Metrolink Drivers

[185]

> Based Old Trafford / Queens Road - Manchester.

> Shifts 24/7. Choice of shifts after some time into the job.

You must be in possession of a full current driving licence, valid to drive in the UK and to have held it for three years, with no more than three penalty points active and no previous convictions for driving under the influence of drink or drugs.

> Training Salary £21,115.

> Once you have passed your LRV Driving Test, your salary will increase to £22,171.

> Following successful completion of your probationary period you will then be on a rising salary scale starting at £24,282

> After signing all routes, rising to £28,928.

> Metrolink Leisure Travel Pass for you, partner or designated second person, and kids.

> Overtime at time and a half.

Closing date 05 October 2017 or earlier subject to volume of applicants.

Good luck to all applying.

Link: https://www.metrolinkjobs.co.uk/job/lrv-driver-2/

 

[martin2345uk]

My second attempt to become a Metrolink driver... here we go! I remember last time months and months passed before I got the no, hoping Keolis are a bit better in that regard!

Anyone else going for this? [emoji1360]

 

[Beeks]

Good luck to everyone who applies

I started beginning of January

Best job I've ever had..apart from adjusting to shift work!

 

[martin2345uk]

Good luck to everyone who applies

I started beginning of January

Best job I've ever had..apart from adjusting to shift work!

What was your background when you applied if you don’t mind me asking matey?

 

[NWestern]

My second attempt to become a Metrolink driver... here we go! I remember last time months and months passed before I got the no, hoping Keolis are a bit better in that regard!

Anyone else going for this? [emoji1360]

Hi Martin I've just applied. Good luck with your application.

Am I right to say the salary of £28,982 has improved considerably over the last few years- any particular reason? However I notice this salary is only once all routes signed and just wondered how long this would take?
Also are there any other enhancements? I know over time is x1.5 but just wondered is this regularly available and roughly how much would this work out at per shift? Obviously a long, long way before I'm anywhere near this though!!

 

[Beeks]

What was your background when you applied if you don’t mind me asking matey?

Worked as a civil servant for a regulatory body in an office for 5 years so a complete career change

There are people from all walks of life here

 

[Beeks]

Hi Martin I've just applied. Good luck with your application.

Am I right to say the salary of £28,982 has improved considerably over the last few years- any particular reason? However I notice this salary is only once all routes signed and just wondered how long this would take?
Also are there any other enhancements? I know over time is x1.5 but just wondered is this regularly available and roughly how much would this work out at per shift? Obviously a long, long way before I'm anywhere near this though!!

You won't hit the top total until you've been here 3 years

Payment goes up in stages

Whilst training
Passed out
6 months
18 months
3 years

Overtime is always available

 

[RSTurbo50]

What are the shifts like? Do you work many lates? Do you get many weekends off, have long weekends? Is it a standard rate working Sundays?

 

[Beeks]

What are the shifts like? Do you work many lates? Do you get many weekends off, have long weekends? Is it a standard rate working Sundays?

Shifts can be anywhere between around 4:45am to 2ish in the morning

It's a 37 hour week..longest shift is 9.5 hours but it balances out with shorter shifts

How many lates you do depends on your roster

As a new starter you tend to get the leftover rosters so they won't be great

The longer you're here the better your roster gets

You'll probably get a mixed roster of earlies, days, middles and lates

You always have to have at least 12 hours between shifts

You'll get 2 days off per week..you will get weekends off but be prepared to sometimes not having a weekend off for a month

It's standard rate for Sunday's..you only get increased rates for overtime of which there is plenty of you want it

 

[NWestern]

Beeks thank you for the information and insight.
With regard to overtime can you tag hours onto your normal shifts or does it tend to be rest day working.
The money does worry me with this position - would reaching 28k be out of reach in the first 18 months or so with some overtime but not working every rest day.
Anyone know why tyne and wear metro pay a lot better- isn't that light rail too?

 

[Beeks]

Beeks thank you for the information and insight.
With regard to overtime can you tag hours onto your normal shifts or does it tend to be rest day working.
The money does worry me with this position - would reaching 28k be out of reach in the first 18 months or so with some overtime but not working every rest day.
Anyone know why tyne and wear metro pay a lot better- isn't that light rail too?

