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Virgin trains west coast recruitment

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Equestrianlad

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Can any one give me either on here or in private message any details of virgin west coast drivers links for Manchester picadilly depot please I'm an existing driver thinking by of applying thanks in advance
 
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Bodiddly

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Are you an 'awesome' driver? ;) :lol:

Can you shed some light on this phenomenon. What's the difference between a train driver and an 'awesome' train driver? I'd quite like to be an awesome fitter. Is it strictly for train drivers or can other grades be..well, like....awesome? :lol:
 

455driver

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Can you shed some light on this phenomenon. What's the difference between a train driver and an 'awesome' train driver? I'd quite like to be an awesome fitter. Is it strictly for train drivers or can other grades be..well, like....awesome? :lol:

It was a joke about Virgins adverts where their passengers arrive awesome.

If I have to explain the joke, I don't think I will bother in future! :roll:
 

new2this

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It was a joke about Virgins adverts where their passengers arrive awesome.

If I have to explain the joke, I don't think I will bother in future! :roll:

:lol:HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!Pure class or is it just my sense of humour - Awesome.
 

craigybagel

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Unless things have changed since I last heard, there are several links at Piccadilly. Bottom link is basically just London both ways, plus lots of diversions including through the West Midlands, and 390s only. As you go up the links, you add 221s, Holyhead and Preston.
 

JAMBO

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Heard freight drivers are been given priority with recruiting as its in a dire state with the loss of all the coal work at most FOCS. Redundancies are going to happen on the freight. Quite a lot of DBS drivers have been taken on. Good on Virgin if that's the case, all the TOCS should be doing the same in my eyes.
 

Aivilo

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With virgin being able to pick and choose who they want I can't see why that would happen. However, like you I think it's sterling of them if that is the case
 

JAMBO

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It's an agreement so I heard, already took 20 or so on. It's only fair too that if drivers jobs are under threat and there are vacancies then they should be given opportunities.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
It's an agreement apparently. It's only fair too that if a drivers job is under threat and there are vacancies they should be given the opportunity.
 

A-driver

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ASLEF have been campaigning TOCs (including scotrail with its big recruitment drive for trainees) to priorities qualified drivers facing redundancy on the freight.
 

JAMBO

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Yeah the Union have done a great job...good on them, A shame all the TOCS haven't done the same to save the unfortunate freight drivers who are likely to find themselves out of a job.
 

irish_rail

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Heard freight drivers are been given priority with recruiting as its in a dire state with the loss of all the coal work at most FOCS. Redundancies are going to happen on the freight. Quite a lot of DBS drivers have been taken on. Good on Virgin if that's the case, all the TOCS should be doing the same in my eyes.

Not true. Not enough suitable applicants apparently, and to be honest, why would Virgin be told who to employ or not. There are plentiful qualified driving vacancies throughout the north, at the likes of TPE and Northern etc. Totally agree that nobody should be out of a job, but if being offered redundancy it doesn't really make sense to offer a "promotion", just because you are being made redundant. Far better to let high quality candidates from Northern/TPE/LM etc get the Virgin jobs, and let any blokes taking redundancy fill the voids at those TOCs. Just my opinion of course.....
 

455driver

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Yeah the Union have done a great job...good on them, A shame all the TOCS haven't done the same to save the unfortunate freight drivers who are likely to find themselves out of a job.

A lot of the TOCs are doing it, it's just that they are not shouting about it!
 

JAMBO

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Not true. Not enough suitable applicants apparently, and to be honest, why would Virgin be told who to employ or not. There are plentiful qualified driving vacancies throughout the north, at the likes of TPE and Northern etc. Totally agree that nobody should be out of a job, but if being offered redundancy it doesn't really make sense to offer a "promotion", just because you are being made redundant. Far better to let high quality candidates from Northern/TPE/LM etc get the Virgin jobs, and let any blokes taking redundancy fill the voids at those TOCs. Just my opinion of course

