Which TOCs have separate depot drivers?

[Route115?]

At the TOC I used to work for, many years ago, there were no separate depot drivers, just depot turns within the link structure, but I see from recent discussion that some TOCs such as SWR do seem to have distinct depot drivers. I know that in some places medically restricted drivers coulds be limited to depot work. Could we create a list of what the situation is at each TOC?

 

[tiptoptaff]

Swr
Gwr
Northern
GA
C2C
TfW
EMR

Probably more than that but they're the ones I can think of, off hand

 

[craigybagel]

Swr
Gwr
Northern
GA
C2C
TfW
EMR

Probably more than that but they're the ones I can think of, off hand

Although in the case of TfW there are only dedicated depot drivers at Cardiff and Chester afaik. Arriva Train Care's own drivers move trains around the depot at Crewe, with TfW drivers normally only bringing them to and from the depot (and occasionally moving a 67 around if there are no qualified ATC drivers to do it), and it's the same at Crewe ETD. I think everywhere else it's fully mainline qualified drivers only.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Although in the case of TfW there are only dedicated depot drivers at Cardiff and Chester afaik. Arriva Train Care's own drivers move trains around the depot at Crewe, with TfW drivers normally only bringing them to and from the depot (and occasionally moving a 67 around if there are no qualified ATC drivers to do it), and it's the same at Crewe ETD. I think everywhere else it's fully mainline qualified drivers only.

I suspect a lot of TOCs will have a mix in different places.

GWR have depot drives/manos at varying locations and others it's all done by Mainline and at other locations it's a mix. The Hitachi depots have all moves done by their own staff, both at GWR and LNER

 

[craigybagel]

I suspect a lot of TOCs will have a mix in different places.

GWR have depot drives/manos at varying locations and others it's all done by Mainline and at other locations it's a mix. The Hitachi depots have all moves done by their own staff, both at GWR and LNER

That does make sense to be fair

Personally I quite like jobs where we go on and off the shed, it's a very different set of skills from mainline and it can be interesting. Not sure I'd want to spend my whole life driving round at 5mph though!

 

[tiptoptaff]

That does make sense to be fair

Personally I quite like jobs where we go on and off the shed, it's a very different set of skills from mainline and it can be interesting. Not sure I'd want to spend my whole life driving round at 5mph though!

Bristol was one of the places that had depot drivers but also had the shed covered by Mainline. I quite enjoyed nights on shed

 

[bramling]

Swr
Gwr
Northern
GA
C2C
TfW
EMR

Probably more than that but they're the ones I can think of, off hand

Can essentially add London Underground to that list, as their depot staff (including Alstom on the Northern Line) shunt trains around. In this cases they don’t have dedicated drivers, depot staff do it. LU train operators essentially only take trains on and off depot.

 

[baz962]

EMR do at Derby and Nottingham. None at Kettering or st pancras. Not sure at the other depots.

 

[EZJ]

Bristol was one of the places that had depot drivers but also had the shed covered by Mainline. I quite enjoyed nights on shed

Yes I enjoyed nights back in the day, we used to take rafts of 142's up to the depot to be fuelled, I won't name the depot though I suspect the fuel guy will have long since retired, but he used to fill up the 142's with a fag hanging out of his mouth at all times. It was a much simpler time

 

[Tomnick]

EMR do at Derby and Nottingham. None at Kettering or st pancras. Not sure at the other depots.

Just Derby and Notts, not the others. Quite unusual at both locations in that they drive outside the confines of the depot too, shunting around the station and ferrying units to/from the depot, and thus need full rules training and an EU train driving licence – the only other example that I'm aware of is GA at Norwich.

 

[skyhigh]

Northern

Northern is a mix again. While Holbeck isn't a 'maintenance depot' but a 'servicing point' the shunting is all done by mainline drivers.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Just Derby and Notts, not the others. Quite unusual at both locations in that they drive outside the confines of the depot too, shunting around the station and ferrying units to/from the depot, and thus need full rules training and an EU train driving licence – the only other example that I'm aware of is GA at Norwich.

