SW Rail Guard Training - Covid

[swr444]

I hear 70 trainee guards at WAT waiting to go through traction training and route learning. Might be a while for that depot..... Is another depot an option for you? You might get in faster.

Is it possible to change the depot you'd be working from?

Think the person I spoke to who said he had been given a date may have been telling porkies. Spoke to recruitment today and they said none of the Guards at Waterloo who interviewed with me or near me had been offered a place yet as they're still working through the backlog. I think it's likely to be closer to the end of the day that we get offers.

I'm assuming you mean year instead of day?
What day was your assessment day? Mine was on the 12th Feb

 

[WombleGuard]

Is it possible to change the depot you'd be working from?



I'm assuming you mean year instead of day?
What day was your assessment day? Mine was on the 12th Feb

Absolutely possible. As long as you aren't going from Guard to Commercial Guard which would have included a further test at assessment. I switched to get an earlier course.

 

[swr444]

Absolutely possible. As long as you aren't going from Guard to Commercial Guard which would have included a further test at assessment. I switched to get an earlier course.

Ah I didn't know that was possible! Which depot did you swap to, and was the post or pre-covid?

 

[WombleGuard]

Ah I didn't know that was possible! Which depot did you swap to, and was the post or pre-covid?

It was pre covid-just. I applied for lots of depots. Was interviewed for Staines but when I got 'the call' I asked if any depots had an earlier start. And now I'm wombling free.

 

[swr444]

It was pre covid-just. I applied for lots of depots. Was interviewed for Staines but when I got 'the call' I asked if any depots had an earlier start. And now I'm wombling free.

Interesting, unsure whether to ask if thats possible at the moment, as I don't want to complicate it further for them!
I'm assuming you mean Wimbledon?

 

[KieOShea1]

Hi, just to let you know they do not course people in order of recruitment. Numbers are looked at for each depot in terms of more urgent need and courses built around that.

The last 'live' guard course, number 9, are scheduled to complete training sometime in late October so I would expect new courses to start around that time tbh


It never hurts to stay in touch with recruitment, although I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. I found them to be really on top of things, friendly and efficient when I was going through the process

Thanks, I guess my lack of passion in my current job isn't helping me want this interview to hurry up and happen

 

[rla3011]

Not sure whether this will give reassurance or not to those guys waiting since Feb/March, but I passed for Bournemouth in December and had been told before lockdown that I’d be unlikely to start before at least August and that these kind of wait times are completely normal.

 

[IwonaBee]

Hi Potato_Peeler, I recently contacted the recruitment team and was told that they are slowly starting back up with guard recruitment, but in smaller class sizes and working through candidates in date order. It does seem strange though, considering you and the other person were interviewed in March, while I interviewed in February. I can only assume that it is because I still have a live application for trainee train driver with them. I honestly don’t know...

Hi everyone. I am trying to get hold of the recruitment team and all the phone numbers I try just go dead. Has anyone got a working number I can try calling?

I got accepted for the Guard role in February and have never heard anything since getting the phone call. I've tried emailing them and calling them and never had a reply or been able to speak to anyone.

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[rla3011]

Hi everyone. I am trying to get hold of the recruitment team and all the phone numbers I try just go dead. Has anyone got a working number I can try calling?

I got accepted for the Guard role in February and have never heard anything since getting the phone call. I've tried emailing them and calling them and never had a reply or been able to speak to anyone.

Thanks in advance for any help

Try [email protected] they usually always respond.

033 009 50151 Was the last tel number I used to contact them in Feb.

 

[IwonaBee]

Try [email protected] they usually always respond.

033 009 50151 Was the last tel number I used to contact them in Feb.

Thank you I will try that number tomorrow. I've also emailed them again, fingers crossed

 

[MatthewLdn]

Any updates? I’m still waiting for a start date.

 

[swr444]

Any updates? I’m still waiting for a start date.

Same here, when I last emailed recruitment they said it could be a while until I hear from them, which makes me think it could be until the end of this year or early next year

 

[Railengineer]

Sounds like a great company to work for!!
Hopefully the reduce passenger loadings won't make them reduce their intake.
Good luck

 

[Lewis H]

Interested to know how you have been successful in one role application and still have a pending MMI for trainee Driver, I’ve know people to apply for 2 different roles with SWR and one application had to be closed before even psychometric testing could take place. I can’t imagine they’d be too pleased if you started Guard training and then was moved onto a driving course!

 

[rla3011]

Interested to know how you have been successful in one role application and still have a pending MMI for trainee Driver, I’ve know people to apply for 2 different roles with SWR and one application had to be closed before even psychometric testing could take place. I can’t imagine they’d be too pleased if you started Guard training and then was moved onto a driving course!

I’m in the same boat. Passed interviews and awaiting start date for Commercial Guard, also awaiting DMI for Trainee Driver. Was told by Recruitment that if/when I’m offered start date for Guard then I’ll have to cancel Trainee Driver application at whichever stage it’s at.

