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SWR - Trainee Driver Training. Anyone Been to Basingstoke?

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1494

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Hi all,
Has anyone been through trainee driver training with SWR at Basingstoke recently, or currently on a course there?

How long is the basic training at Basingstoke, and how long do you need to travel there for, before going back to Depot or Southampton?

Trying to work out if I should move to Basingstoke during the week rather than commute from Weymouth on the train every day when I get my new start date.

Thanks
Tom
 
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Jlob2804

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You're there for about 3 months. Start at 09:00 and normally knock off around 15:00. We'd often be able to catch the 14:49 train home from Basingstoke.
 

MiNi

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Hi all,
Has anyone been through trainee driver training with SWR at Basingstoke recently, or currently on a course there?

How long is the basic training at Basingstoke, and how long do you need to travel there for, before going back to Depot or Southampton?

Trying to work out if I should move to Basingstoke during the week rather than commute from Weymouth on the train every day when I get my new start date.

Thanks
Tom
It will be a 11 - 12 hour day if you commute every day. If all the trains run on time & you finish on time at the training centre. You will need to get used to the long days & travelling I suppose. You could be a early riser & want to travel every day I don't know. Make the decision that best suits you I suppose
 

DA1

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You're there for about 3 months. Start at 09:00 and normally knock off around 15:00. We'd often be able to catch the 14:49 train home from Basingstoke.
How far is the training from the station? I’ve heard it’s quite a walk?
Once I get a start date I’ll likely be commuting in from South East London, about 1hr 45mins but if you use each journey to revise what you’ve gone over during the day then time should fly by.
 

Stigy

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How far is the training from the station? I’ve heard it’s quite a walk?
Once I get a start date I’ll likely be commuting in from South East London, about 1hr 45mins but if you use each journey to revise what you’ve gone over during the day then time should fly by.
It’s a good 20 minute walk or about a mile.

This links in with my point made earlier on in another thread....that’s one heck of a commute from Weymouth, and since SWR don’t provide accommodation, I’d consider a temporary move somewhere more local. Remember too that you’ll have to get your head around a lot of rules and have plenty of exams. It’s just wholly easier to be more local in my opinion.
 

TEW

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I've done another course at Basingstoke with two people from Weymouth, that lasted around two months. By the end they were definitely struggling with the daily commute.
 

pompeyfan

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It’s definitely not a 20 minute walk from Basingstoke station. Google maps puts it at 15 minutes but taking an obscure route. The direct route is only about 12 minutes
 

Jlob2804

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Yeah the direct route is about 12 mins. I ran it in 8 once when I was gonna miss a train home. Like everyone had alluded to, you won't regret moving closer for a couple of months but you might regret not. After a long day of rules you don't always feel like revising on the train (maybe just me). We tended to use the journey time to revise when coming up to the tests. The WiFi/signal is sketchy so, if you don't move you'd wanna download lots of stuff on the Netflix app ha.
 

tiptoptaff

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A quick journey enquiry puts it at a 5hr daily round trip. That's insane.
Why don't SWR provide accommodation??!!
 

Stigy

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It’s definitely not a 20 minute walk from Basingstoke station. Google maps puts it at 15 minutes but taking an obscure route. The direct route is only about 12 minutes
I do have short legs....

I’d say it’s a comfortable 20 min walk going the direct route (assuming you mean walking along the path next to the (former?) building site.
 

pompeyfan

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I do have short legs....

I’d say it’s a comfortable 20 min walk going the direct route (assuming you mean walking along the path next to the (former?) building site.

Yeah I think leaving 20 minutes is a comfortable margin, but it can be shortened if needs be. By direct I did indeed mean walking past springpark (?) house.
 

Stigy

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Yeah I think leaving 20 minutes is a comfortable margin, but it can be shortened if needs be. By direct I did indeed mean walking past springpark (?) house.
As in the path directly next to the railway, behind Springpark rather than the along Viewpoint past the front entrance I assume? If you mean past the main entrance, I’d say that’s the more indirect route....and not the Authorised walking route :D
 

dctraindriver

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As in the path directly next to the railway, behind Springpark rather than the along Viewpoint past the front entrance I assume? If you mean past the main entrance, I’d say that’s the more indirect route....and not the Authorised walking route :D
As stated authorised route, out of station along car park behind Springpark over the green bridge about 15 mins at a leisurely pace.
 

Efini92

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I’m surprised they don’t put you up in hotel with that kind of commute
 

WishIHadAName

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Wait untill you have to do advance route learning and go to Woking/Clapham every day for a week ;) And traction is normally
london based.
 
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