GWR have that, their depot drivers sign their respective Mainline station for ferry moves and shunts. However at Reading, they have Manos who only sign within the depot confines

 

[warwickshire]

Chiltern at Banbury for now.
Wmr at Tyseley also.

 

[Wyrleybart]

Chiltern at Banbury for now.
Wmr at Tyseley also.

Yes. I was thinking of WMR at TYS. Are they "greencarded" drivers there, or at least some ?
From what I remember of the DRI deal at EWS, they wanted rid of "green card" drivers and had some kind of insurance scheme to "pension" mainline drivers off if they ran into medical issues and lost mainline competence.

 

[newtownmgr]

Yes. I was thinking of WMR at TYS. Are they "greencarded" drivers there, or at least some ?
From what I remember of the DRI deal at EWS, they wanted rid of "green card" drivers and had some kind of insurance scheme to "pension" mainline drivers off if they ran into medical issues and lost mainline competence.

Tyseley is a mixture of green carded/volunteers & drivers removed from mainline driving following incidents in a couple of cases. Same for Soho & Worcester.

 

[Mattydo]

Thameslink defo do at Bedford (Cauldwell), Hornsey and Three Bridges not sure if there are others.

 

[CAF397]

At TPE the Mainline drivers just take units on/off Ardwick fuel roads, all movements done by Siemens staff. However on Longsight, whilst the depot drivers will usually move the trains around, if they are short staffed we can be asked to shunt the train around. The depot is huge, and a nightmare at night! Plus have to remember which roads are wired.

 

[ThePeakNed]

Mate of mine is a depot driver for SouthEastern at Ashford

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Aug 2023 ==

Northern have Depot Drivers at Allerton, Neville Hill, Newton Heath, Heaton, Blackburn and Springs Branch.

Blackburn and Springs Branch also have Fitter Drivers as well.

Not sure about Hull.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Mate of mine is a depot driver for SouthEastern at Ashford

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Aug 2023 ==

Northern have Depot Drivers at Allerton, Neville Hill, Newton Heath, Heaton, Blackburn and Springs Branch.

Blackburn and Springs Branch also have Fitter Drivers as well.

Not sure about Hull.

Presumably Blackpool also?

 

[ThePeakNed]

Presumably Blackpool also?

Oooh yes. Also forgot about those. Think Blackpool might be exclusively MDD, but willing to be corrected.

 

[ComUtoR]

Mate of mine is a depot driver for SouthEastern at Ashford

Depot Driver or Shunter Driver ?

 

[NSE]

Southern have shunter drivers at Stewart’s Lane (Battersea), Lovers Walk (Brighton), Selhurst, Littlehampton and Bognor Regis. I know they also have turns through the night that are solely around shunting but do involve into and out of the station and so are for mainline drivers at Brighton.

TL/GN have them at Bedford and Hornsey. I don’t know them too well so there may be some more at Welwyn, Letchworth, Peterborough etc.

 

[skyhigh]

Not sure about Hull.

Hull was fully mainline drivers. When Botanic Gardens was being upgraded to a full 'TrainCare Centre' they were recruiting for depot drivers so I'd assume that by now they are in role.

 

[12LDA28C]

Chiltern at Banbury for now.
Wmr at Tyseley also.

Chiltern have Depot drivers at Aylesbury too although that is a different arrangement than that in place at Banbury.

 

[warwickshire]

Greater Anglia do have depot drivers at Ilford, has been mentioned in the jobs thread section on here, also at Clacton, Southend, have spoken to them whilst on my 321 trips, anymore locations for depot drivers on this toc? Does anyone know please. Thank you.

 

[mwest123]

Greater Anglia do have depot drivers at Ilford, has been mentioned in the jobs thread section on here, also at Clacton, Southend, have spoken to them whilst on my 321 trips, anymore locations for depot drivers on this toc? Does anyone know please. Thank you.

There is a team of depot drivers based at Colchester as well