SWR guard training, what's involved?

[WombleGuard]

Hi folks,

As the title suggests, what happens at Basingstoke training centre, then at your depot? How long before you qualify to take trains alone?

Thanks for any insight.

 

[Kwikz]

When I was training as a guard. It's roughly 11 weeks classroom at Basingstoke. Followed by 2 to 3 weeks learning your routes. Work shadowing with coaches for me was from what I remember was a week or 2 then out on your own...

Not sure if it's changed now.

 

[Chumba]

Friend of mine recently passed the SWR CG assessment and interview and has been offered a position. She was told at interview, initial training 11 weeks based at Basingstoke ROC, ( no accommodation she has to travel every day), although some days she will be at other locations. Then a few weeks to a couple of months shadowing, (depends how quickly she learns ). But should be independent working and get the pay rise in about 3-4 months from starting. Again depends how quickly she learns and gets competent.

 

[Thomas C]

Depending on which depo your at It’s about 8-12 weeks at Basingstoke. You will get free travel to and from your nearest swr station. Then you do the route learning back at your depo once you’ve passed you exams at Basingstoke. There is then a two week ticketing course if you’re are a commercial guard. Think you have to do 50 train starts to be signed off as a productive guard.

 

[Bigfoot]

All will become clear after your first day at Basingstoke, relax, enjoy, pay attention and welcome to the railway.

 

[Lewis5949]

Not to hijack the thread, but how does the travel work to Basingstoke? If I show them paperwork like when I used the tests/medical invite emails as a ticket, at what point do people start getting their - what I assume is an ITSO card that acts like an unrestricted ITSO ticket - passes so that I can travel to training and other places easily?

 

[Bigfoot]

You will get a temporary paper pass on your first day valid until your itso card arrives.

 

[GuardD]

That's the way it should be!

Abellio have condensed the scotrail guard training to save money and it is now:

1 week induction
1 week commercial/tickets
2 weeks!!! Rules etc
10 days with a CI but you need to do your routes as well during that 10 days now!!

Absolute joke

 

[Lewis5949]

You will get a temporary paper pass on your first day valid until your itso card arrives.

Thanks, how long does the card typically take to arrive? For TfL it was about a week

 

[Bigfoot]

Does it matter? You will still have the ability to travel for free on swr.