London Midland Trainee Senior Conductor 2016

[ab130688]

Hey guys,

I have gone through all the stages and have a medical date (wehey!) so I am hoping to start soon on the 25th Jan intake.

Is anyone able to provide any detail on the day to day workings of a senior conductor? For example what an average day would entail? Do you get a lot of conflict on the trains from people not wanting to pay? Do you enjoy the role? Anything you think a person should be made aware of that maybe you hadn't have thought of prior? People I have spoken to have been saying that every day is different from the next but just thought I'd put a post up asking about the job after training.. and what other duties are required other than checking tickets, helping with enquiries and complaints etc? I can't seem to find anything on the forum from looking through, everything seems to be about the interview and training process.

If I have missed a thread somewhere then feel free to post the link on here rather than going over the same points.

Either way I can't wait to start! Anyone else due to start on 25th Jan?

 

[gez]

Congratulations! You should get a good idea of the what happens during your training. Don't know about LM and senior conductor but I'm a conductor for a different TOC. Typical day, book on (read late notice case, general notices, sign for your notices if need be). Check your diagram (you will get used to these and know where your going etc before you start most days). Collect your machine, set it up ready. You normally get 15mims to this. Go to your train (usually prepared ready). Do ticket checks and announcements. Mornings are usually commuters and have season tickets or want to pay. Can be busy and won't get to everyone. After a few hours you will get a break, at any depot on your routes so having your lunch with you is a good idea. Mid day can be quiet and you get the older folk out and people lucky enough not to be in work if you get what I mean. Obviously you get different length turns usually varying between 5-10 hours. Afternoons can be busy taking the commuters home but most already have returns or season passes. Evening/lates can be quiet but you seem to get more trouble on them with drunks on Fridays and Saturdays. Booking off usually just involves putting your takings in and filling in any reports of need be.

Worst bits overcrowding, dealing with disruptions (you will get millions of questions about connections etc), people having a go when you can't do anything to help, people fare evading (don't get too caught up in it, it's not worth it). Your TOC won't thank you for getting into a conflict with a fare evader, getting assaulted and causing delays so don't go looking for trouble, back off and report it to BTP and control if you feel the need. Unsociable hours.

Best bits salary, conditions, free travel, long weekends (depending on TOC), easy job and pleasant passengers 90% of the time.

 

[ab130688]

ah thanks this is exactly what I was after. So say if someone is just outright refusing to pay what is the usual procedure?

 

[007Bond]

Which depot are you going to be based at?

 

[Urban Gateline]

ah thanks this is exactly what I was after. So say if someone is just outright refusing to pay what is the usual procedure?

Mentally note their description to report to Revenue Protection in an intelligence report, though if you happen to come accross an off duty police officer on the Train you could ask for their help as even most hardened fare evaders pay up if a police officer is present.

Otherwise you can also call "control" and they may call a bigger station en route so that security staff can or BTP can meet the Train if the fare evader is particularly aggressive. Like others say on here though it's not worth risking your safety or your job for getting a few pounds off somebody though, your own safety and that of others and the Train is far more important!

 

[Diplodicus]

Just try to remember: less than one in a hundred passengers will be obnoxious. Then remember how many passengers a day you will encounter.

Try to focus on the 99.5% of nice, polite and tolerant.

 

[the sniper]

and what other duties are required other than checking tickets, helping with enquiries and complaints etc?

I think you're going to be in for a bit of a shock when you start training! You're not just a 'ticket man', your primary role is to carry out the duties of a Guard. Your training will reflect this, a couple of months of rules, traction and route learning, with less then two weeks near the end covering dealing with passengers, announcements, plus basic retail and Avantix (ticket machine) training. Day to day your primary responsibility is the safe and punctual working of your train. You'll be operating the doors and dispatching the train at each station, identifying/fixing/reporting faults, have responsibility for the safety of passengers, making announcements where applicable, and doing revenue duties where possible. In the case of the latter, you can pretty much make the job as easy or as hard as you want it to be.

If you avoid having any operational incidents, regular self inflicted delays, avoidable conflict, and have good attendance/punctuality, you'll be fine. Depending on your depot, if you stay out of trouble you'll rarely see your manager.

Someday in the future you might only have to think about the tickets, but until then you have various other responsibilities too!

 

[ab130688]

Hey sniper,

Yes I understand there will be more to it than checking tickets hence the question what else is involved other than that. Thanks for he info I'm looking forward to it!

007 I'm going to be based in Northampton!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Thanks urban and diplodocus!

