TPE Driver Links & Rosters

[PlexiDriver]

Hey,

Does anyone have any additional info about the links at TPE? Happy to get all depots but would especially love to hear about Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and York.

A bonus would of course be an example of schedule cards for the area!

CHEEEERS

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 May 2024 ==

Also does TPE allow you to change depots at all?

 

[PlexiDriver]

Bump

 

[thelongestroad]

For driver or guard?

 

[PlexiDriver]

Driver please

 

[driver9000]

Preston is a single link of 46 lines. Earliest on 04:35 and latest off is 00:40. Some long jobs covering lots of miles between Manchester or Liverpool and Scotland (c.500) in a day but it's a decent depot overall. TPE do allow depot moves but how quickly that happens for you depends on your place in the queue and vacancies at your intended depot.

 

[PlexiDriver]

Preston is a single link of 46 lines. Earliest on 04:35 and latest off is 00:40. Some long jobs covering lots of miles between Manchester or Liverpool and Scotland (c.500) in a day but it's a decent depot overall. TPE do allow depot moves but how quickly that happens for you depends on your place in the queue and vacancies at your intended depot.

Thank you for the info! Do you happen to know if there are permanent swaps available?

 

[EZJ]

Thank you for the info! Do you happen to know if there are permanent swaps available?

Certainly at Manchester this is not possible as you can often do 3 weeks of earlies, then one of lates then back to a couple of weeks earlies then onto a few of lates.
Manchester is a very busy depot for drivers, with starts ranging from 0230ish until 2300ish, good depot to work at though with some good routes especially in the former 68 link. Was there a particular depot you were looking at?

 

[driver9000]

Thank you for the info! Do you happen to know if there are permanent swaps available?

The link construction and shift rotation makes it difficult so no one really bothers.

 

[PlexiDriver]

Certainly at Manchester this is not possible as you can often do 3 weeks of earlies, then one of lates then back to a couple of weeks earlies then onto a few of lates.
Manchester is a very busy depot for drivers, with starts ranging from 0230ish until 2300ish, good depot to work at though with some good routes especially in the former 68 link. Was there a particular depot you were looking at?

Yeah I'm open to whichever gives the best in terms of route signage but also I wanted to do a permanent swap at some point so I suppose it is which ever depot works with all that! But I think it was Liverpool, York, Manchester, Preston - those were the ones I was looking at.

 

[EZJ]

Yeah I'm open to whichever gives the best in terms of route signage but also I wanted to do a permanent swap at some point so I suppose it is which ever depot works with all that! But I think it was Liverpool, York, Manchester, Preston - those were the ones I was looking at.

York or Manchester are best for routes, but I'm fairly certain a permanent swap to lates or earlies wouldn't be possible as has been mentioned due to the structure of the links.

 

[PlexiDriver]

York or Manchester are best for routes, but I'm fairly certain a permanent swap to lates or earlies wouldn't be possible as has been mentioned due to the structure of the links.

Ah that's disappointing! But yeah one of those things - what does the roster look like in terms of days off? Is it block leave? Is there a good amount of days off versus days in and all that? How are the links assigned at the larger depots, like is West Coast link in Manchester considered top or bottom link etc.?

 

[EZJ]

Ah that's disappointing! But yeah one of those things - what does the roster look like in terms of days off? Is it block leave? Is there a good amount of days off versus days in and all that? How are the links assigned at the larger depots, like is West Coast link in Manchester considered top or bottom link etc.?

5 weeks of allocated leave in Spring,Summer & Winter, 8 floating days. Good amount of time off, RD's are in blocks of 3,4 or 5 days. You would be allocated into any of the links according to vacancies within it, there are opportunities to apply to swap links every year. All links are equal so no top/bottom links as it were. Route knowledge is fairly good across links at Manchester, Scarborough link signs Liverpool to Scarborough (Chat Moss & Cheshire Lines), also Sheffield via Stockport and diversions across Calder Valley, Normanton and Methley. 185's only currently.
Hull link sign Liverpool to Hull via Chat Moss and the previously mentioned diversions. 185's and 802's
North West link signs Airport to Carlisle via Bolton also via Chat Moss and across onto WCML through Wigan. Longsight Depot. Mainly 397 but some 185 work too.
Ardwick Depot is on everyone's card (or should be)

 

[scouseyb123]

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jun 2024 ==

York or Manchester are best for routes, but I'm fairly certain a permanent swap to lates or earlies wouldn't be possible as has been mentioned due to the structure of the links.

i beg to differ, Preston has a great route card

 

[EZJ]

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jun 2024 ==


i beg to differ, Preston has a great route card

That it does, but you have to work in Preston though

 

[PlexiDriver]

Does anyone happen to have an example of a day at Manchester depot? Like a schedule card or even better the overall roster?

 

[EZJ]

Does anyone happen to have an example of a day at Manchester depot? Like a schedule card or even better the overall roster?

Sent you a PM.

 

[Some guy]

Preston has probably the best route card in terms of scenery and lines they sign. The only depot to sign the whole west coast route with multiple diversions

 

[tiptoptaff]

Preston has probably the best route card in terms of scenery and lines they sign. The only depot to sign the whole west coast route with multiple diversions

Not at TPE

 

[craigybagel]

I used to think that Glasgow would be the most interesting TPE depot, with work down both the WCML & WCML, but I understand it's been split into links and you only sign to either Preston or Newcastle, not both?

 

[driver9000]

I used to think that Glasgow would be the most interesting TPE depot, with work down both the WCML & WCML, but I understand it's been split into links and you only sign to either Preston or Newcastle, not both?

It was always in separate links but some sign both sides and the I'm sure eastern link at Glasgow has West coast work to maintain competence.

 

[PlexiDriver]

Anyone happen to know which depot is likely to have vacancies in the next year or so?

 

[irish_rail]

Anyone happen to know which depot is likely to have vacancies in the next year or so?

Recruitment at TPE seems to have dried up past few months, it's weird as they used to recruit qualifieds constantly but that seems to have stopped for some reason.

 

[Noodle]

Most depot’s are now over compliment, Glasgow currently have applications open for talent pool.

 

[scouseyb123]

It was always in separate links but some sign both sides and the I'm sure eastern link at Glasgow has West coast work to maintain competence.

The eastern link also sign the West but the western link don't sign the East (as there isn't that much work that side)

 

[PlexiDriver]

Anyone got an example roster for York?

 

[john349uk]

Anyone got an example roster for York?

 

[PlexiDriver]

Wow that's a lot of spares!

 

[whoosh]

Wow that's a lot of spares!

TPE are on a reduced timetable at the moment though I think, so presumably less duties have been created to cover it until a full timetable is resumed? This would mean loads of 'spare' populating the roster.
I'm sure Glasgow TPE roster was put on here somewhere a while back, and that had loads of spares as well, but that's got to be the reason surely?

 

[NorthernTech]

TPE vs Avanti? Who would be better to work for? T&C’s vs Salary.

 

[PlexiDriver]

Are Sundays inside the working week for TPE?