Southern drivers course 2019

[Jaydon Jay]

Good morning all, I have passed my DMI & MMI interviews with Southern and am now waiting for a medical and training to commence. My question is does anybody have any clue as to when theses training courses for Trainnee train drivers will commence in 2019? I feel like I have been waiting for ever?

 

[Ivahardy]

Good morning all, I have passed my DMI & MMI interviews with Southern and am now waiting for a medical and training to commence. My question is does anybody have any clue as to when theses training courses for Trainnee train drivers will commence in 2019? I feel like I have been waiting for ever?

Hi.
Sry but how long did it take from your application closing date to your 1st assessment.

All the best.

 

[Shee]

Me too!
I spoke to the recruitment lady and she said that January & February 2019 places are filled and she doesn’t have March onwards yet.

 

[Shee]

Hi.
Sry but how long did it take from your application closing date to your 1st assessment.

All the best.

Application to first online mini assessments was 2 months.
Then another 2 months until my actual assessment day.
Another month to DMI.
Lastly, another 2 months until MMI

 

[Darkbinary]

Me too!
I spoke to the recruitment lady and she said that January & February 2019 places are filled and she doesn’t have March onwards yet.

May I ask which depot you have been put forward to? I am waiting for a start date at the Metro depot. I spoke to recruitment at the beginning of the month and was told they hadn't assigned people to 2019 courses yet.

 

[BTU]

Good morning all, I have passed my DMI & MMI interviews with Southern and am now waiting for a medical and training to commence. My question is does anybody have any clue as to when theses training courses for Trainnee train drivers will commence in 2019? I feel like I have been waiting for ever?

Get used to waiting forever with that lot they are the worst company I ever worked for in my life my advice is get your key and leave them asap before you get tucked up with an SOL and then you can't leave oh and don't forget 24 weeks notice so your chances of leaving are slim. What a crap company.

 

[357]

BTU, become a union rep and cause so much trouble that the company are more than happy to let you leave with a shorter notice period. That's what one of my colleagues did with another TOC

 

[Unknockable]

Get used to waiting forever with that lot they are the worst company I ever worked for in my life my advice is get your key and leave them asap before you get tucked up with an SOL and then you can't leave oh and don't forget 24 weeks notice so your chances of leaving are slim. What a crap company.

24 weeks notice is a bloody long time, is that the same amount of notice time with other TOCs? And what do you mean by SOL?

 

[BTU]

24 weeks notice is a bloody long time, is that the same amount of notice time with other TOCs? And what do you mean by SOL?

Thanks 357 but I no longer work there and SOL is a safety of the line incident which makes your chances of leaving very difficult, at Southern nearly everything is classed as an SOL and at other companies it isn't, so if you make a mistake and most people do given the intense nature of the work and the volume of it it makes it very hard to leave as other companies won't touch you and the reason it is 24 weeks is because they can't keep hold of their drivers so they extended the notice period, I know people who have be offered jobs at other TOCs but been turned down after they find out its 24 wks notice.

 

[Unknockable]

Thanks 357 but I no longer work there and SOL is a safety of the line incident which makes your chances of leaving very difficult, at Southern nearly everything is classed as an SOL and at other companies it isn't, so if you make a mistake and most people do given the intense nature of the work and the volume of it it makes it very hard to leave as other companies won't touch you and the reason it is 24 weeks is because they can't keep hold of their drivers so they extended the notice period, I know people who have be offered jobs at other TOCs but been turned down after they find out its 24 wks notice.

Interesting, obviously the most serious SOL a driver could have is a SPAD I’m assuming. What are the most common SOLs do you know drivers have? And 24 weeks notice is crazy. What 357 said is probably the most efficient way to escape.

 

[Carlisle]

BTU, become a union rep and cause so much trouble that the company are more than happy to let you leave with a shorter notice period. That's what one of my colleagues did with another TOC

I’ll bet there’s ways and means of finding those things out, whether or how rigorously the recruiting TOC chooses to apply them prior to making a job offer is of course another matter altogether. saying that I once knew someone who gained a promotional transfer to a Secondmans job under what I understand were very similar circumstances.

 

[Dieseldriver]

Interesting, obviously the most serious SOL a driver could have is a SPAD I’m assuming. What are the most common SOLs do you know drivers have? And 24 weeks notice is crazy. What 357 said is probably the most efficient way to escape.

