ThunderPumpkin
Member
- Joined
- 18 Mar 2016
- Messages
- 15
Hi all,
I’d firstly like to say thank you to all of you on this great forum who have shared their knowledge & provided the benefit of their experiences. I have literally spent hours trawling through these posts over the last few years and have had my fare share of disappointments.
After 5 years of hard work, I find myself at a career crossroads and would like the opinions of experienced Train Drivers and LU Train Operators please
I am currently awaiting a start date for training as an LU Train Operator and have also recently found out that I have been successful at DMI for Greater Anglia & have the medical booked. I applied for both jobs back in 2019.
I am in my early 50’s and am currently comparing the pros and cons of each role including the pension arrangements. They are both dream jobs for me and I previously missed out on Train Op AC1 by one mark in 2018.
I know that LU will be 5 shifts a week and the TOC will be 4. If I stay within TfL, I will retain the final salary pension, for Train Op, (who knows for how long as Gov have now set up a commission to look at TfL pension) and if joining GA, I will have to spend 2 years on an average salary pension before being able to join the final salary pension from the start of year 3.
GA has new electric trains so they will be quieter, smoother and more comfortable than tubes I guess and obviously overground. 3-4 months training at LU and around 12 months training at the TOC with a graduated salary increase to the second year of driving.
I’d really appreciate the insights of both Train Drivers and Tube Drivers with their experiences of the roles as to what they think would be the best career path forwards?
Thank you.
I’d firstly like to say thank you to all of you on this great forum who have shared their knowledge & provided the benefit of their experiences. I have literally spent hours trawling through these posts over the last few years and have had my fare share of disappointments.
After 5 years of hard work, I find myself at a career crossroads and would like the opinions of experienced Train Drivers and LU Train Operators please
I am currently awaiting a start date for training as an LU Train Operator and have also recently found out that I have been successful at DMI for Greater Anglia & have the medical booked. I applied for both jobs back in 2019.
I am in my early 50’s and am currently comparing the pros and cons of each role including the pension arrangements. They are both dream jobs for me and I previously missed out on Train Op AC1 by one mark in 2018.
I know that LU will be 5 shifts a week and the TOC will be 4. If I stay within TfL, I will retain the final salary pension, for Train Op, (who knows for how long as Gov have now set up a commission to look at TfL pension) and if joining GA, I will have to spend 2 years on an average salary pension before being able to join the final salary pension from the start of year 3.
GA has new electric trains so they will be quieter, smoother and more comfortable than tubes I guess and obviously overground. 3-4 months training at LU and around 12 months training at the TOC with a graduated salary increase to the second year of driving.
I’d really appreciate the insights of both Train Drivers and Tube Drivers with their experiences of the roles as to what they think would be the best career path forwards?
Thank you.