The GTR talent pool.

[bengley]

Anyone on here applied for Blackfriars, or am i the only 1? Speak up...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
oh i had the email the other day...i wouldnt be soo ****ed if courses didnt start until mid next year...it would give me time to apply for xrail...hahaaa

I applied for Blackfriars but got offered Brighton

 

[Driveit]

Applied for Blackfriars but got told I would be kings X. Not entirely sure any course for Blackfriars is planned?

 

[Matt K]

Really good post by "Whoosh" on another forum re shift patterns at Bedford. In case anyone hasn't seen it I thought I would repost in here as quite a few waiting / going to Bedford.

...........An average of 35 hours a week, working 4 out of 6 days, Monday to Saturday. Sundays are outside the working week and are overtime - paid at time + 35% at GTR. Maximum length of a turn of duty is 9 hours 54 minutes.
Sundays in ( ) brackets below may not always be rostered, it works out about one in three on average, but it could be a late week or an early week when you get rostered it. You can say with seven days notice that you are not available to work a Sunday or you can make yourself available to work an extra Sunday if you want to.

Week 1. (Late) late late Wed RD/Thur RD early early
Week 2. (Early) early early early early Fri RD/Sat RD
Week 3. [Sun] Mon RD/Tues RD late late late late

And so on....


The Sunday with square brackets above [ ] you won't be rostered to work as it's in the middle of your long weekend off, but you can make yourself available to work if you want to.
Unlike other rosters elsewhere, where the change from earlies to lates and vice versa is at the end of each week, the Thameslink side of GTR has the changeover on the Wednesday Thursday rest days or the long weekend, making a run of seven days on each shift (sometimes broken up by a Sunday not rostered).
There will be times when you'd get a period of night shifts, or mid to late morning shifts in the roster as well.

There are 89 mainline turns of duty at Bedford on weekdays. 52 are AM starts. Ten start before 05:00 with the earliest at 02:26 (!), but the start times of AM shifts spread up to 09:50, and then there are a few 11am starts as well.
28 are PM starts from 12:08, with the latest booking on at 18:33 (books off at about quarter to two in the morning). Eight of these finish after midnight with the latest finish being 02:37 book off.
There are nine night turns.

There are also some 'Shed and ferry' turns as well that book on at various times of the day.

 

[Bobbybox]

Is this shift the same for great northern

 

[WDS2015]

Really good post by "Whoosh" on another forum re shift patterns at Bedford. In case anyone hasn't seen it I thought I would repost in here as quite a few waiting / going to Bedford.

...........An average of 35 hours a week, working 4 out of 6 days, Monday to Saturday. Sundays are outside the working week and are overtime - paid at time + 35% at GTR. Maximum length of a turn of duty is 9 hours 54 minutes.
Sundays in ( ) brackets below may not always be rostered, it works out about one in three on average, but it could be a late week or an early week when you get rostered it. You can say with seven days notice that you are not available to work a Sunday or you can make yourself available to work an extra Sunday if you want to.

Week 1. (Late) late late Wed RD/Thur RD early early
Week 2. (Early) early early early early Fri RD/Sat RD
Week 3. [Sun] Mon RD/Tues RD late late late late

And so on....


The Sunday with square brackets above [ ] you won't be rostered to work as it's in the middle of your long weekend off, but you can make yourself available to work if you want to.
Unlike other rosters elsewhere, where the change from earlies to lates and vice versa is at the end of each week, the Thameslink side of GTR has the changeover on the Wednesday Thursday rest days or the long weekend, making a run of seven days on each shift (sometimes broken up by a Sunday not rostered).
There will be times when you'd get a period of night shifts, or mid to late morning shifts in the roster as well.

There are 89 mainline turns of duty at Bedford on weekdays. 52 are AM starts. Ten start before 05:00 with the earliest at 02:26 (!), but the start times of AM shifts spread up to 09:50, and then there are a few 11am starts as well.
28 are PM starts from 12:08, with the latest booking on at 18:33 (books off at about quarter to two in the morning). Eight of these finish after midnight with the latest finish being 02:37 book off.
There are nine night turns.

There are also some 'Shed and ferry' turns as well that book on at various times of the day.

Some really interesting stuff here thanks

 

[387star]

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[Wallicio]

What is your start date ml?

 

[387star]

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[Matt K]

Should I be worried no contract yet they phoned me last wednesday thanks will give it till next week then might ring them if nothing

I was called last Tuesday and haven't had contract. Contacted HR on Monday told me mine will be sent this week at some point. My start date is 30th Nov so I'm guessing yours will be after our course is done

 

[387star]

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[Wallicio]

Thanks take it noone handing notice in till got contract ?

No chance, and dont worry mate most notice periods are 4 weeks. You have plenty of time before your into that. Sit back relax and wait for the conformation in writing

 

[Matt K]

No chance, and dont worry mate most notice periods are 4 weeks. You have plenty of time before your into that. Sit back relax and wait for the conformation in writing

Notice going in when contract signed and I know they have it back!!!

 

[387star]

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[Wivers008]

I felt like that ML even when i was told it was in the post i couldn't fully celebrate until it was in my hand.

