Trainee Train Driver - Virgin Trains East Coast

[geordie1973]

Generally spend 5 months in the classroom working up the basic knowledge, with around a month spent in the 2nd man seat observing what you've learned. Rules course lasts around 6 weeks (towards the end of that five months), then 5 weeks traction training (could change with IEP) before going out handling

Regular end of week and end of module assessments to keep a track on progress etc

sorry for the ignorance but is going out handling the final phase and if so how long does that last

sorry if these are really daft questions to everyone else

 

[SkinnyDave]

As far as I know, out of the 4 services operated out of Aberdeen, 2 are operated by Newcastle drivers and the other 2 by Edinburgh. The remaining services Edinburgh crews operate are to Newcastle only... Someone on the Newcastle link should be able to correct me if I'm wrong...

Think 3 out of 4 Aberdeen services are Edinburgh now unless I am looking at the diagrams wrong.
Edinburgh currently go as far South as Newcastle
They also have a service in morning and one at night to Glasgow Central and 1 to and from Stirling.
They also sign Craigentinny and Polmadie and Aberdeen Clahills depot

 

[EC123]

Edinburgh cover Aberdeen, Glasgow, Stirling and Newcastle. With Perth and Carlisle as diversions
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

sorry for the ignorance but is going out handling the final phase and if so how long does that last

sorry if these are really daft questions to everyone else

Handling is the work up to final assessment. A few months of solid driving over your core route in the core traction

 

[geordie1973]

Edinburgh cover Aberdeen, Glasgow, Stirling and Newcastle. With Perth and Carlisle as diversions
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Handling is the work up to final assessment. A few months of solid driving over your core route in the core traction

thanks for all the info

so you think it could be doable to go from trainee to fully qualified in 8 months or so ?

will the money go up in 3 stages (i think thats what I read on the second page or so)

also how does everyone like there train drivers jobs generally?
I have a well paid job as an engineer that I enjoy at the minute but in the coming year or so this is going to change, terms and conditions, pay and also working environment. i was thinking this was a good chance to maybe try something totally different

also is there much of a failure rate once training has started , or is it pretty much once someone starts they nearly always complete

 

[SkinnyDave]

thanks for all the info

so you think it could be doable to go from trainee to fully qualified in 8 months or so ?

will the money go up in 3 stages (i think thats what I read on the second page or so)

also how does everyone like there train drivers jobs generally?
I have a well paid job as an engineer that I enjoy at the minute but in the coming year or so this is going to change, terms and conditions, pay and also working environment. i was thinking this was a good chance to maybe try something totally different

also is there much of a failure rate once training has started , or is it pretty much once someone starts they nearly always complete

It will take a minimum of 12 months so I would budget for that

Best career move I have ever made, it has plenty of negatives such as walking about as if you are an extra in the Walking Dead on earlies.
However the positives outweigh the negatives by a large margin.
Go to your work, do your job properly you get left alone and you go home!

In terms of failure rate it is very very rare, the test and assessments to get you there do tend to weed that out early on.
Go for it fella

 

[SPADTrap]

It will take a minimum of 12 months so I would budget for that

Best career move I have ever made, it has plenty of negatives such as walking about as if you are an extra in the Walking Dead on earlies.
However the positives outweigh the negatives by a large margin.
Go to your work, do your job properly you get left alone and you go home!

In terms of failure rate it is very very rare, the test and assessments to get you there do tend to weed that out early on.
Go for it fella

Very very rare to fail? Far from it.

 

[SkinnyDave]

Very very rare to fail? Far from it.

What the drivers course?

 

[geordie1973]

It will take a minimum of 12 months so I would budget for that

Best career move I have ever made, it has plenty of negatives such as walking about as if you are an extra in the Walking Dead on earlies.
However the positives outweigh the negatives by a large margin.
Go to your work, do your job properly you get left alone and you go home!

In terms of failure rate it is very very rare, the test and assessments to get you there do tend to weed that out early on.
Go for it fella

thanks skinnydave
I am seriously thinking about it thats for sure. Like I said before I love my job at the minute, its very interesting. Different things every day, lots of people and lots of craic. That is all going to change though , and others who have moved have said the new place is soulless and lifeless. When I saw the advert it was one of those things that I just paused and thought , I would like to do that.
It does sound like I am the person they are trying to get away from , 42 year old male ( I read this somewhere)

I live in the Newcastle area , where would the training be and which routes would the successful people eventually be put on


thanks once again
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Very very rare to fail? Far from it.

so once you have started your training you say the failure rate is high ?

