Trainee Conductor - Manchester Picadilly

[ibz766]

Good Afternoon,

I had my Northern interview last week on Friday and they had gotten back to me on the following Monday with great news of being successful in my interview.

Currently, I am studying my A-Levels and decided not to take the traditional route of university, previously being around my father who worked for Northern as a conductor.

I wanted to ask anyone if they could provide further information, so I have been told training takes around 9 weeks in the classroom however I was asked to provide any holidays. I had notified them about holidays in July that I have and they had informed me that they cannot provide a start date but it is likely to start in August for the course. I am worried that I won’t end up getting a course in August, am I stressing too much and how often do they have courses available?

 

[Jonners00]

Well done on passing the interview!

I was in the same position, on my interview I was asked if I had any holidays and I did in June and I knew I wouldn’t get a start date before then. Got put in the talent pool and then a week and a half later got a start date in July.

It came across in the interview that there was lots of courses planned, so I wouldn’t worry to much. It’s just a waiting game now. They ask in my interview that if I was willing to travel to Manchester for training but the other guy said there wasn’t a Manchester course till October and I would have start date before then so you might have to travel to Leeds for your training.

Hope this helps.

 

[ibz766]

Well done on passing the interview!

I was in the same position, on my interview I was asked if I had any holidays and I did in June and I knew I wouldn’t get a start date before then. Got put in the talent pool and then a week and a half later got a start date in July.

It came across in the interview that there was lots of courses planned, so I wouldn’t worry to much. It’s just a waiting game now. They ask in my interview that if I was willing to travel to Manchester for training but the other guy said there wasn’t a Manchester course till October and I would have start date before then so you might have to travel to Leeds for your training.

Hope this helps.

Thank you very much for helping me out with that I very much appreciate it! I got told that I will be in Leeds for around 9 weeks for the training during the interview but to be fair, I get paid to travel regardless so I’m not necessarily fussed with that.

Good luck on your journey of becoming a train conductor.

Just need to get my A-Levels out the way and I am done.

 

[Jonners00]

Thank you very much for helping me out with that I very much appreciate it! I got told that I will be in Leeds for around 9 weeks for the training during the interview but to be fair, I get paid to travel regardless so I’m not necessarily fussed with that.

Good luck on your journey of becoming a train conductor.

Just need to get my A-Levels out the way and I am done.


Thank you very much for helping me out with that I very much appreciate it! I got told that I will be in Leeds for around 9 weeks for the training during the interview but to be fair, I get paid to travel regardless so I’m not necessarily fussed with that.

Good luck on your journey of becoming a train conductor.

Just need to get my A-Levels out the way and I am done.

You’re welcome, keep us updated if you get a start date etc. Hope you don’t have to wait too long for it. I was checking my emails everyday haha.

Good luck with you A-Levels!

 

[NorthernSystem]

Good Afternoon,

I had my Northern interview last week on Friday and they had gotten back to me on the following Monday with great news of being successful in my interview.

Currently, I am studying my A-Levels and decided not to take the traditional route of university, previously being around my father who worked for Northern as a conductor.

I wanted to ask anyone if they could provide further information, so I have been told training takes around 9 weeks in the classroom however I was asked to provide any holidays. I had notified them about holidays in July that I have and they had informed me that they cannot provide a start date but it is likely to start in August for the course. I am worried that I won’t end up getting a course in August, am I stressing too much and how often do they have courses available?

First of all, big congratulations on getting to this process. I went through it at the end of 2022 and it was gruelling, to say the least.

Generally, there are courses pretty regular, I'd say 1 every 2-ish months. Ours was MC1/23 which started at the end of January, I think MC2/23 was March or around that time. If you do get a training at Leeds, they may either pay your commute time or put you up in a hotel for the training.

You are correct in saying it's around 9 weeks, Your first few will be going over the corporate and policy side, then starting work on the paperwork and theory (Signalling, Rules and Regs, PTS etc) with a bit of going out onto the network (We completed our PTS course and induction at NH Depot, as well as Onboard Fire Evacuation [OBFE]), then it's practical learning, going out with the trainer in the group to learn all of your tractions (depot-specific but if you're Picc based then it's 150/1&2, 156, 323, 331 and 195, a lot of them are interchangeable so may do 150/1 then a conversion course for the /2, same with 331/195)

Once you've passed out of training school, you'll work a train under supervision in your ICA (Initial Competency Assessment), sign your core route of Hadfield and sign off all of your tractions, to then complete your FCA. From there it's about 6 weeks of route learning (We have 10 routes to learn) mixed in with a little bit of working trains to keep you fresh. Once you've signed all of your routes, you'll be put to work!

