Silv 1983
I agree with you I wouldn't want the TOCS or Network Rail to stop advertising externally at all.
I have got a trainee train driver role as an external candidate, but I do have previous railway experience as a Signaller with NR. But I do remember from the amount of applications and time you put in, how frustrating the whole process can be!
It's just with companies like NR I do wonder if sometimes it's a token gesture or due to employment policy that they do it and external candidates just make up the numbers. For example why advertise signaller vacancies externally, when 9 times out of 10 there are plenty of internal candidates being displaced from small boxes around the country who get the jobs.
All I am saying is if you advertise externally it would be nice if the companies appreciated a bit more the experience outside candidates could bring to a role, time and effort they put in to their applications and give them more consideration.