 

[MatthewLdn]

Hi Lewis, I was informed by the recruitment team that it was okay. I was told that, if/when I’m given a start date for the Guard position and it falls before I receive my MMI, and I choose to accept the position, then I must withdraw my application for the trainee driver position. I applied for both positions within a couple of days of each other. I also sat and passed the assessments for both positions within the same week. At the interviews I made it clear that I had applied for both positions and they were okay about it.

 

[Lewis H]

Hi Lewis, I was informed by the recruitment team that it was okay. I was told that, if/when I’m given a start date for the Guard position and it falls before I receive my MMI, and I choose to accept the position, then I must withdraw my application for the trainee driver position. I applied for both positions within a couple of days of each other. I also sat and passed the assessments for both positions within the same week. At the interviews I made it clear that I had applied for both positions and they were okay about it.

Ah nice, if you are offered a start date for guard before an MMI, how will that affect future Driver applications, as I assume that’s the goal?

 

[djack123son]

Contacted in early September for a November 2nd start. Was originally due to start May 11th.

 

[magicmcone]

Contacted in early September for a November 2nd start. Was originally due to start May 11th.

Could I ask you which depot did you apply for? I had also initially been scheduled for 11th of May having applied for Waterloo but haven’t been contacted yet....At least it’s positive to see some people down the line being contacted.

 

[djack123son]

Could I ask you which depot did you apply for? I had also initially been scheduled for 11th of May having applied for Waterloo but haven’t been contacted yet....At least it’s positive to see some people down the line being contacted.

Woking^^

 

[swr444]

Anyone else heard anything? I feel like it definitely won't be until next year now

 

[magicmcone]

I was contacted couple of weeks ago for an start date on the 4th of January. Last week they called me again to say that a vacancy had become available to start on the 30th of November. I will need to do the medicals and DBS checks again as these have expired.
To give you a bit of timeframe, I had been interviewed at the very end of January and had been initially scheduled to start on the 11th of May.
Just keeping my breath during this month hoping that nothing weird comes along this time...
Hope your calls come very soon too

 

[MatthewLdn]

I was contacted couple of weeks ago for an start date on the 4th of January. Last week they called me again to say that a vacancy had become available to start on the 30th of November. I will need to do the medicals and DBS checks again as these have expired.
To give you a bit of timeframe, I had been interviewed at the very end of January and had been initially scheduled to start on the 11th of May.
Just keeping my breath during this month hoping that nothing weird comes along this time...
Hope your calls come very soon too

Hi, great to hear you’ve been given a start date. Were you contacted by phone or email, as I had a missed called last week ending in 5697.

 

[IwonaBee]

Hi all, I was also very recently contacted and have been given a start date in January, providing my medical assesnment goes well and my DBS and references etc.
They called from a normal mobile number, not one ending in 5697...

They said they were calling people in order so those that have been waiting longest will be called first.

 

[magicmcone]

Hi, great to hear you’ve been given a start date. Were you contacted by phone or email, as I had a missed called last week ending in 5697.

I got both a call and an email. Can’t really recall the number they called me from.

 

[swr444]

I was contacted couple of weeks ago for an start date on the 4th of January. Last week they called me again to say that a vacancy had become available to start on the 30th of November. I will need to do the medicals and DBS checks again as these have expired.
To give you a bit of timeframe, I had been interviewed at the very end of January and had been initially scheduled to start on the 11th of May.
Just keeping my breath during this month hoping that nothing weird comes along this time...
Hope your calls come very soon too

Good to hear, my start date was a few weeks after yours so I hope to hear from them soon! It’s definitely been a long year!

 

[rla3011]

Glad to hear things are progressing along, best of luck. May I ask which depot(s) you’ve been offered dates for?

 

[AshP86]

I was contacted couple of weeks ago for an start date on the 4th of January. Last week they called me again to say that a vacancy had become available to start on the 30th of November. I will need to do the medicals and DBS checks again as these have expired.
To give you a bit of timeframe, I had been interviewed at the very end of January and had been initially scheduled to start on the 11th of May.
Just keeping my breath during this month hoping that nothing weird comes along this time...
Hope your calls come very soon too

I was contacted couple of weeks ago for an start date on the 4th of January. Last week they called me again to say that a vacancy had become available to start on the 30th of November. I will need to do the medicals and DBS checks again as these have expired.
To give you a bit of timeframe, I had been interviewed at the very end of January and had been initially scheduled to start on the 11th of May.
Just keeping my breath during this month hoping that nothing weird comes along this time...
Hope your calls come very soon too

After 12 months of waiting I've finally been given a start date. I'll see you on 30th November

To anyone else waiting be patient it Will happen eventually

 

[MiNi]

After 12 months of waiting I've finally been given a start date. I'll see you on 30th November

To anyone else waiting be patient it Will happen eventually

Which depot is it for please.Congratulations to you.

 

[AshP86]

Which depot is it for please.Congratulations to you.

Bournemouth depot. Thank you