they just want to prepare for the future? Good luck all who apply!

 

[tiptoptaff]

Its all for one thing and one thing only:

Sundays as part of the week.

 

[Goingloco]

Its all for one thing and one thing only:

Sundays as part of the week.

Forgive my naivety and this is likely to be the most stupid question but other than having to work a Sunday as part of the working week are there any other downsides?

Having read other threads this appears to be an issue so I must be missing something.....

Thanks

 

[tiptoptaff]

Forgive my naivety and this is likely to be the most stupid question but other than having to work a Sunday as part of the working week are there any other downsides?

Having read other threads this appears to be an issue so I must be missing something.....

Thanks

I think it's personal. If you don't work any Sundays at the moment, its a bad thing. If you work every Sunday, it's a bad thing (financially.) If you work only your booked ones, it's probably a win win - you get the extra RD for working the Sunday, plus your Sunday play is part of your base, so it helps your pension pot.

For me, I support it. There will always be overtime, and my base salary will be higher, which is good for the pension. I also don't have to work 5 days in the week I have a Sunday.

 

[irish_rail]

Hmmmm we get the vibe at Plymouth the company don't actually want Sundays in the working week as it will cost them a lot more.
Admittedly no one down here has any clue why the massive recruitment drive when Plymouth is consistently being overlooked for any new work and rumour has it we are losing work to the likes of bristol.
Indeed, despite the 2+4 HSTs being based at Laira , Plymouth drivers will not be permitted to drive them on the mainline which is in our view a very strange and illogical descion .
Good luck to any who apply and I look forward to working with you...

 

[tiptoptaff]

Hmmmm we get the vibe at Plymouth the company don't actually want Sundays in the working week as it will cost them a lot more.
Admittedly no one down here has any clue why the massive recruitment drive when Plymouth is consistently being overlooked for any new work and rumour has it we are losing work to the likes of bristol.
Indeed, despite the 2+4 HSTs being based at Laira , Plymouth drivers will not be permitted to drive them on the mainline which is in our view a very strange and illogical descion .
Good luck to any who apply and I look forward to working with you...

You can thank ASLEF for the 256 farce. The company have just worked around it. You should hear how often we curse and say "if only Plymouth could take it to xyz..."

ASLEF wants Sundays in, there's going to be better adherence to the Fatigue Risk Index, and the company is front-loading the training so it's not miles behind the establishments come May2021's link change to reflect things. I suspect your depot has a lot of legacy "I've never worked a Sunday" types, so I can see why anything with Sundays that need to be worked would be unfavourable.
The company doesn't want to be fighting for Sunday coverage for much longer. With GWR grade now having committed Sundays (as always was on West, but spreading to LTV, and now HSS through GWR drivers joining at HSS depots) the next logical step is Sundays in. Having it linked and covered properly helps with managing the fatigue index - something overtime and RDW will impact, so I can envisage that being reduced (which is something ASLEF have always wanted anyway)

 

[irish_rail]

Trouble is we are already sat around rather a lot "route refreshing" or other pointless turns just used to pad out the link. Not quite sure why fatigue would be an issue. Indeed next week I won't touch London once and on paper will only drive 2 trains. Not really sustainable I'd say.....

 

[Goingloco]

You can thank ASLEF for the 256 farce. The company have just worked around it. You should hear how often we curse and say "if only Plymouth could take it to xyz..."

ASLEF wants Sundays in, there's going to be better adherence to the Fatigue Risk Index, and the company is front-loading the training so it's not miles behind the establishments come May2021's link change to reflect things. I suspect your depot has a lot of legacy "I've never worked a Sunday" types, so I can see why anything with Sundays that need to be worked would be unfavourable.
The company doesn't want to be fighting for Sunday coverage for much longer. With GWR grade now having committed Sundays (as always was on West, but spreading to LTV, and now HSS through GWR drivers joining at HSS depots) the next logical step is Sundays in. Having it linked and covered properly helps with managing the fatigue index - something overtime and RDW will impact, so I can envisage that being reduced (which is something ASLEF have always wanted anyway)

Wow, this is like a foreign language Clearly lots to learn.......

Thanks for the detail though.....

 

[irish_rail]

Wow, this is like a foreign language Clearly lots to learn.......

Thanks for the detail though.....

The 256 farce refers to fact Plymouth drivers cannot drive the short HSTs because company is unwilling to give us the 1 day training for it. They'd rather give a (say) par driver a month instead.. work that one out!

 

[tiptoptaff]

The 256 farce refers to fact Plymouth drivers cannot drive the short HSTs because company is unwilling to give us the 1 day training for it. They'd rather give a (say) par driver a month instead.. work that one out!

Your LDC didn't want to touch it, it was deemed to be inferior "west" work.