I hope this helps, I know it's a bit of a ramble but that's pretty much my experience with it. Feel free to message if you have any questions.

 

[ibz766]

First of all, big congratulations on getting to this process. I went through it at the end of 2022 and it was gruelling, to say the least.

Generally, there are courses pretty regular, I'd say 1 every 2-ish months. Ours was MC1/23 which started at the end of January, I think MC2/23 was March or around that time. If you do get a training at Leeds, they may either pay your commute time or put you up in a hotel for the training.

You are correct in saying it's around 9 weeks, Your first few will be going over the corporate and policy side, then starting work on the paperwork and theory (Signalling, Rules and Regs, PTS etc) with a bit of going out onto the network (We completed our PTS course and induction at NH Depot, as well as Onboard Fire Evacuation [OBFE]), then it's practical learning, going out with the trainer in the group to learn all of your tractions (depot-specific but if you're Picc based then it's 150/1&2, 156, 323, 331 and 195, a lot of them are interchangeable so may do 150/1 then a conversion course for the /2, same with 331/195)

Once you've passed out of training school, you'll work a train under supervision in your ICA (Initial Competency Assessment), sign your core route of Hadfield and sign off all of your tractions, to then complete your FCA. From there it's about 6 weeks of route learning (We have 10 routes to learn) mixed in with a little bit of working trains to keep you fresh. Once you've signed all of your routes, you'll be put to work!

I hope this helps, I know it's a bit of a ramble but that's pretty much my experience with it. Feel free to message if you have any questions.

Thank you so much for this, it really helps a lot just understanding the whole process. I’ve been offered a start just awaiting medical now which shouldn’t be an issue. I’m based at Manchester Picc assuming you are too, what are some routes you’re on? If mentioned my apologies may have missed it.

To be fairly honest, sounds like a really enjoyable training experience too obviously understanding that hard work is also needed outside of work in order to
pass assesmentcs etc, however glad to know it’s not solely classroom based until the end which I had thought.

Got told it’s going to a Manchester course now.

 

[richfoz84]

There is a big shortage of conductors at Piccadilly. They will likely run as many courses as they can. I doubt you’ll be in the pool for long. They just can’t have you taking annual leave whilst in the initial training phase so you’ll likely get a place after your holiday I’d suspect.

 

[YorkRanger]

Generally, there are courses pretty regular, I'd say 1 every 2-ish months. Ours was MC1/23 which started at the end of January, I think MC2/23 was March or around that time. If you do get a training at Leeds, they may either pay your commute time or put you up in a hotel for the training.

There are another 7 courses planned in Manchester and 10 in Leeds for conductors this year IIRC. They've got a massive push on at the moment to get as many people through the academy's as possible.

 

[ibz766]

There is a big shortage of conductors at Piccadilly. They will likely run as many courses as they can. I doubt you’ll be in the pool for long. They just can’t have you taking annual leave whilst in the initial training phase so you’ll likely get a place after your holiday I’d suspect.

I got given a date for the 12th of August the other day, I’m happy.

 

[NorthernSystem]

Thank you so much for this, it really helps a lot just understanding the whole process. I’ve been offered a start just awaiting medical now which shouldn’t be an issue. I’m based at Manchester Picc assuming you are too, what are some routes you’re on? If mentioned my apologies may have missed it.

To be fairly honest, sounds like a really enjoyable training experience too obviously understanding that hard work is also needed outside of work in order to
pass assesmentcs etc, however glad to know it’s not solely classroom based until the end which I had thought.

Got told it’s going to a Manchester course now.

Hiya mate. Yeah, I'm a Picc based guard.
The routes on our card are:
MAN-HDF (CORE ROUTE)
MAN-RSH via GUI/WLY
MAN-NMC via RDN and onwards to SHF
MAN-HAZ and then the HAZ-CLY divert (which is getting used now as the main route)
MAN-SOT
MAN-CRE via SPT and MIA
MAN-MCO-LIV via WAC
MAN-CTR via ALT
Once you get up into Link 3 (Currently about 6/7 links in the depot) you do sign MAN-BUX but that isn't for a while.