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Returning to driving - where in UK to move to?

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starlet11330

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Hi, this is my first post. I am just doing a little research on behalf of my husband. We have been living overseas for the last few years but are now contemplating a move back to the UK. Hubby is an ex train driver (Wessex trains) and if possible would like to resume his career with a rail company if at all possible. (I'm guessing he would need to start from scratch again) I notice with some of the vacancies that come up that the TOC requests that an applicant lives no further than 60 mins away from the base. With that in mind, if you were in our position, which area of the UK woyld you move to in order to optimize chances of getting a drivers job? Any advice very much appreciated! Thanks
 
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lammergeier

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You haven't really set any other criteria so I guess purely on a driving job basis the answer would be London due to the many large depots there? But then you'd have all the other problems that come with living in London. So if it was me, depending on budget I would be looking in or around the Peak District. You've got a catchment area of Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Derby, Buxton (if you're lucky with vacancies) and at a push Nottingham depots and you get to live in a nice part of the UK.
 

LSWR Cavalier

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You could contact the train operators before moving. An experienced driver might be a welcome applicant if he needs less training than someone quite new.
 

CreamNCookies

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I know that for Newcastle, East Coast Trains Limited (part of the first group) have been advertising for qualified drivers. And the advert keeps reappearing after closing.

May be worth a look?

 

centro-323

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Not a bad shout, if you pick the right spot in County Durham you'd be close enough for any Newcastle station jobs with LNER etc., and also freight work in Teesside or at Tyne Yard
 

irish_rail

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If you've been out of the game for over a year its going to be trainee positions not qualified ones id imagine which makes things a little harder, especially in the current climate.
 

4F89

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I'm on the Welsh borders and I have I think 9 towns with multiple depots within an hour, plus its bloody lovely this way
 

lammergeier

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If you've been out of the game for over a year its going to be trainee positions not qualified ones id imagine which makes things a little harder, especially in the current climate.
Isn't it two years? Unless it changed with the recent EU licensing brought in
 

ComUtoR

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Its 2 years if you’re employed by a company. But only 1 year if you’re not (e.g. because you’ve left).

We had a Driver return after retirement. He was just shy of 2yrs and he came back with barely a flinch. A quick TNA (training need anlysis) and a full assessment and he was back out driving.
 

DriverEight

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Not a bad shout, if you pick the right spot in County Durham you'd be close enough for any Newcastle station jobs with LNER etc., and also freight work in Teesside or at Tyne Yard
Not forgetting Northern at Darlington and Grand Central at Sunderland. Plus, you'd be living in the friendliest part of the country!
 

PudseyBearHST

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We had a Driver return after retirement. He was just shy of 2yrs and he came back with barely a flinch. A quick TNA (training need anlysis) and a full assessment and he was back out driving.
Would you say that the rules are different to what I think they are or that what you have described technically shouldn't have happened? Oh and was this pre-European train drivers license or recently?
 

ComUtoR

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Would you say that the rules are different to what I think they are or that what you have described technically shouldn't have happened? Oh and was this pre-European train drivers license or recently?

This was about a year ago.

I believe that this is fully within the rules. As long as everything has been reassessed within 2yrs you maintain your competency. My standard assessment cycle is yearly and each year you only do around half of everything. As long as its all covered within the 2yrs cycle then its fine.

Roads and traction can be gained back pretty quickly as route assessments can be done with little hassle and as long as you show you are competent then you just re-sign it.

EU medical cycle is 3yrs so thats covered too.

There is probably a group standard floating around somewhere.
 

starlet11330

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You haven't really set any other criteria so I guess purely on a driving job basis the answer would be London due to the many large depots there? But then you'd have all the other problems that come with living in London. So if it was me, depending on budget I would be looking in or around the Peak District. You've got a catchment area of Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Derby, Buxton (if you're lucky with vacancies) and at a push Nottingham depots and you get to live in a nice part of the UK.
Thanks for your reply and suggestions, have pretty much ruled out the south east due to property prices so will be looking at north east/west. Will start looking into different areas as our geography of that part of UK is virtually nil

Not a bad shout, if you pick the right spot in County Durham you'd be close enough for any Newcastle station jobs with LNER etc., and also freight work in Teesside or at Tyne Yard
Thanks. will look into that

Not forgetting Northern at Darlington and Grand Central at Sunderland. Plus, you'd be living in the friendliest part of the country!
Thank you. I will need to look at a few TOC'S and their corresponding route maps

I'm on the Welsh borders and I have I think 9 towns with multiple depots within an hour, plus its bloody lovely this way
Thanks for your reply, which companies serve this area if you don't mind me asking? Sounds nice!
 
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16.19

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Leeds

Northern
Cross Country
LNER
TPE
Grand Central

All ToCs within 60 minutes
 

skyhigh

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You could contact the train operators before moving. An experienced driver might be a welcome applicant if he needs less training than someone quite new.
And I'm fairly sure any TOC would say that if you've been away from the role for years as mentioned in the OP (Wessex Trains ceased to exist in 2006) you'd need to apply as a trainee, and to do so you'd need to fit with their location criteria. Very few TOCs will accept an application on the basis you will move in the future if you get the job. I'd be very surprised if any TOC would say they'd pass your application if you moved, especially if you were living abroad at the time.
 

PudseyBearHST

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This was about a year ago.

I believe that this is fully within the rules. As long as everything has been reassessed within 2yrs you maintain your competency. My standard assessment cycle is yearly and each year you only do around half of everything. As long as its all covered within the 2yrs cycle then its fine.

Roads and traction can be gained back pretty quickly as route assessments can be done with little hassle and as long as you show you are competent then you just re-sign it.

EU medical cycle is 3yrs so thats covered too.

There is probably a group standard floating around somewhere.
Thanks for the reply
 

Horizon22

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If you've got absoutely no preconditions around the UK and you don't want London or another major city when TOC depots normally interact, take a look at this thread. It will give you all the driver depots (and competencies) and can work it out relatively from there.
 

4F89

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Thanks for your reply and suggestions, have pretty much ruled out the south east due to property prices so will be looking at north east/west. Will start looking into different areas as our geography of that part of UK is virtually nil


Thanks. will look into that


Thank you. I will need to look at a few TOC'S and their corresponding route maps


Thanks for your reply, which companies serve this area if you don't mind me asking? Sounds nice!

I have Avanti at Wolves
New Street / Moor Street
Shrewsbury WMT/Tfw
Crewe - all and everything
Chester - Tfw
Widnes - Merseyside
Liverpool
Warrington
Manchester at a push

Lots of TOCS an FOCS to choose from, between 20 mins and 75, so could be slightly north of me or south and bring in a lot of potentials
 
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