It's an agreement with ASLEF. The guys at DB who got jobs met all the criteria . What's to say a pass man is any better than a freight man, what's to say he will perform any better at interview. Seems to me that virgin have stuggled to fill the positions in the past from unsuitable passenger applicants. And what do you mean by promotion? Going from one TOC to another or from freight to a TOC ain't promotion at all. A driver is a driver doesn't matter who he/she works for, you could be doing 100 stops in a day to high sped,It's not rocket science you know. All it means is traction training and route learning.
 

notadriver

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I disagree here. Virgin west coast is considered one of the best TOCs to drive for. An interview with them is different to an interview for the likes of say Northern who seem to be desperate for drivers. It would definitely be a promotion. You don't ever hear of Virgin west coast drivers going back to say Northern by choice lol
 

A-driver

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I don't really see how virgin is considered a promotion. As ft as I can see it's only a small number of their drivers and the company propaganda who believe it to be a better job than any other toc or foc.
 

JAMBO

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Drivers have this tendency to be frightened and put off by big operators. I think too many people get caught up in this " my operator is best ". I've known many a driver leave flagship operators to drive freight. I've known a shed load of freight guys walk into flagship operators. I also know some highly intelligent and great drivers who know there stuff and would tie some drivers up in knots who drive for the smaller operators and are more than happy. Does it make you a better driver if you work for a major operator? or if you earn more than the guy stood next to you? No it doesn't.. We all know there are good and bad drivers within any company just like any walks of life,including the flagship operators. I'm not debating who is the best company. Just because someone performs well at an interview does that make them a special driver, no it doesn't , does it make a driver who works for a small operator on a fraction of the money a worse driver, no it doesn't, but some drivers seem to think that and there head and shoulders above the rest. Quite embarrassing really. If you drive for eurostar or Northern... A driver is a driver . If you can drive a train, have a good safety of the line and a good attitude you can drive for any TOC/FOC,. So good luck to all the DBS drivers.
 

irish_rail

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Drivers have this tendency to be frightened and put off by big operators. I think too many people get caught up in this " my operator is best ". I've known many a driver leave flagship operators to drive freight. I've known a shed load of freight guys walk into flagship operators. I also know some highly intelligent and great drivers who know there stuff and would tie some drivers up in knots who drive for the smaller operators and are more than happy. Does it make you a better driver if you work for a major operator? or if you earn more than the guy stood next to you? No it doesn't.. We all know there are good and bad drivers within any company just like any walks of life,including the flagship operators. I'm not debating who is the best company. Just because someone performs well at an interview does that make them a special driver, no it doesn't , does it make a driver who works for a small operator on a fraction of the money a worse driver, no it doesn't, but some drivers seem to think that and there head and shoulders above the rest. Quite embarrassing really. If you drive for eurostar or Northern... A driver is a driver . If you can drive a train, have a good safety of the line and a good attitude you can drive for any TOC/FOC,. So good luck to all the DBS drivers.

Right, if a driver has an excellent safety record, excellent attendance, relevant route knowledge etc and can perform well in interviews, then yes, I see no reason why Virgin wouldn't want to snap them up. But I know of blokes who have all of these attributes, who have still missed out on job offers from VT. If a freight man, with a less than perfect record is handed a virgin job, then it is a kick in the teeth for those that do have a decent record, but through no fault of their own are not being made redundant.

And you say a driver is a driver. I totally agree, however, would you rather be paid £56K to drive one trip to London a day, or get paid much less to drive uncomfortable clapped out units, doing three trips to stockport, followed by a preston and then a stopper to Chester, or similar????? The reality is, Virgin work is desirable, whether you like it or not, and therefore they can have their pick of applicants.
 

A-driver

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And you say a driver is a driver. I totally agree, however, would you rather be paid £56K to drive one trip to London a day, or get paid much less to drive uncomfortable clapped out units, doing three trips to stockport, followed by a preston and then a stopper to Chester, or similar????? The reality is, Virgin work is desirable, whether you like it or not, and therefore they can have their pick of applicants.


It depends. I don't think it's as simple as you make out. The headline salary and diagram content is only one thing I take into consideration when choosing my employer.

