Irish Rail Recruiting Train Drivers

[8122]

Train Driver Recruitment

The last four years have been an exciting time for Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail as we welcomed a number of new Trainee Drivers into our organisation. We wish to continue this growth by providing you with an opportunity to be a part of our future recruitment plans.

www.irishrail.ie

Irish rail appear to be having a big recruitment drive for a number of roles including now, Train Drivers. Has anyone (qualified / trainee) had experience in applying from the UK. Ive heard on the grape vine that its a closed shop which hopefully isn't true as it would appear that there are some great opportunities.

 

[class ep-09]

First hurdle is to to have the right to work in the Irish Republic , which after brexit UK citizens have none or it is difficult to obtain ( residents of Northern Ireland may be exempt due to God Friday Agreement but io stand to be corrected ).

 

[Teddyward]

Uk citizens can still work freely in the Irish republic and vice versa.

 

[Muse29]

Im a qualified train driver with Irish rail (and a Brit funnily enough) - I applied a few weeks after moving over here. CTA means that British citizens can live and work in ireland. Brexit didn't stop that thankfully.

It's absolutely not a closed shop anymore. We have people from a variety of different backgrounds so as long as you demonstrate the skills required, you have a chance.

 

[godfreycomplex]

Uk citizens can still work freely in the Irish republic and vice versa.

Indeed, still in the CTA

Like most rail systems across the world, IÉ was once a closed shop recruitment wise. Again, like most rail systems across the world, as Muse29 says, it isn’t any more.

I know it’s not exactly cricket to link to other forums but here’s the master thread on boards - https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057456881/irish-rail-jobs/p7

If anyone’s remotely interested in some cag information gleaned from said thread. Usual restrictions apply

Heuston
Heuston - Cork
Kildare - Waterford
Portarlington - Galway
Limerick Junction - Limerick
Phoenix Park Tunnel

Connolly
Connolly - Belfast
Connolly - Sligo
Connolly - Rosslare
M3 Parkway

Drogheda
Connolly - Dundalk
Drogheda - Navan

Dundalk
Connolly - Belfast

Portlaoise
Heuston - Cork
(There’s also a link called PWD that does every line on IÉ but I don’t even know what PWD stands for let alone what the work entails)

Cork
Cork - Heuston
Cork - Midleton
Cork - Cobh
Mallow - Tralee

Tralee
Tralee - Mallow - Cork

Mallow
Cork - Heuston
Mallow - Tralee

Limerick
Limerick - Heuston
Limerick - Ballybrophy via Nenagh
Limerick - Waterford
Limerick - Galway

Waterford
Waterford - Heuston
Waterford - Limerick
Kildare - Athlone

Athlone
Galway - Heuston
Athlone - Westport
Manulla Junction - Ballina

Galway
Galway - Heuston
Athenry - Limerick

Ballina
Ballina - Athlone

Westport
Westport - Athlone

Sligo & Longford
Sligo - Connolly

Don’t know 100% about traction or work content (although links exist at the Dublin depots and Cork at least)

Fairview and Bray both do DART only and sign the whole DART network

 

[ainsworth74]

I know it’s not exactly cricket to link to other forums but here’s the master thread on boards - https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057456881/irish-rail-jobs/p7

We'll skip the execution on this occasion

 

[godfreycomplex]

We'll skip the execution on this occasion

 

[class ep-09]

How far €63k will get you in Ireland and is it paid as soon as you qualify or after number of years ?

 

[Gloster]

In other circumstances PWD means Permanent Way Department with IR, so perhaps that group only do engineering trains, or maybe only On-track machines. (This is a guess: I do not know.)

No depot at Rosslare or Wexford anymore?

 

[godfreycomplex]

In other circumstances PWD means Permanent Way Department with IR, so perhaps that group only do engineering trains, or maybe only On-track machines. (This is a guess: I do not know.)

No depot at Rosslare or Wexford anymore?

Ah yes that would certainly make sense

Presumably there are as they stable there but I have no info, I should stress this is incomplete gen gleaned from aforementioned thread

 

[Rockhopper]

I think you'd have to be living over there to even get through the initial sift.

 

[Muse29]

How far €63k will get you in Ireland and is it paid as soon as you qualify or after number of years ?

I mean, it's not the best wage in the world but it's more than livable especially outside the capital. €63 is currently the top end after ten years on the pay scale. The starting salary is approx €48k. I'm on not much more than that and paying €1k a month in rent in Dublin (my share) but still have what I consider to be a good standard of living.

To give more context to the application process (from my experience)

There is no CV stage. The first few stages are all tests. Firstly, online and then two "in person" assessment stages in inchicore depot. From there, there's two interviews and a medical.