A SPAD generally is the worst although even they can vary greatly in severity and many even result in derailments or possibly collisions. TPWS interventions (particularly approaching a red) are serious as are TPWS activations (the difference between the two being that an intervention is where the Driver hasn't braked, an activation is where the Driver is braking but is exceeding the braking curve).
Station stop shorts, Station overruns, Station fail to calls are investigated and recorded.
Any instances of speeding are recorded and if its deemed excessive, are dealt with severely.
Other infringements could potentially be a buffer stop collision, a collision with a train (permissive working or in depots/sidings).
Rule book infringements could be recorded if classed as a SOL incident

 

[Shee]

May I ask which depot you have been put forward to? I am waiting for a start date at the Metro depot. I spoke to recruitment at the beginning of the month and was told they hadn't assigned people to 2019 courses yet.

Metro too.

 

[Darkbinary]

I have been given my start date of February 11th, for the Metro area. Anyone else got the same?

 

[RKME171]

I have been given my start date of February 11th, for the Metro area. Anyone else got the same?

Hi darkbinary
Congratulations!
How long have you been in the process? When did you do your medical?

 

[Darkbinary]

Hi darkbinary
Congratulations!
How long have you been in the process? When did you do your medical?

Started application in Jan 2017. Had my medical 2 weeks ago.

 

[RKME171]

Started application in Jan 2017. Had my medical 2 weeks ago.

Nice one do you know what depot you will be placed at?

 

[Darkbinary]

Nice one do you know what depot you will be placed at?

Training at Selhurst then located at Redhill

 

[RKME171]

Training at Selhurst then located at Redhill

Good luck with it all hopefully I will get my start date soon

 

[BTU]

Redhill ? you better get that in writting.

 

[danielg]

I was told maybe April 2019 (training at selhurst) when I called a few weeks back. I had my medical back in July 2018!!! It's now expired as it's gone over 6 months...rather annoying. Said I would have to fill out a form so hopefully won't be another half day. It seems like you have to be lucky if you get a course.

 

[Darkbinary]

Redhill ? you better get that in writting.

I have. Why do you say that?

 

[tsr]

I have. Why do you say that?

Redhill is a small depot and quite well-favoured by drivers wanting to move outside the London and coastal areas - it is rather more common for internal transfers to take place rather than any recruitment to happen. Similar applies to Caterham and once applied to Three Bridges.

 

[andys495]

Redhill is a small depot and quite well-favoured by drivers wanting to move outside the London and coastal areas - it is rather more common for internal transfers to take place rather than any recruitment to happen. Similar applies to Caterham and once applied to Three Bridges.

Speaking to some Redhill drivers recently, I don’t think it’s as sort after as it used to be due to recent cuts in routes following timetable changes. Plus they’ve had a few vacancies come up recently. They haven’t had trainees for a while so their DI’s might be pleased.. or not.

 

[RKME171]

I was told maybe April 2019 (training at selhurst) when I called a few weeks back. I had my medical back in July 2018!!! It's now expired as it's gone over 6 months...rather annoying. Said I would have to fill out a form so hopefully won't be another half day. It seems like you have to be lucky if you get a course.

I’m in a similar position did they tell you it’s expired now as it’s over 6 months? Medicals should last a few years shouldn’t they?

 

[king_walnut]

I'm on a course starting 11th March, have had to repeat my medical due to it being more than 6 months since I did it.

Anyone else on the March course?

 

[danielg]

I’m in a similar position did they tell you it’s expired now as it’s over 6 months? Medicals should last a few years shouldn’t they?

Yeah afraid so, I asked and they said I would have to fill out a form and the medical team would advise if I would need another medical check or not.

 

[387star]

Redhill is a small depot and quite well-favoured by drivers wanting to move outside the London and coastal areas - it is rather more common for internal transfers to take place rather than any recruitment to happen. Similar applies to Caterham and once applied to Three Bridges.

Guess they sign reigate tonbridge the Brighton mainline and some metro work? Plus turbo work in top link

Is Horsham southern depot a favoured depot like the ones you mention?

Would have thought thameslink Horsham is well favoured with all mainline work up to Peterborough and less nights and no super earlies due to not signing the Bedford route

 

[joystick]

Hi,anymore news on courses for 2019 ? also whats the usual waiting time for 1 ?cheers