 

[irish_rail]

I have no idea who told u that but totally and utterly inaccurate . I am good friends with one of the LDC and we most certainly do want the work but just want the one day of training on it that other HSS depots are getting.

 

[Shaggy]

The 256 farce refers to fact Plymouth drivers cannot drive the short HSTs because company is unwilling to give us the 1 day training for it. They'd rather give a (say) par driver a month instead.. work that one out!

Ask the question, why would GWR want to give any new work to an HSS (and thereby ring-fenced and in effect, slowing dying as retiring/departing drivers will never be replaced) depot?

 

[tiptoptaff]

Ask the question, why would GWR want to give any new work to an HSS (and thereby ring-fenced and in effect, slowing dying as retiring/departing drivers will never be replaced) depot?

Plymouth as a depot won't cease to exist. It'll eventually become a GWR depot The ringfencing doesn't have much to do with it

 

[Shaggy]

Plymouth as a depot won't cease to exist. It'll eventually become a GWR depot The ringfencing doesn't have much to do with it

Hmm. I'm not so sure. I suspect you will find the new Plymouth "GWR" depot when it produces drivers (these trainees will not be HSS) will start to attract new work, even from Plymouth HSS, otherwise why open it? The HSS side of things will over a long period of time dwindle and then eventually cease to exist.

 

[irish_rail]

Ask the question, why would GWR want to give any new work to an HSS (and thereby ring-fenced and in effect, slowing dying as retiring/departing drivers will never be replaced) depot?

Well because work should go where it is best placed to go and not where ideologically the company wants to put it . There is a strong suspicion here Plymouth is being unfairly penalised for our past militant stance. I only wish the company would take the moral high ground and not penalise the lot of us for the actions of the few...

 

[irish_rail]

Hmm. I'm not so sure. I suspect you will find the new Plymouth "GWR" depot when it produces drivers (these trainees will not be HSS) will start to attract new work, even from Plymouth HSS, otherwise why open it? The HSS side of things will over a long period of time dwindle and then eventually cease to exist.

Not allowed to take hss work until sufficient drivers retire or leave.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Hmm. I'm not so sure. I suspect you will find the new Plymouth "GWR" depot when it produces drivers (these trainees will not be HSS) will start to attract new work, even from Plymouth HSS, otherwise why open it? The HSS side of things will over a long period of time dwindle and then eventually cease to exist.

Its links of the same depot, not a separate one

 

[Shaggy]

Its links of the same depot, not a separate one

They won't be HSS drivers TTT, never will be able to move to it either. It'll be a case of Bristol, Penzance and Padd.

 

[tiptoptaff]

They won't be HSS drivers TTT, never will be able to move to it either. It'll be a case of Bristol, Penzance and Padd.

Its like you think I don't know what's happening

 

[Shaggy]

Its like you think I don't know what's happening

Likewise.

 

[Shaggy]

Well because work should go where it is best placed to go and not where ideologically the company wants to put it . There is a strong suspicion here Plymouth is being unfairly penalised for our past militant stance. I only wish the company would take the moral high ground and not penalise the lot of us for the actions of the few...

No idea about that I'm afraid. I doubt it's ideological to be fair, I presume they think it prudent to put the work where (they hope) Sundays will be included unlike the current weekly scrum for coverage.

 

[irish_rail]

No idea about that I'm afraid. I doubt it's ideological to be fair, I presume they think it prudent to put the work where (they hope) Sundays will be included unlike the current weekly scrum for coverage.

The only place that can't cover Sundays is Paddington as drivers struggle to get into central London for work. We certainly never have a problem here.

 

[tlionhart]

The only place that can't cover Sundays is Paddington as drivers struggle to get into central London for work. We certainly never have a problem here.

Nah, they’re just lazy!

 

[ValentaFan1974]

So what route would you sign from Plymouth as a trainee?

 

[irish_rail]

So what route would you sign from Plymouth as a trainee?

Nobody yet knows the company are being extremely coy on telling us what the new drivers will be doing. The rumour is it will be local stuff contained within Devon and Cornwall plus laira depot. Imagine they will sign IET at some point plus 150s and I'd guess 2+4 HSTs but as I say I don't think the company even know yet.....

 

[Danny_H22]

Hi guys, just a few questions.

1) anyone know how many positions they are likely hiring for in the Plymouth area?

2) if i pass the alphanumerical test, what’s the next steps?

3) all going well, how long does the training period last?

 

[BooTwo]

Hi guys, for those who applied for this post, did you have to take one or two online assessments immediately after clicking submit for your application? I was under the impression it was two from searching the forums, with an invite sent out to the second soon after passing the first. Completed one late last night but not heard anything since so I’m assuming it’s not good news. Just wondering if anyone was in the same boat (or train!)