I didn't hand my CV in at all. Obviously you'd need to be registered to work in ireland to commence employment (a pps number is needed) but I wouldn't let that put me off applying if I was serious. It took me 8 months from submission of the first test to getting the phone call offering the job.

Also worth mentioning that whilst there are depots across the country, the majority of vacancies will be Dublin based. There are lads in Dublin with transfer requests for other depots and that's generally the done thing (you start in Dublin and transfer out) albeit, there have been some new starters for Cork, limerick and Galway recently. To give yourself the best chance though, select Dublin.

 

[godfreycomplex]

I mean, it's not the best wage in the world but it's more than livable especially outside the capital. €63 is currently the top end after ten years on the pay scale. The starting salary is approx €48k. I'm on not much more than that and paying €1k a month in rent in Dublin (my share) but still have what I consider to be a good standard of living.

To give more context to the application process (from my experience)

There is no CV stage. The first few stages are all tests. Firstly,

I mean, it's not the best wage in the world but it's more than livable especially outside the capital. €63 is currently the top end after ten years on the pay scale. The starting salary is approx €48k. I'm on not much more than that and paying €1k a month in rent in Dublin (my share) but still have what I consider to be a good standard of living.

To give more context to the application process (from my experience)

There is no CV stage. The first few stages are all tests. Firstly, online and then two "in person" assessment stages in inchicore depot. From there, there's two interviews and a medical.

I didn't hand my CV in at all. Obviously you'd need to be registered to work in ireland to commence employment (a pps number is needed) but I wouldn't let that put me off applying if I was serious. It took me 8 months from submission of the first test to getting the phone call offering the job.

Also worth mentioning that whilst there are depots across the country, the majority of vacancies will be Dublin based. There are lads in Dublin with transfer requests for other depots and that's generally the done thing (you start in Dublin and transfer out) albeit, there have been some new starters for Cork, limerick and Galway recently. To give yourself the best chance though, select Dublin.

Are you amenable to a few questions over DM?

 

[Muse29]

Are you amenable to a few questions over DM?

Are you looking to apply? Feel free to ask and I can see if I can help!

 

[the sniper]

Is it only Fairview and Bray that work DART or do Connolly do a mix of Intercity, Commuter and DART?

 

[Muse29]

Yeah dart is only out of fairview and bray.

 

[leftblackeyebo]

Are you looking to apply? Feel free to ask and I can see if I can help!

Hi Muse29,
Just wondering I got to the second stage of testing last Sept but did not make it through.
I applied again in the last drive in February 23 but never got through the first online part, do you think I did not get through due to being less than 6 months from the Sept 22 test? I am nearly sure I answered the same as I did when I got through in April 22.
I emailed them a few times but no answer.
Thanks

 

[Muse29]

Hi Muse29,
Just wondering I got to the second stage of testing last Sept but did not make it through.
I applied again in the last drive in February 23 but never got through the first online part, do you think I did not get through due to being less than 6 months from the Sept 22 test? I am nearly sure I answered the same as I did when I got through in April 22.
I emailed them a few times but no answer.
Thanks

I wouldn't be able to say for certain although I do remember something about not being able to apply for six months if you don't get past a particular stage so you're probably right. That said, they get so many applications that they can be very rigorous on passing levels so even if you got one question wrong on the first test, it may have been a fail.

I would persist in trying to contact them to find out if you are still eligible to apply in future drives. I believe its two strikes and you're out but if your second go was due to the six month limit, you should still have one left. Hopefully next time will be the one for you. There is a whole thread on Irish rail jobs on boards.ie so worth going on that for help and advice from others going through the same process.

 

[leftblackeyebo]

I wouldn't be able to say for certain although I do remember something about not being able to apply for six months if you don't get past a particular stage so you're probably right. That said, they get so many applications that they can be very rigorous on passing levels so even if you got one question wrong on the first test, it may have been a fail.

I would persist in trying to contact them to find out if you are still eligible to apply in future drives. I believe its two strikes and you're out but if your second go was due to the six month limit, you should still have one left. Hopefully next time will be the one for you. There is a whole thread on Irish rail jobs on boards.ie so worth going on that for help and advice from others going through the same process.

Thanks for the info on it Muse29, very grateful.

 

[craigybagel]

No depot at Rosslare or Wexford anymore?

There certainly used to be a depot at Rosslare. If it's still there now it would be very small, but then so would some of the other places that definitely do still have depots

Is it only Fairview and Bray that work DART or do Connolly do a mix of Intercity, Commuter and DART?

Traditionally DART drivers were on a different contract with a higher salary. I'm not sure if it's still the case mind.