You can either tag on or work your rest days..I should imagine that reaching 28k with overtime is achievable provided you hammer it

Tyne & Wear Metro has always been a bug bear wage wise here

I think they get paid more as they use heavy rail tracks..Someone explained it to me a few months back but it's something like that

 

[Shrimper]

I'd be a little reluctant to apply in the hope of attaining £28K with rest day work so soon for two reasons:

When I was at Metrolink; rest day work could be pretty cyclical - some months there would be loads on offer; it would then be followed by few months where it would be practically impossible to get any. It was traditionally easier to get lates on overtime as well; so if you choose a roster pattern with mostly earlies you may struggle though this changed a little when I was there with the introduction of the open spare week as they could use these shifts to cover the lates.

I can't comment on how quickly you'll learn all lines - I know it's taken some people on the old contracts almost 3 years - but not knowing them all will also limit rest day/overtime potential for obvious reasons; and if you were to be training initially on (say) the airport line, you would also be unable to apply to operate football specials as you wouldn't have the route knowledge for Old Trafford-Altrincham, or the Ashton line for City games.

If you can make your finances work on the basic salary though, I'd highly recommend the job.

 

[NWestern]

[/QUOTE]Tyne & Wear Metro has always been a bug bear wage wise here

I think they get paid more as they use heavy rail tracks..Someone explained it to me a few months back but it's something like that[/QUOTE]

May be it will come in the future for metrolink??
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...ockport-metrolink-tram-train-strategy-8492513

 

[theking]

Be careful if you are expecting to rely on overtime for this job.

At the DLR overtime used to be rife but kad are trying to kill it through various means.

I imagine there will be a lot of recruitment for this role in the future.

 

[Beeks]

Be careful if you are expecting to rely on overtime for this job.

At the DLR overtime used to be rife but kad are trying to kill it through various means.

I imagine there will be a lot of recruitment for this role in the future.

Rumours are we want 40 drivers before Christmas

 

[LETHLFH]

You can either tag on or work your rest days..I should imagine that reaching 28k with overtime is achievable provided you hammer it

Tyne & Wear Metro has always been a bug bear wage wise here

I think they get paid more as they use heavy rail tracks..Someone explained it to me a few months back but it's something like that

Tyne and Wear metro drivers, drive on Network rail infrastructure between Pelaw and Sunderland and therefore are classed as fully qualified train drivers although I have been told they miss out large sections of the rule book during training as they aren't necessary although I can't confirm if that is true.

 

[NWestern]

Tyne and Wear metro drivers, drive on Network rail infrastructure between Pelaw and Sunderland and therefore are classed as fully qualified train drivers although I have been told they miss out large sections of the rule book during training as they aren't necessary although I can't confirm if that is true.

That's why I wonder if metrolink drivers would be in a good position if they ever use tram train technology as proposed below. Obviously a longer term project though.

"Metrolink and the TfGM Committee have prepared five costed proposals for extending Metrolink using tram-train technology over the existing heavy rail network in the region; along the Mid-Cheshire Line (between Stockport and Hale), the Hope Valley Line (between Manchester and Marple), the Glossop Line (between Manchester and the dual termini at Hadfield and Glossop), the Manchester to Sheffield Line (between Manchester and Hazel Grove), and along the Manchester to Southport Line (between Manchester and Wigan via Atherton), with an estimated total funding requirement of £870 million as of 2013.[18] TfGM intend to proceed to the identification of potential rail industry funding options, subject to a review of lessons from a tram-train pilot scheme in Sheffield.

 

[samuel791]

I wouldn't get your hopes up about tram-train, it's still dragging on and the line still hasn't been signed over to us yet. Then there's the fact that hardly any drivers have applied for the position - given it will only be £25,000 per year (tram drivers in Sheffield are currently on £23,035). Conductors won't get any enhancements for working the new Parkgate route either.

It is interesting to note some similarities and also differences between the Manchester and Sheffield tram systems. We for instance just have 1 rota, although can work overtime for both pay and a day in lieu - as we're salaried so a shift swap with a fellow colleague can be months apart.

Also interesting to see that you sign off in stages, rather than the entire system like we do...

 

[martin2345uk]

I wouldn't get your hopes up about tram-train, it's still dragging on and the line still hasn't been signed over to us yet. Then there's the fact that hardly any drivers have applied for the position - given it will only be £25,000 per year (tram drivers in Sheffield are currently on £23,035). Conductors won't get any enhancements for working the new Parkgate route either.