My toc has a slightly lower salary and 'worse' work however I can make up the salary difference by working rostered Sundays and have the option of not working any Sunday's or doing extra plus rest days on tap if I want to earn more. Plus my depot is on my doorstep. I could apply for Virgin at Euston (subject to vacancies obviously) but that would mean I have to spend an hour or so commuting to work and the same back again. The travel facilities on my toc are more use to me as it allows me and my family free travel to London and other places local to where I live and I'd have to start buying tickets to use the train from my local station if I went to Virgin.

So I don't really see working for VT as a promotion and can't say I consider intercity drivers superior to us suburban drivers. I'd consider it a demotion of anything as I'd loose money in many ways and have a far worse work/life balance with all the travelling.

As far as I'm concerned there is far more to this job and how much you get out of it than how fast your train goes and how few trips you do in a day.
 

NI 271

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Drivers have this tendency to be frightened and put off by big operators. I think too many people get caught up in this " my operator is best ". I've known many a driver leave flagship operators to drive freight. I've known a shed load of freight guys walk into flagship operators. I also know some highly intelligent and great drivers who know there stuff and would tie some drivers up in knots who drive for the smaller operators and are more than happy. Does it make you a better driver if you work for a major operator? or if you earn more than the guy stood next to you? No it doesn't.. We all know there are good and bad drivers within any company just like any walks of life,including the flagship operators. I'm not debating who is the best company. Just because someone performs well at an interview does that make them a special driver, no it doesn't , does it make a driver who works for a small operator on a fraction of the money a worse driver, no it doesn't, but some drivers seem to think that and there head and shoulders above the rest. Quite embarrassing really. If you drive for eurostar or Northern... A driver is a driver . If you can drive a train, have a good safety of the line and a good attitude you can drive for any TOC/FOC,. So good luck to all the DBS drivers.

*applause*
 

craigybagel

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A Virgin driver i'm sure is no better than a freight or regional driver.
But he does get paid a lot more, and surely that alone is going to attract a lot of applicants? I know money isn't everything, but it helps.....
 

red2005

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9 May 2009
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the way i see it is if i hold the same train driving licence as a virgin driver i am just as qualified!

I would love to drive for them eventually but i do hate this elitism attitude that some have.....it is ridiculous. Could i honestly sit here and say if i was successful in obtaining a position with them that the grass would be totally greener?.....not a chance ......from what i hear there are more than a handful of toc's with FAR better conditions that that of Virgin mine included.

some just see the fast red trains and the pound signs.......i look at far more than that personally.
 

hiall

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19 Jun 2009
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109
Would love these roles to become available in glasgow. More cash, better routes.
 

mindthedoors

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22 Mar 2012
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My TOC is atrocious. The way it treats some of the drivers is shocking. Knackered stock, disorganised control, shabby uniform which takes an age to get updated. Regardless of the fact we're also one of the lowest paid drivers in the nation now.. There's more than pay that pulls me towards the likes of Virgin West Coast. The customer experience is excellent, and there's a certain degree in pride when it comes for driving for a company which puts passengers first. And the staff get some nice little extras too - so I hear.

I'm waiting patiently for London vacancies.
 

craigybagel

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Would love these roles to become available in glasgow. More cash, better routes.

The better routes bit is debatable. Personally Preston and back every day sounds a bit boring but each to their own! Definitely a big pay rise though if you're coming from scotrail.
 

notadriver

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The better routes bit is debatable. Personally Preston and back every day sounds a bit boring but each to their own! Definitely a big pay rise though if you're coming from scotrail.


Sorry I don't mean to be rude but are you a driver craigybagel? (I've forgotten if you are or not)
 

craigybagel

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Sorry I don't mean to be rude but are you a driver craigybagel? (I've forgotten if you are or not)

Not rude at all Notadriver, but no I'm not a driver, I'm still in the opposite cab for now. Whenever I post things like that I make sure I don't make it sound definitive, just in my own opinion. In this example it's also based on how much the drivers at my own depot complain about 90% of their work being on the same route (which is longer time wise than Glasgow - Preston).
 
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