 

[E&W Lucas]

thanks for all the info

so you think it could be doable to go from trainee to fully qualified in 8 months or so ?

will the money go up in 3 stages (i think thats what I read on the second page or so)

also how does everyone like there train drivers jobs generally?
I have a well paid job as an engineer that I enjoy at the minute but in the coming year or so this is going to change, terms and conditions, pay and also working environment. i was thinking this was a good chance to maybe try something totally different

also is there much of a failure rate once training has started , or is it pretty much once someone starts they nearly always complete

A pointer and not a criticism -
Driving is a job that requires a great deal of self reliance and initiative. Everything you're asking has been posted many, many times on here before. You're going to be up against many other applicants who've gone to the trouble of doing their research.

 

[geordie1973]

A pointer and not a criticism -
Driving is a job that requires a great deal of self reliance and initiative. Everything you're asking has been posted many, many times on here before. You're going to be up against many other applicants who've gone to the trouble of doing their research.

Dont worry no criticism taken, only saw the advert late yesterday whilst booking a train ticket for my current job.
Had a little think about it and a little bit research brought me here .
Read the 10 pages in this thread, did a bit research on the testing process etc

the questions I asked were things I wanted clarifying for myself, and to get a feel for the job . Not much point putting in for a job that everyone says is quite hard to get, if in the end if I did get it and found it mundane and it was less pay than i am already getting

thanks everyone for the help so far

 

[theironroad]

thanks skinnydave
I am seriously thinking about it thats for sure. Like I said before I love my job at the minute, its very interesting. Different things every day, lots of people and lots of craic. That is all going to change though , and others who have moved have said the new place is soulless and lifeless. When I saw the advert it was one of those things that I just paused and thought , I would like to do that.
It does sound like I am the person they are trying to get away from , 42 year old male ( I read this somewhere)

I live in the Newcastle area , where would the training be and which routes would the successful people eventually be put on


thanks once again
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


so once you have started your training you say the failure rate is high ?

The driving job becomes pretty monotonous over time. The first couple of years on your own will be more diverse,but it's not something new every day for sure.

Generally mess rooms have good craic but when you get into the driving cab you're on your own 99%+ of the time, so need to be happy speaking to yourself....

I'm a 47 white male (though been driving a few years) and must admit I thought the same about being the type of person they don't want in this campaign as it was mentioned in a news report about increasing diversity.

I'm not sure I'd say the failure rate is high but it does happen. I have known people to fail both attempts at their 'final' but most people get through their final. Trainees are weeded out sometimes at various stages of training but a lot depends on attitude. People who come a cropper in the training and the job generally are those who think they are god's gift to humanity. I'd still apply if I was you as the competition is going to be tough anyway.

 

[Webby]

I am a white 46 yr old london taxi driver after reading the last couple of posts im fully expecting my application to go straight in the reject tray.

 

[Firefighter349]

Hi all. ??????
Firstly good luck to you all, everyone deserves a fair chance.

I'm a Fully qualified firefighter with my Hgv class 2, trauma care medical qualification and blue light driving certificate ... I am also a Police recovery driver too.
I'm working 100+ hours per week without fail and I lone work on the police recovery.
I've passed all my tests with DBS last year and when I just applied for Virgin I kept both big questions within their 100 word limit and I live within 40 mins of Doncaster. ??????????????????

Hopefully this puts me in a half decent position. We shall see.

 

[SkinnyDave]

Hi all.

 

[foot1efan]

Hi all. í*½í¸Š
Firstly good luck to you all, everyone deserves a fair chance.

I'm a Fully qualified firefighter with my Hgv class 2, trauma care medical qualification and blue light driving certificate ... I am also a Police recovery driver too.
I'm working 100+ hours per week without fail and I lone work on the police recovery.
I've passed all my tests with DBS last year and when I just applied for Virgin I kept both big questions within their 100 word limit and I live within 40 mins of Doncaster. í*½í¸‚í*½í±í*¼í¿¼

Hopefully this puts me in a half decent position. We shall see.

Nice cover letter that [emoji30]


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[Bucko]

Question.....

