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Transferring between depots?

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Ciel

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Hi.

I was wondering, how difficult is it to transfer between depots within an organisation?

For instance, if I was to go for a conductor job in Aberdeen, could I, possibly, get a transfer to Glasgow Central?
 
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TDK

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If you went for a job at Aberdeen and lived more than 50 minutes from the depot you wouldn't get the job to transfer in the first place.
 

Ciel

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If you went for a job at Aberdeen and lived more than 50 minutes from the depot you wouldn't get the job to transfer in the first place.

Oh, I thought this was only the case for the drivers - I didn't realise train conductors were similar...
 

causton

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Oh, I thought this was only the case for the drivers - I didn't realise train conductors were similar...

Think any shiftwork job is the same, even station staff. For example just for ticket office I had to prove how far I lived from work and how I would get to work (own transport, public buses) when trains weren't running!
 

craigybagel

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It varies from company to company whether it's a rule or not, and hope strict they are in enforcing it. However, it if a very common question at interview for conductor jobs - how will you get to work. You need to be able to show you can do so independently and reliably.

There is also usually a waiting period before you can put in for a transfer. Officially at our place it's two years (although it seems to be rarely enforced), and from talking to someone else about this very subject the other day, apparently at LM it's one year. I'd be amazed it Scotrail didn't have some sort of rule on this as well, at least on paper.
 
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Twedds74

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No offence to the OP but having read your various posts, I don't think you would actually be offered a position as they/you seem to be unsure of what u want from the job. Sorry but a true fact I feel.
 

Aeion

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I know with London Midland you are allowed one bilateral move to another depot, dependant upon there being a vacancy if there isn't you go into a waiting list to transfer over.
 

Ciel

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No offence to the OP but having read your various posts, I don't think you would actually be offered a position as they/you seem to be unsure of what u want from the job. Sorry but a true fact I feel.

Okay, first of all, that has nothing to do with this thread - if you feel this way, it would be best to address it to me directly via private message.

Secondly, I know exactly what I want from a conductor job, and if I was to apply for the position, I would be as appealing as required by the TOC, thereby meeting their requirements, ethics, responsibilities, skills and values neccessary for efficient working of the post.

You don't know the first thing about me, mate.

Thanks though.
 

MartinG

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Hi.

I was wondering, how difficult is it to transfer between depots within an organisation?

For instance, if I was to go for a conductor job in Aberdeen, could I, possibly, get a transfer to Glasgow Central?

Usually not until after 2 years - partly because of the amount of time spent route learning before you can start working the routes - plus the traction if it's different.
 

TDK

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Oh, I thought this was only the case for the drivers - I didn't realise train conductors were similar...

Most staff to be fair, it is put in place because there is a risk of lateness if you live further away. An interviewer would presume as I used to that any applying for a depot a fair distance from their fixed address will want to transfer after training and this could affect your result in said interview.
 

westcoaster

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It can also be seen as a sneaky move to land the job, by applying further away with more chance and less competition for the job, then transferring back straight way.

We have a clause of no depot moves for two years after qualifying.
 

theironroad

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Not sure if it sneaky or not. I've heard the stories under br, when guys would have to move across the country to get their drivers job and do their time before applying for a transfer to their preferred depot. Even then they may have o wait years before they were was a vacancy and they were next in line.

Now, moving between tocs is a total change of employer and their are certainties of a job offer. I think most tocs still allow a depot move. I'm my toc case, it's after 3 years productive driving and then not again for 15 years. Hardship moves and mutual moves are extra and not sure on the rules on mutuals.
 

wellwhatitis

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It varies from company to company whether it's a rule or not, and hope strict they are in enforcing it. However, it if a very common question at interview for conductor jobs - how will you get to work. You need to be able to show you can do so independently and reliably.

There is also usually a waiting period before you can put in for a transfer. Officially at our place it's two years (although it seems to be rarely enforced), and from talking to someone else about this very subject the other day, apparently at LM it's one year. I'd be amazed it Scotrail didn't have some sort of rule on this as well, at least on paper.

LM don't particularly have a rule. It just depends what the vacancies are like and if they are recruiting to fill them or not. I know people that have moved within months of joining. People are always moving.
 

gimmea50anyday

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You can appeal a transfer on a welfare basis, say for example, marriage or family needs etc, but it is relatively easy if a vacancy exixts at the depot you wish to move to. It usually involves nothing more than a written request to your manager. Seniority dictates who gets the move first, i.e length of service as well as needs must if there is a waiting list etc, and the capacity of the depot requirements.

Say for an example TPE, york which has 75ish conductors, but only 15 at newcastle or maybe one or two more at scarborough, to transfer to york would be far easier as the higher likelihood of a vacancy being available at york than say newcastle or scarborough as you'd have to wait for a promotion, retirement etc to make the line of work vacant to fulfil. Or also if there is a mutual swap available where for example an individual at newcastle wishes to swap with an individual at york so they both get the others depot. Route and traction may not necessarily be an issue, compared to a york member of staff transferring to manchester, although there are some york routes newcastle staff dont sign as a rule. even if it is the case, its still relatively small compared to the costs of training a new member of staff, and still a cost worth bearing if tje welfare of a companies me,ber of staff will be improved as a result

Speak to your local union rep and your line manger, as the union has also to ratify any transfer to ensure fairness, even if you arent a union member. But it is relatively common within company, as well as inter-same-group company (eg FGW to TPE)
 
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wellwhatitis

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You can appeal a transfer on a welfare basis, say for example, marriage or family needs etc, but it is relatively easy if a vacancy exixts at the depot you wish to move to. It usually involves nothing more than a written request to your manager. Seniority dictates who gets the move first, i.e length of service as well as needs must if there is a waiting list etc, and the capacity of the depot requirements.