Is anyone else starting on 25th Jan?

 

[CromptonLad]

Congrats lad on getting the role - I applied for Bham and narrowly missed out. Currently in the 'reserve pool' but not counting on it anytime soon. Hopefully it will be a fulfilling and rewarding role for you.

Also - with thanks to everyone else who has input into 'what does the role entail'. I had gleamed some idea of the more 'indepth' of the conductor role as part of my research prior to any interviews, but it's good to see more perspectives on it -and to see it summed it concisely.

Good luck!

 

[ab130688]

Congrats lad on getting the role - I applied for Bham and narrowly missed out. Currently in the 'reserve pool' but not counting on it anytime soon. Hopefully it will be a fulfilling and rewarding role for you.

Also - with thanks to everyone else who has input into 'what does the role entail'. I had gleamed some idea of the more 'indepth' of the conductor role as part of my research prior to any interviews, but it's good to see more perspectives on it -and to see it summed it concisely.

Good luck!

Thanks cromptonlad,

Completely agree with you, you can do all the research you like but it's good to hear it from the perspectives of the train conductors themselves too. Gives you more of an insight etc.

Cheers guys and Comptonlad as the rest of them have been saying in other posts- don't give up some people have been trying 15 years, never gave up and are now living the dream so to speak!

Cya

 

[cobbler]

Hey sniper,

Yes I understand there will be more to it than checking tickets hence the question what else is involved other than that. Thanks for he info I'm looking forward to it!

007 I'm going to be based in Northampton!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Thanks urban and diplodocus!

Is anyone else starting on 25th Jan?

i know the depot very well , lots of good people there

 

[Joe.666]

Waiting for a start date.

 

[Mickeyfinn147]

Hi, has anyone recently took there trainee senior conductors interview? If so, could you please enlighten me with what kind of questions the conductor manager(s) ask?

Thanks...

 

[Joe.666]

Mickey,

Are you at the stage we're you have been invited to an interview?

 

[Mickeyfinn147]

Hi Joe.666,

Yes I am at the interview stage

 

[Joe.666]

What depot you hoping for...? (

 

[plastictaffy]

Can you give me an example of a time you made an important decision?

Can you give me an example of a time you delivered excellent customer service.

You get the idea?

 

[Mickeyfinn147]

New st...

Thanks plastictaffy

 

[teslatech]

New st...

Thanks plastictaffy

Can you describe a time when you had to defend a decision you made?

Presume this is new st with LM. I'm applying too. Good luck, hopefully we're two of the six they're after.

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[Mickeyfinn147]

Hi teslatech, how did your interview go? Has LM got back to you yet?

 

[teslatech]

Hi teslatech, how did your interview go? Has LM got back to you yet?

No not yet, but I was told I wouldn't hear anything until next week. With the bank holiday I'm not expecting any news until Wed or later.

I think I did better this time than when I had the same interview a few years ago. But I'm not counting my chickens! Wish I knew how LM score the interview.

Although I rattled off a load of information about the company I was caught out as I couldn't remember much about their passenger charter. I did think my answers of situations I'd been in were strong. I come from a catering background so being able to talk about follow food hygiene law and regs for safety reasons I think stood me well.

How did yours go?

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[Mickeyfinn147]

You've done well. I use to work for network rail so I know what the railway is all about.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Hi teslatech, have you heard anything from LM?

 

[teslatech]

Got turned down. Have asked for feedback but apparently that can take upto 28 days. Curious to see what they have to say.

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[Joe.666]

Got turned down. Have asked for feedback but apparently that can take upto 28 days. Curious to see what they have to say.

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Hi Teslatech,

What job did you apply for...?

 

[teslatech]

Hi Teslatech,

What job did you apply for...?

Senior conductor out of bham new st. Finnally got my interview feedback, did well at the health n safety stuff, weaker in communication and decision making. If it helps others they recommend using the Star method for answering those questions.

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[Joe.666]

Senior conductor out of bham new st. Finnally got my interview feedback, did well at the health n safety stuff, weaker in communication and decision making. If it helps others they recommend using the Star method for answering those questions.

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Sorry to hear about that.

 

[grumblingalong]

Just try to remember: less than one in a hundred passengers will be obnoxious. Then remember how many passengers a day you will encounter.

Try to focus on the 99.5% of nice, polite and tolerant.

Very late to the party but this.

 

[teslatech]

Sorry to hear about that.

Thanks, it's the way it goes sometimes. Live and learn. I've got an assessment with XC on Monday so hopefully that will go well.

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