Northern Rail Shifts

[luke1420]

Hi,

Was just wondering if anyone would be able to provide me with some example driver or guard shifts for Northern Rail out of either Pic or Vic. I am just interested to know if the shift follow any particular structure for example routes that seem to come up lots in shifts or after working one route its often followed by another route. I know that Pic and Vic and reasonably big bases for another with quite a few routes to cover at both, so really just interested to have a look if anyone could provide me with an example.

Thanks, Luke.

 

[Llama]

There is probably more variety within diagrams of a single depot than there is between depots, at both Picc and Vic there is a lot of stock stabled that needs bringing in to service (or putting away at EOD) so the average diagram might involve at least one trip to or from Newton Heath (Vic) or Longsight (Picc), or other places such as Wigan CS, Stockport CS etc. to mobilise units.

Piccadilly do a lot more 'prepping' of units than Vic do, with only two or three Vic diagrams seeing drivers do full preps of units, usually at Stockport or Wigan. Diagrams just seeing two or three 'out and back' trips at either depot with no ECS work at all would be unusual.

Piccadilly's diagrams are often fairly repetitive, ie two or three trips to X and a longer trip to Y, compared to Victoria's which might be more likely to be through services (X to Y via Z) and then a longer trip somewhere. This is just a reflection on the fact that fewer services actually terminate at Victoria these days whereas relatively few Northern services worked by Piccadilly crews go through 13/14 and onwards. Victoria crews work trains south out of Piccadilly on certain routes (Hazel Grove, Chester, Airport, ECS) but Piccadilly crews don't sign Victoria.

 

[luke1420]

Thanks that really helped! So at Picc it would be something like 2 or 3 New Mills or maybe Hadfield followed by either a Sheffield, Chester or maybe a Stoke? (If that is classed as a longer trip) With an ECS either at the start or the end?

 

[Llama]

Yes, as an example there is a typical late Picc job that does:
Picc-RoseHill-Picc-Marple-Picc-NewMills-Picc
Picc-StockportCS
PNB
Pass back to Picc
Picc-Macclesfield-Picc
Picc-Longsight

A similarly timed job at Vic does:
Vic-Stalybridge-WiganWallgate-Vic
PNB
Vic-Leeds-Vic
Vic-NewtonHeath

 

[luke1420]

Thanks, are shift times longer in diffrent links or does it stay at the same sort of lengh and same sort of routes in all links?

 

[Greenback]

Luke, I noticed you'd accidentally posted in the wrong forum and so I've moved your thread into Railway Jobs and Careers which is the most appropriate place for this type of question.

 

[WCMLaddict]

At Vic all links have good and bad jobs. It's spread pretty well across. Route cards are pretty much the same as well with usually 1 route being the difference between links.

 

[Llama]

At Vic the most basic difference is that links 1 and 2 sign Chester and associated routes, link 3 signs Leeds and associated routes.

All links at all depots work an average of 35 hours/week, on a four-day week with fixed rest day pattern and Sundays outside the working week.

 

[hughavinalaf]

'Bottom' link at Vic - Earliest start 0408 latest finish 0130ish....... you work plenty of Clitheroes,Liverpools,Southports and Huddersfields with a few Blackpools and the occasional Leeds for good luck

 

[Llama]

Bottom link? Link 1 don't sign Leeds! All links being parallel now (despite the best efforts of one individual who likes to feather his own nest) there is no longer a 'bottom link', as much as one is definitely needed with all the newbies - although this temporary segregation of the top 24 lines of link 3 seems to serve as a half-baked 'bottom link'.

edit: drivers wise, anyway.

Guards most certainly do have a bottom link and 'link progression' based on seniority.

 

[kelv]

anyone able to give an example of shifts in terms of start/finish times over the course of a week/month please ?

Maybe it's what you've worked, just as an example of the work pattern, as it seems to be something I cant find out.

Ta.

 

[Albatross]

anyone able to give an example of shifts in terms of start/finish times over the course of a week/month please ?

Maybe it's what you've worked, just as an example of the work pattern, as it seems to be something I cant find out.

Ta.

Here's the last 3 weeks as a Piccadilly driver.

Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon and Tues are rest days and then early shifts begin on the Wed with 05:11 till 14:45, thurs 05:12 till 14:18, fri 04:37 till 13:03 and sat 06:44 till 16:26

Sunday was a day off and then mon 15:59 till 23:45, tues 17:15 till 02:55 wed and thurs rest days fri 15:41 till 00:38 and sat 15:23 till 00:38

Sun is day off and then mon 04:02 till 11:49, tues 03:32 till 10:49, wed 04:37 till 13:03 and thurs 04:22 till 11:26 and then it's back to the long weekend off and you'll resume on late shift wed through to sat.

 

[kelv]

Here's the last 3 weeks as a Piccadilly driver.

Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon and Tues are rest days and then early shifts begin on the Wed with 05:11 till 14:45, thurs 05:12 till 14:18, fri 04:37 till 13:03 and sat 06:44 till 16:26

Sunday was a day off and then mon 15:59 till 23:45, tues 17:15 till 02:55 wed and thurs rest days fri 15:41 till 00:38 and sat 15:23 till 00:38

Sun is day off and then mon 04:02 till 11:49, tues 03:32 till 10:49, wed 04:37 till 13:03 and thurs 04:22 till 11:26 and then it's back to the long weekend off and you'll resume on late shift wed through to sat.

Cheers for that

 

[luke1420]

out of intrest how long is it from the sign on time till your first train, and the last train till the time you sign off?

 

[WCMLaddict]

Northern gives you 10 minutes "signing on time" for notice cases, brew or toilet. At Vic we have 5 minutes walking time which differs at each depot (at Picc it's quite a bit longer I think). So theoretically you have 15 minutes before your first train.
With sign off you basically go home when you get there unless you have some paperwork that has to be done without delay.

 

[luke1420]

so the sign off time on the diagram is the time that the final train of your shifts arrives at its destination?

 

[Albatross]

so the sign off time on the diagram is the time that the final train of your shifts arrives at its destination?

There's 8 mins at Picc which is supposed to be to walk from the platforms to our offices in the north block, personally I go straight to the car park, there's no requirement to go up, it's up to you if you want to hand anything in or go to your locker etc.

From sign on time you get 10 mins for notices, 8 mins walking time and 5 mins to prep your train. If you're on an early and going to prep at Longsight or Stockport it's the same minus the cab prep time.

 

[luke1420]

There's 8 mins at Picc which is supposed to be to walk from the platforms to our offices in the north block, personally I go straight to the car park, there's no requirement to go up, it's up to you if you want to hand anything in or go to your locker etc.

From sign on time you get 10 mins for notices, 8 mins walking time and 5 mins to prep your train. If you're on an early and going to prep at Longsight or Stockport it's the same minus the cab prep time.

Does the 8 mins plus 5 mins cab prep apply after having a PNB? is the 13 mins added into the PNB or do you PNB finish 13 mins before the departure of your train?

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Bottom link? Link 1 don't sign Leeds! All links being parallel now (despite the best efforts of one individual who likes to feather his own nest) there is no longer a 'bottom link', as much as one is definitely needed with all the newbies - although this temporary segregation of the top 24 lines of link 3 seems to serve as a half-baked 'bottom link'.

edit: drivers wise, anyway.

Guards most certainly do have a bottom link and 'link progression' based on seniority.

At Picc many newbies have tried and failed to get it voted out as its a local agreement. For Guards Link progression is one of the few things to look forward to.

 

[Llama]

Booking on time is ten minutes for notices and collecting diagram. Walking time varies as appropriate for different depots - Vic is 5 minutes, Picc is 8. If you are booked to take over an unattended unit you will be booked 5 mins to prepare cab, if relieving a driver you will be booked 1 or 2 mins depending on whether you are taking it over continuing in same direction or not. Walking time also applies to NBs (natural breaks) and PNBs, as well as to walk back to the SOP to book off. PNB is 20 mins for jobs under 8 hours, 30 mins for 8 hours and over. PNB cannot be within the first or last two hours of a diagram. Max continuous working hours without a PNB is 5 hours 10 mins.

It is permissible to finish at a depot (Newton Heath / Longsight / Stockport CS etc) and not to have to return to home depot when finishing, for those who prefer to leave their car where they finish and drive home. At Picc it is acceptable to book on remotely at Stockport CS.

Permanent swaps are permitted, about 10% of the depot at Vic do a swap, maybe similar numbers at Picc.