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Which TOCs are currently conducting in cab trainee driver training?

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5thrail

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Hi. Does anyone know which TOCs are still allowing in cab training during this new lockdown? Or is training suspended across the board?

Thanks
 
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theironroad

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SWR have suspended all in cab training for trainees and qualifieds. (Sorry for answering the question in the negative )
 
8

8J

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TPE, Northern, Merseyrail and West Midlands Trains are still training in cab (at the moment)
 
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DA1

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Can I slightly add to this and ask what companies are still face to face classroom training?

SE is online.
 
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iphone76

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MTR (Tfl Rail) are also still carrying on with in cab training. Currently voluntary with weekly covid tests taking place.
 
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TeaTrain

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I can tell you as a trainee starting there driver journey (after nearly a year of waiting at home) that we are going to be taught from home at TPE. Should be interesting!
 
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BTU

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GN are but you need to be in a bubble also limited class room training according to risk assessment of the room.
 
tiptoptaff

tiptoptaff

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GWR are, with training bubbles set up. They are also conducting in class face to face training, albeit in much smaller groups. Qualified drivers starting to come back in to training bubbles now, as well as trainees. They are also looking to set up route-learning bubbles, which would function much like the DI-led training bubbles, but with a non-DI leading the bubble to allow route learning to resume. Currently, the qualified "trainees" ie- ex-freight/other TOC drivers, are handling and route learning with a DI and no normal route learning is happening. The route learning bubbles should move everything along a bit, as it would free up DIs after the usual 25hrs conversion handling, rather than tying them up for weeks route learning
 
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Right Away

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tiptoptaff said:
GWR are, with training bubbles set up. They are also conducting in class face to face training, albeit in much smaller groups. Qualified drivers starting to come back in to training bubbles now, as well as trainees. They are also looking to set up route-learning bubbles, which would function much like the DI-led training bubbles, but with a non-DI leading the bubble to allow route learning to resume. Currently, the qualified "trainees" ie- ex-freight/other TOC drivers, are handling and route learning with a DI and no normal route learning is happening. The route learning bubbles should move everything along a bit, as it would free up DIs after the usual 25hrs conversion handling, rather than tying them up for weeks route learning
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I am not sure whether the route learning 'bubble' idea will be a starter. I know a couple of depots that have had very little interest and have had to advertise for additional instructor drivers instead. The company wanted drivers to voluntarily agree to go in a 'bubble' with a route learner with the added risk that imports, without the extra financial top-up that an instructor driver gets. It doesn't help that the current instructor drivers can decline (and I don't blame them for doing so in the current circumstances) being placed with a trainee in a 'bubble' which has reduced the number available.
 
tiptoptaff

tiptoptaff

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Right Away said:
I am not sure whether the route learning 'bubble' idea will be a starter. I know a couple of depots that have had very little interest and have had to advertise for additional instructor drivers instead. The company wanted drivers to voluntarily agree to go in a 'bubble' with a route learner with the added risk that imports, without the extra financial top-up that an instructor driver gets. It doesn't help that the current instructor drivers can decline (and I don't blame them for doing so in the current circumstances) being placed with a trainee in a 'bubble' which has reduced the number available.
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As a trainee, and I appreciate my motives are different to a DIs, I'm still unsure about this right to refuse, but keep the top-up - especially when the willing DIs got nothing for their help. Comes across as many happy to take the money but leave us shafted. They'll still moan and call us lazy when we remember this down the line and don't do them favours.

There are of course some with genuine reasons for not doing it, and I respect those that chucked it in, with resulting loss of top-up, more than those who just treated it as free money.
 
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theironroad

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tiptoptaff said:
GWR are, with training bubbles set up. They are also conducting in class face to face training, albeit in much smaller groups. Qualified drivers starting to come back in to training bubbles now, as well as trainees. They are also looking to set up route-learning bubbles, which would function much like the DI-led training bubbles, but with a non-DI leading the bubble to allow route learning to resume. Currently, the qualified "trainees" ie- ex-freight/other TOC drivers, are handling and route learning with a DI and no normal route learning is happening. The route learning bubbles should move everything along a bit, as it would free up DIs after the usual 25hrs conversion handling, rather than tying them up for weeks route learning
Click to expand...
Right Away said:
I am not sure whether the route learning 'bubble' idea will be a starter. I know a couple of depots that have had very little interest and have had to advertise for additional instructor drivers instead. The company wanted drivers to voluntarily agree to go in a 'bubble' with a route learner with the added risk that imports, without the extra financial top-up that an instructor driver gets. It doesn't help that the current instructor drivers can decline (and I don't blame them for doing so in the current circumstances) being placed with a trainee in a 'bubble' which has reduced the number available.
Click to expand...

I'm perplexed that this is going ahead at this stage. SWR were doing bubbles but was suspended at end of year as covid rates rose.

With far greater transmission rates and case, admissions and deaths at a all time high, with a less than ideal bubble testing regime, an increase in staff in mess rooms I really don't think it's the time to be doing it yet/resuming.
 
dk1

dk1

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Greater Anglia where one of the first to introduce training bubbles and it has continued throughout. Not been many positive tests resulting in the other isolating at all.
 
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Stigy

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theironroad said:
I'm perplexed that this is going ahead at this stage. SWR were doing bubbles but was suspended at end of year as covid rates rose.

With far greater transmission rates and case, admissions and deaths at a all time high, with a less than ideal bubble testing regime, an increase in staff in mess rooms I really don't think it's the time to be doing it yet/resuming.
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The bubbles were set up due to Covid, not lockdown, and the rising numbers shouldn’t come in to it surely? Admittedly SWR’s bubbles are a bit less stringent than they can be, with just one PCR test being required to be administered by OH, and unless the member of staff is off for over a week, no further tests are required, just daily temp checks as far as I’m aware?

At GWR, we have/had one PCR test at OH, and then weekly self-administered tests, and temperature checks daily. I think since we have procedure in place as an industry, and as a nation, which we didn’t last March, training continuing is surely less of a risk now than it was then? Not to mention the mass-vaccine rollout.
 
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