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Southeastern depot shunt driver Victoria

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Teddyward

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Hi all. Long time lurker first time poster. After doing 15 years with my current employer I need a change. Always been interested in the railways so a neighbour who is a driver manager (not for southeastern) suggested I keep my eyes peeled for anything and go for it. So I kept looking for a couple months and shunt driver at Victoria was advertised. It’s a pay cut but an affordable one so I took my time and filled out a good application. Unfortunately I received an email the next day saying I am not eligible as I do not live in and around Victoria. ( this is not mentioned in the advert and I am not too far but c’est la vie). If anyone else is interested it’s not bad money c£35k when trained. I had a search and don’t think anyone has posted this before. Apologies in advance if this is duplication.
https://www.southeasternrailwaycare...D435479437975534E414F304433543444626A3451524F
 
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Teddyward

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thats what putting me off about it.. :(



might be able if your able to commute in.



I can commute. No problem at any time of day. But the email rejection I got specifically states “ you do not live in or around grosvenor road Victoria “ so seems they want extremely local people only.
 

Lrd

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I applied for a mainline driver role a while ago and was rejected for not being within 5 miles of Victoria. It would have taken me 25 mins ish to do the 7 miles for me to get there. Ridiculous restrictions
 

Twedds74

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Joined
12 May 2015
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131
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Kent
Hi all. Long time lurker first time poster. After doing 15 years with my current employer I need a change. Always been interested in the railways so a neighbour who is a driver manager (not for southeastern) suggested I keep my eyes peeled for anything and go for it. So I kept looking for a couple months and shunt driver at Victoria was advertised. It’s a pay cut but an affordable one so I took my time and filled out a good application. Unfortunately I received an email the next day saying I am not eligible as I do not live in and around Victoria. ( this is not mentioned in the advert and I am not too far but c’est la vie). If anyone else is interested it’s not bad money c£35k when trained. I had a search and don’t think anyone has posted this before. Apologies in advance if this is duplication.
https://www.southeasternrailwaycare...D435479437975534E414F304433543444626A3451524F

Hi,
It appears they have taken the 5 mile limit of the advert and extended the cut off date, so if I was you I’d give them a call and query this.
I think you need to speak to a person called Harry, he deals with all SE driver recruitment and is always a very helpful chap when I’ve ever contacted him.
Best of luck mate, it’s a good little job, speaking from experience!
 

GMT

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I think it is one of the most sensible restrictions we have. Why do you say it's ridiculous ?
Lrd may reply telling you why he thinks it's ridiculous, but then you would have to explain why you think it is a sensible restrictions :)

Me personally, I don't care, I keep sleeping at night anyway. However, I obviously hold an opinion about that matter, which is that 5 miles in that area (Victoria) is 'too restrictive'. A 10 miles radius would have been more appropriate. After all, transport links in central London are efficient and there is a wide choice of what you can take. Certainly with a 5 miles radius restriction the HR department would have the screening process job facilitated.
 

ComUtoR

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Lrd may reply telling you why he thinks it's ridiculous, but then you would have to explain why you think it is a sensible restrictions :)

Good call.

Firstly the restrictions are in place because they need to ensure that fatigue levels are maintained. The further you live from a depot then the more time it takes to get in and out. Often you see this as 30 mins from the depot etc. This 5 mile radius is the same style restriction.

Secondly, we work a 24hr railway. You need to be able to get into work at any time of the day. 25mins might work when you have transport but what happens at oh my god o'clock in the morning or evening. With this HR have direct experience with what is happening at our Victoria depot. We have staff that cannot get in for the earliest shifts and cannot get home late because the last train/tube has departed. This is a concern when recruiting. Their experience is telling them they need to restrict it.

Thirdly, have you measured a 5 mile radius from Vic ? It's surprisingly huge and encompasses a dense population area. My family is from South London and when I checked the radius they are well within the distance. Knowing that area its got more than a sufficient population to recruit from. A problem with this one is that some TOC's are using a direct radius as you can plot on a map. Generally an 'as the crow flies distance. Some are using route maps to check distance from depot and again, as mentioned, some are using time.

10 miles takes you out to Sutton/Croydon/Bromley/Woolwich down in the southeast and when your pushing that distance then you more suited to a different SE depot. Orpington, Grove Park, Dartford. A potential problem SE then have is that you have a pool you wish to pick from that is better suited and may affect recruitment of their other depots. Having a 5 mile restriction reduces those problems.

Depots aren't always best placed and will affect some candidates more than others and this is very common across all TOC recruitment. It just seems that the London based depots appear more restrictive but when you look deeper they generally aren't.

Just look at the GTR thread. Some got declined because of their distance from depot. This is no different to any other depot tbh.

Hope that helps,

Com.
 

GMT

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Good call.

Firstly the restrictions are in place because they need to ensure that fatigue levels are maintained. The further you live from a depot then the more time it takes to get in and out. Often you see this as 30 mins from the depot etc. This 5 mile radius is the same style restriction.

Secondly, we work a 24hr railway. You need to be able to get into work at any time of the day. 25mins might work when you have transport but what happens at oh my god o'clock in the morning or evening. With this HR have direct experience with what is happening at our Victoria depot. We have staff that cannot get in for the earliest shifts and cannot get home late because the last train/tube has departed. This is a concern when recruiting. Their experience is telling them they need to restrict it.