Say for an example TPE, york which has 75ish conductors, but only 15 at newcastle or maybe one or two more at scarborough, to transfer to york would be far easier as the higher likelihood of a vacancy being available at york than say newcastle or scarborough as you'd have to wait for a promotion, retirement etc to make the line of work vacant to fulfil. Or also if there is a mutual swap available where for example an individual at newcastle wishes to swap with an individual at york so they both get the others depot. Route and traction may not necessarily be an issue, compared to a york member of staff transferring to manchester, although there are some york routes newcastle staff dont sign as a rule. even if it is the case, its still relatively small compared to the costs of training a new member of staff, and still a cost worth bearing if tje welfare of a companies me,ber of staff will be improved as a result

Speak to your local union rep and your line manger, as the union has also to ratify any transfer to ensure fairness, even if you arent a union member. But it is relatively common within company, as well as inter-same-group company (eg FGW to TPE)

Two points on that one.

I recently had a lateral move from one depot to another with totally different routes and traction. They allow the same time period regardless of how much retraining you need.

And on the matter of transferring within the group, not so. A colleague of mine who was a Guard at Brighton with Southern wanted to move back up here and work for LM and asked to be transferred, but there is no protocol for it and he had to apply externally, go through the full recruitment process and resign at Southern and accept with LM. Same applied with a Driver who is here now and had been at SouthEastern.
 

craigybagel

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LM don't particularly have a rule. It just depends what the vacancies are like and if they are recruiting to fill them or not. I know people that have moved within months of joining. People are always moving.

Fair enough, that's just what I was told by someone who's currently trying to join them. Like I said, whilst we officially have a 2 year rule at our place it's rarely enforced and I too know of several who've moved within months. I'd never recommend anyone to take on the job unless they can cope with being based at a particular place indefinitely though.

One thing I find interesting is that at my TOC if you make a transfer, any route knowledge you had at your old depot you don't use at your new one is deemed lost immediately, the day you make the transfer, and not just after 6 months like you might expect. Is that the norm elsewhere?
 

trentside

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One thing I find interesting is that at my TOC if you make a transfer, any route knowledge you had at your old depot you don't use at your new one is deemed lost immediately, the day you make the transfer, and not just after 6 months like you might expect. Is that the norm elsewhere?

I'm not sure on the exact ruling, but our place has a few people who retain route knowledge beyond what they should have at a particular depot. Not approved of by all though, as there's definitely the view that if it's not your depot's work, you shouldn't sign it.
 

gimmea50anyday

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Suppose it depends on the company. First are pretty good at allowing internal transfers. Think you still have to go through the internal vacancy website, but once set in motion its relatively straightforward.

When i transferred from York to Newcastle, i pretty much dropped on to the roster line straight away as there was no route or traction to learn.

One thing I find interesting is that at my TOC if you make a transfer, any route knowledge you had at your old depot you don't use at your new one is deemed lost immediately, the day you make the transfer, and not just after 6 months like you might expect. Is that the norm elsewhere?

I'm not sure on the exact ruling, but our place has a few people who retain route knowledge beyond what they should have at a particular depot. Not approved of by all though, as there's definitely the view that if it's not your depot's work, you shouldn't sign it.


You can elect to sign them off, but if you can keep them active by regularly refreshing them then theres no reason why you cant. Im the only Newcastle guard that signs the calder valley and normanton diversions. The rareness that they are used they cannot justify the diversion for the whole depot whereas York depot uses those routes on a regular basis. It comes in handy when things go wrong tho, the way i see it, it it goes tits up, i can still get my train home!
 
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wellwhatitis

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Fair enough, that's just what I was told by someone who's currently trying to join them. Like I said, whilst we officially have a 2 year rule at our place it's rarely enforced and I too know of several who've moved within months. I'd never recommend anyone to take on the job unless they can cope with being based at a particular place indefinitely though.

One thing I find interesting is that at my TOC if you make a transfer, any route knowledge you had at your old depot you don't use at your new one is deemed lost immediately, the day you make the transfer, and not just after 6 months like you might expect. Is that the norm elsewhere?

They certainly won't encourage you at recruitment stage but once you've done your training if you mention it to the LLC they're normally happy to accept your request and put you on any list, you'll just go whenever it comes up. The reason LM get so much of this is that they went through a phase of offering people vacancies that weren't their first choice because they were desperate to get people in and didn't have the vacancies in the right places.

As far as I understand it my previous route knowledge becomes null and void but I'm not really worried either way because the depot I moved from was on a completely different line anyway so it's not as if I will ever have the opportunity to cross cover for overtime. It must be frustrating if you transfer to a depot that works the same traction and routes just different parts, and then you lose your knowledge.
 
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