It is interesting to note some similarities and also differences between the Manchester and Sheffield tram systems. We for instance just have 1 rota, although can work overtime for both pay and a day in lieu - as we're salaried so a shift swap with a fellow colleague can be months apart.

Also interesting to see that you sign off in stages, rather than the entire system like we do...

Though Manchester has rather more lines than Sheffield [emoji2]

 

[martin2345uk]

Hope I manage to get past application form stage this time but guess the odds are against me

 

[Hodor]

Hope I manage to get past application form stage this time but guess the odds are against me

What makes you say that? I just applied myself. Gotta stay optimistic, even if you dont there is always plenty of opportunities!

 

[martin2345uk]

What makes you say that? I just applied myself. Gotta stay optimistic, even if you dont there is always plenty of opportunities!

I just mean in terms of the sheer numbers who apply versus the number of actual vacancies [emoji56]

 

[altyplatform]

Hi all,

Please can anyone tell me If I was to turn down the opportunity to the first induction would I get the call again? If so how long would the wait be?

The very nice bloke left a answer machine message yesterday explaining I f I couldn't make it wouldn't be a problem, he'd just put me in the next time.

I can't get the time off to attend on Monday, too short notice

 

[Hodor]

I just mean in terms of the sheer numbers who apply versus the number of actual vacancies [emoji56]

Gotta be in to win it as they say! Good luck to you anyway.

 

[Hodor]

Hi all,

Please can anyone tell me If I was to turn down the opportunity to the first induction would I get the call again? If so how long would the wait be?

The very nice bloke left a answer machine message yesterday explaining I f I couldn't make it wouldn't be a problem, he'd just put me in the next time.

I can't get the time off to attend on Monday, too short notice

Did you apply just recently? I can't see why it would go against you, especially if they offered to rearrange themselves?

 

[altyplatform]

Did you apply just recently? I can't see why it would go against you, especially if they offered to rearrange themselves?

Yes, around two/three weeks ago.

I didn't expect anything back to be honest even though I read they reply one way or the other to let you know within 7 days but as it's getting on for nearly three weeks I just thought that's that!

A friend of mine failed at the first hurdle, does anyone know what that would be? he hasn't told us exactly.

 

[martin2345uk]

Yes, around two/three weeks ago.



I didn't expect anything back to be honest even though I read they reply one way or the other to let you know within 7 days but as it's getting on for nearly three weeks I just thought that's that!



A friend of mine failed at the first hurdle, does anyone know what that would be? he hasn't told us exactly.

This is what confuses me a bit, I’ve been checking pretty much daily and there wasn’t any driver vacancies on their site 2-3 weeks ago.. may I ask where you saw the vacancy and how you applied?

I guess the first hurdle would be application form...

 

[Hodor]

Yes, around two/three weeks ago.

I didn't expect anything back to be honest even though I read they reply one way or the other to let you know within 7 days but as it's getting on for nearly three weeks I just thought that's that!

A friend of mine failed at the first hurdle, does anyone know what that would be? he hasn't told us exactly.

First hurdle I imagine would be the paper sift...? I knew someone who applied a while back and he said all the testing and interview was done the same day. Unless they have a new approach to recruitment now?

 

[altyplatform]

This is what confuses me a bit, I’ve been checking pretty much daily and there wasn’t any driver vacancies on their site 2-3 weeks ago.. may I ask where you saw the vacancy and how you applied?

I guess the first hurdle would be application form...

Friend of mine gave me a spare form he had, filled that in and that was it.

He went to the assessment and failed 'on site' there so he got past the application stage to be fair to him!

I have been reading a few old threads on here like this one http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=51223 and it's a little daunting

I also had my first go at the Bourbon tool and that was awful :cry:

I think I'll not waste anyone's time unless I can improve!

Perception & Attention:

Targets Omitted ------------ 94
Marked Incorrect ----------- 14


Speed:

Total Cells ---------------- 1435
Mean Cell Time ------------- 0.237
Median Cell Time ----------- 0.150

Completed Rows ------------- 55
Mean Row Time -------------- 5.968
Median Row Time ------------ 5.170


Vigilance:

Row Fluctuation ------------ 7.98

 

[altyplatform]

Does anyone know what tests Metrolink do? is it the dots or shapes - both?

I read someone got 17 right on something when the pass rate was 18, can anyone tell me what that 'something' was? ie what test??

Thanks.