Ive applied for this.

Im currently sitting in a Talent pool for GTR Thameslink. Govia pass rate requirements are higher than the agreed pass marks. ive done all assessments, interviews, even passed the medical.

Now if I apply for this job and fail one of the assessments, what happens to my original GTR application which Ive passed?

Do I just fail the VTEC and remain 'passed' for GTR, or do I become fail for both ?

 

[foot1efan]

Question.....



Ive applied for this.



Im currently sitting in a Talent pool for GTR Thameslink. Govia pass rate requirements are higher than the agreed pass marks. ive done all assessments, interviews, even passed the medical.



Now if I apply for this job and fail one of the assessments, what happens to my original GTR application which Ive passed?



Do I just fail the VTEC and remain 'passed' for GTR, or do I become fail for both ?

If you have already passed at a "higher pass mark" you shouldn't have to go through the testing procedure with VTEC


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[Bucko]

If you have already passed at a "higher pass mark" you shouldn't have to go through the testing procedure with VTEC


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So if my application is successful, there's a possibility I wouldnt need to do assessments ?

Am I right in thinking all results/scores, even fails, are kept on a database for all TOCs to peruse?

Also would this application affect my status in the TP for GTR ?

 

[mickdwyer]

If you have already passed with another toc you won't have to resit with virgin unless you havent achieved there pass mark.

 

[Bucko]

Cheers all

 

[Kev.]

If you have already passed with another toc you won't have to resit with virgin unless you havent achieved there pass mark.

Hi, on the same subject can you just verify that if you have passed all assessments and interviews to a enhanced standard with another toc, all assessments don't have to be done again if they are still valid? But I was under the impression that if Virgin did different types of assessments that you hadn't carried out with your previous toc, then you would have to complete those assessments?

Now with regards to the interviews if one was successful with the Virgin sift, would you have to do the DMI with them even though you had passed with another toc to an enhanced standard?

I'm sorry if the answer to the above is obvious, but I just want to clarify it.

 

[Saltire]

I am of the understanding that regardless of assessments passed any new application MAY involve you sitting the psychometrics again as no companies are obligated to accept your current results. Although I sincerely hope VTEC do accept our previous results.
I think it is commonplace for most companies to ask you to resit them if 3 years have passed since you sat them (although the OPC told me they were valid for 5)

 

[DRSFan94]

Put my hat on the ring in it to win it. Both limited word questions were 99 so happy with that.

I live over an hour from Edinburgh but I relocated for my current job so stated that in my application.

 

[mickdwyer]

Yes they do accept previous results. I emailed them a week ago an had a response yesterday. They said they would check with opc and if all passed to there standard I would only need to attend virgins assessment day.

 

[HD-VTWIN]

Just to say a big thank you to the regular contributors to the forums. The help, guidance and advice has been very much appreciated, although this is my first post, I've been a part time lurker.

After a career which has included being a marine engineer officer, looking after diesel/electric power stations and carrying out marine survey work I've decided to apply to Virgin Trains East Coast as a trainee driver. Being in my forties this may be my last chance!!!

Good luck to all who have applied.

Who knows if I am successful I'll stop saying to my wife when waiting at a level crossing 'He's got my job'!!

 

[rick2678]

hi all, just applied for the virgin trains east coast trainee train driver. Just wondered if you get invited to the assesment cte does anyone know what the structure of the day is? Any help would be great, Thanks Rick

 

[sowantthis]

Well that's the application in now all we have to do is wait and constantly check my email waiting for a response which I know wont be till the 1st November.

Has to be one on the strangest applications I have had to fill out in years.

Good luck to everyone

 

[doubleamber]

I did the self funded assessment with DB Cargo in november 2011, do you still think this is valid?
I got passes or very good passes on everything except the reaction test were i only got a boarder line pass. Do they except boarder line passes? or with it being close to expiring do you think I would have to re-do it?

 

[TrainChick]

Hi there. Qualified here but would love to see roster from edinburgh. Anyone willing to share one? Totally awesome oportunity here. Thanks. X

 

[Scuba2208]

I know that VTEC are looking for 78 new drivers but given how many assessment days are planned for Kings Cross and York, would it be fair to say those areas are where the bulk of applicants are required? I'm just wondering what the ratio of new drivers per station is...