Drogheda
Connolly - Dundalk
Drogheda - Navan

Dundalk
Connolly - Belfast

The thread on Boards.ie where this info comes from merely states "Dublin". I'd be very surprised if they didn't actually work all the way through to Pearse or Grand Canal Dock given that's where the vast majority of services terminate, and the sets are often kept during the day in the sidings south of Pearse.

 

[D6130]

As a matter of interest, do Dublin Heuston and Cork drivers still lodge overnight in the opposite cities, as they - and Tralee drivers - did in the 1980s?

There certainly used to be a depot at Rosslare. If it's still there now it would be very small,

Surely there must still be a depot at Rosslare - even after closure of the Waterford line - as a unit stables there overnight and it's a long (112 miles?) taxi ride from Dublin.

 

[godfreycomplex]

The thread on Boards.ie where this info comes from merely states "Dublin". I'd be very surprised if they didn't actually work all the way through to Pearse or Grand Canal Dock given that's where the vast majority of services terminate, and the sets are often kept during the day in the sidings south of Pearse.

I couldn’t find any info on the specifics anywhere which is why I kept it vague.

 

[craigybagel]

Surely there must still be a depot at Rosslare - even after closure of the Waterford line - as a unit stables there overnight and it's a long (112 miles?) taxi ride from Dublin.

You would assume so - unless they've decided it's cheaper to taxi/lodge drivers than maintain the small depot. At least it's a much better road these days.

I couldn’t find any info on the specifics anywhere which is why I kept it vague.

Fair enough. I'm grateful for you finding what you did, I've always been curious about the breakdown of work at IR.

 

[D6130]

There certainly used to be a depot at Rosslare.

I used to have a friend who was a driver at Rosslare, but since he retired and moved abroad I have unfortunately lost touch with him. Given that there are currently four through trains per day in each direction, I would think that there will probably be at least three crews based there....early turn, late turn and rest day relief. There may even be a fourth....to cover holidays and sickness, although that would result in a lot of uneconomical sitting spare, so would probably be better covered from Dublin using taxis or lodging.

Incidentally, back in loco-hauled days - when there were three trains per day on weekdays and two on Sundays - Connolly and Rosslare drivers used to work all trains, changing over at the crossing points. Until the early 'eighties there was also a depot at Wexford - with just two drivers and guards - to cover the freight liner service to/from Dublin, worked by a class A (001) loco. That closed when the freight service was withdrawn and the crews involved were given early retirement in the case of the drivers and redeployment elsewhere in the case of the guards.

 

[Gloster]

I used to have a friend who was a driver at Rosslare, but since he retired and moved abroad I have unfortunately lost touch with him. Given that there are currently four through trains per day in each direction, I would think that there will probably be at least three crews based there....early turn, late turn and rest day relief. There may even be a fourth....to cover holidays and sickness, although that would result in a lot of uneconomical sitting spare, so would probably be better covered from Dublin using taxis or lodging.

Incidentally, back in loco-hauled days - when there were three trains per day on weekdays and two on Sundays - Connolly and Rosslare drivers used to work all trains, changing over at the crossing points. Until the early 'eighties there was also a depot at Wexford - with just two drivers and guards - to cover the freight liner service to/from Dublin, worked by a class A (001) loco. That closed when the freight service was withdrawn and the crews involved were given early retirement in the case of the drivers and redeployment elsewhere in the case of the guards.

There were also the Waterford turns. I think that there was one morning and one evening turn from Rosslare, which after arrival at/before departure from Waterford were ‘as directed’, which I think mostly involved coming back or going out on the bus (via New Ross and Wexford). Waterford had an afternoon/evening return working to Rosslare. (From memory of when I was able to get cab passes for CIE. Oh, happy days!)

 

[godfreycomplex]

Fair enough. I'm grateful for you finding what you did, I've always been curious about the breakdown of work at IR.

Thanks, yeah same here. Sadly I made a dog’s breakfast of the assessments for the job so I won’t be able to get the inside scoop (as the kids say) for a wee while!!

 

[n@te27]

Thanks, yeah same here. Sadly I made a dog’s breakfast of the assessments for the job so I won’t be able to get the inside scoop (as the kids say) for a wee while!!

Hi, did you sit the assessments for Irish Rail recently?

 

[godfreycomplex]

Hi, did you sit the assessments for Irish Rail recently?

Just the online ones not the in person ones

 

[dannyire]

Are you looking to apply? Feel free to ask and I can see if I can help!

hi muse, I've applied and I'm at the end of the selection process. ie line manager interview.

id love to pick your brains if you have time.

Danny

 

[Muse29]

hi muse, I've applied and I'm at the end of the selection process. ie line manager interview.

id love to pick your brains if you have time.

Danny

Hi mate... Send me a DM and I'll help as best I can. Currently in the process of moving house though so forgive me if it takes a bit of time to reply!