Thirdly, have you measured a 5 mile radius from Vic ? It's surprisingly huge and encompasses a dense population area. My family is from South London and when I checked the radius they are well within the distance. Knowing that area its got more than a sufficient population to recruit from. A problem with this one is that some TOC's are using a direct radius as you can plot on a map. Generally an 'as the crow flies distance. Some are using route maps to check distance from depot and again, as mentioned, some are using time.

10 miles takes you out to Sutton/Croydon/Bromley/Woolwich down in the southeast and when your pushing that distance then you more suited to a different SE depot. Orpington, Grove Park, Dartford. A potential problem SE then have is that you have a pool you wish to pick from that is better suited and may affect recruitment of their other depots. Having a 5 mile restriction reduces those problems.

Depots aren't always best placed and will affect some candidates more than others and this is very common across all TOC recruitment. It just seems that the London based depots appear more restrictive but when you look deeper they generally aren't.

Just look at the GTR thread. Some got declined because of their distance from depot. This is no different to any other depot tbh.

Hope that helps,

Com.

Fair enough. It does make sense, thanks. Besides, your views are always helpful given that you are an insider and have experience in the industry. You also take time to add them to this forum, which from me is appreciated.
 

Teddyward

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Thurrock
I don’t take any issue with a company protecting its interests. But it was a pain filling out the application after I’d triple checked it to make sure there was no location requirement listed as there was on the mainline qualified advert. I wish my in laws still lived in Bermondsey, would have been ideal.
 

otomous

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Joined
5 Oct 2011
Messages
444
Good call.

Firstly the restrictions are in place because they need to ensure that fatigue levels are maintained. The further you live from a depot then the more time it takes to get in and out. Often you see this as 30 mins from the depot etc. This 5 mile radius is the same style restriction.

Secondly, we work a 24hr railway. You need to be able to get into work at any time of the day. 25mins might work when you have transport but what happens at oh my god o'clock in the morning or evening. With this HR have direct experience with what is happening at our Victoria depot. We have staff that cannot get in for the earliest shifts and cannot get home late because the last train/tube has departed. This is a concern when recruiting. Their experience is telling them they need to restrict it.

Thirdly, have you measured a 5 mile radius from Vic ? It's surprisingly huge and encompasses a dense population area. My family is from South London and when I checked the radius they are well within the distance. Knowing that area its got more than a sufficient population to recruit from. A problem with this one is that some TOC's are using a direct radius as you can plot on a map. Generally an 'as the crow flies distance. Some are using route maps to check distance from depot and again, as mentioned, some are using time.

10 miles takes you out to Sutton/Croydon/Bromley/Woolwich down in the southeast and when your pushing that distance then you more suited to a different SE depot. Orpington, Grove Park, Dartford. A potential problem SE then have is that you have a pool you wish to pick from that is better suited and may affect recruitment of their other depots. Having a 5 mile restriction reduces those problems.

Depots aren't always best placed and will affect some candidates more than others and this is very common across all TOC recruitment. It just seems that the London based depots appear more restrictive but when you look deeper they generally aren't.

Just look at the GTR thread. Some got declined because of their distance from depot. This is no different to any other depot tbh.

Hope that helps,

Com.

I understand the point but I don't think it's realistic in London. A quick look at Rightmove suggests you're looking at a minimum of £175k for a studio flat in West Hampstead (4m away) or £100k for just shared ownership of a flat in Peckham (3.5m away). Neither of which are even that easy to travel from at the extremes of the day except by bus or by own transport. And staff parking is scarce there as I know from my time at the Southern depot. The only staff I knew who lived vaguely near were in council properties that they had obtained decades ago when they were easier to obtain. There were some in North, West and East London who had to get two buses sometimes, whilst the bulk came in from SE London and Kent on the 5.18 arrival or via East Croydon on the 4.55 arrival - which was much easier and more reliable a route than trying to get in from the likes of Camden or Hammersmith. Surely it makes more sense to use the "non residential" status on the basis that people can't live near central London any more and time the rosters accordingly - as they did when I was there.
 

ComUtoR

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I understand the point but I don't think it's realistic in London. A quick look at Rightmove suggests you're looking at a minimum of £175k for a studio flat in West Hampstead (4m away) or £100k for just shared ownership of a flat in Peckham (3.5m away). Neither of which are even that easy to travel from at the extremes of the day except by bus or by own transport.

Kind of the point really. Peckham is on the edge of a 5mile radius so getting into Victoria isn't the easiest of trips despite is location. Increasing this to 10 miles just makes it worse.

Surely it makes more sense to use the "non residential" status on the basis that people can't live near central London any more and time the rosters accordingly - as they did when I was there.

Vic on our side lost its non residential status. Shunter Driver is a new role too so comes under a different department and different restrictions. Where they need this role to be 24/7 giving it residential status may be counter productive. Vic also cover Bellingham.

Money wise I totally agree. Affordability is shockingly bad. Still, my brother is unemployed and manages it somehow. The population density round there is huge and there are many who need employment. Hard for me to say not to support those who may need a higher wage without the commute costs. Lewisham is also on the edge and that too is just about affordable. Rents are as high, if not higher than mortgages but that isn't unique to London any more and I have friends who rent 2/3 hundred more than my mortgage :/ and that's in Kent.
 
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