 

[whoosh]

Is this shift the same for great northern

No, it's still 4 days out of 6, with Sundays as overtime, but the pattern of Rest Days is different. Also the swap over from earlies to lates and vice versa is at the weekend. Most depots have Sundays rostered about every other Sunday, which is higher than the Thameslink side.
At Kings Cross, I wrote some info elsewhere on the forum, but I'll copy and paste it here for you:


"Kings Cross is currently mostly:

Rest days of

Wed/ Thurs
Fri/ Sat
[Sun] Mon/ Tues
Then Monday/Sat or Fri/Sat

as a four weekly repeating pattern.

Morning turns on weekdays have start times between 04:47 and 08:32.
Afternoon turns on weekdays have start times between 12:33 and 16:13.
There are two PM turns that finish after midnight (at 00:09 and 00:37)

Saturdays have more of a spread in the morning with start times up to 10:17.
Also more of a spread in the afternoon on Saturdays with the latest book on being at 17:47. Three finishes after midnight (similar times to weekdays for two of them and 02:06 for the third).

You are rostered to work approximately every other Sunday, but can say you are 'not available' with 7 days notice and they'll find someone else who wants extra overtime to do it.

You'd be early one week, then late, then early, then late, and so on. But a week of nights comes around about every six weeks. You always go back on afternoons after a week of nights.

The work is mostly Inner Suburban, but there is still a fair amount of Outer Suburban and even some non-stop to Cambridge trips.


Having said all that - there is a major timetable change coming in December, with a higher frequency on the Inner Suburban services between Welwyn/Hertford and Moorgate in the evening, and also with them actually going to Moorgate until about midnight (instead of Kings Cross). They will also go to and from Moorgate and run at a higher frequency at the weekends as well, so all the traincrew diagrams will be rewritten and the roster will change to accommodate the extra drivers needed. I expect there will be less Saturdays off than at the moment.

The current arrangement is that you can have a taxi to/from work if your duty starts before 05:00 or finishes after midnight and there is no train you can use at that time for travelling to/from work.

If it's easier for you, if your duty involves travelling to Hornsey Depot at the start of it, to pick up a train, then you can book on there (there's car parking available) providing you arrange it with the Duty Resouces Manager in advance. There is a telephone to book on, signing on sheet, notice case, and weekly notices etc. at Hornsey Depot, so some drivers book on there instead of at Kings Cross when they have suitable duties."




Hope that was useful. There are at the present time, more Saturdays off on the GN side - 1 in 2 at Kings Cross. Hitchin has about 5 out of 8 Saturdays off and less nights than Kings Cross. The rest days are a bit more random, although there tends to be a long weekend Friday/Saturday[Sunday]Monday (sometimes Tuesday as well) every four weeks. Cambridge is similar to Hitchin.
Peterborough is a very random roster as far as rest day pattern goes. Just under half of Saturdays worked there.

 

[387star]

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[Wivers008]

Mine was sent as soon as my medical results came back. I only had 10 days between taking my medical and my proposed start date, so was all a bit rush rush rush lol

 

[Garyjames1701]

No, it's still 4 days out of 6, with Sundays as overtime, but the pattern of Rest Days is different. Also the swap over from earlies to lates and vice versa is at the weekend. Most depots have Sundays rostered about every other Sunday, which is higher than the Thameslink side.
At Kings Cross, I wrote some info elsewhere on the forum, but I'll copy and paste it here for you:


"Kings Cross is currently mostly:

Rest days of

Wed/ Thurs
Fri/ Sat
[Sun] Mon/ Tues
Then Monday/Sat or Fri/Sat

as a four weekly repeating pattern.

Morning turns on weekdays have start times between 04:47 and 08:32.
Afternoon turns on weekdays have start times between 12:33 and 16:13.
There are two PM turns that finish after midnight (at 00:09 and 00:37)

Saturdays have more of a spread in the morning with start times up to 10:17.
Also more of a spread in the afternoon on Saturdays with the latest book on being at 17:47. Three finishes after midnight (similar times to weekdays for two of them and 02:06 for the third).

You are rostered to work approximately every other Sunday, but can say you are 'not available' with 7 days notice and they'll find someone else who wants extra overtime to do it.

You'd be early one week, then late, then early, then late, and so on. But a week of nights comes around about every six weeks. You always go back on afternoons after a week of nights.

The work is mostly Inner Suburban, but there is still a fair amount of Outer Suburban and even some non-stop to Cambridge trips.


Having said all that - there is a major timetable change coming in December, with a higher frequency on the Inner Suburban services between Welwyn/Hertford and Moorgate in the evening, and also with them actually going to Moorgate until about midnight (instead of Kings Cross). They will also go to and from Moorgate and run at a higher frequency at the weekends as well, so all the traincrew diagrams will be rewritten and the roster will change to accommodate the extra drivers needed. I expect there will be less Saturdays off than at the moment.

The current arrangement is that you can have a taxi to/from work if your duty starts before 05:00 or finishes after midnight and there is no train you can use at that time for travelling to/from work.

If it's easier for you, if your duty involves travelling to Hornsey Depot at the start of it, to pick up a train, then you can book on there (there's car parking available) providing you arrange it with the Duty Resouces Manager in advance. There is a telephone to book on, signing on sheet, notice case, and weekly notices etc. at Hornsey Depot, so some drivers book on there instead of at Kings Cross when they have suitable duties."




Hope that was useful. There are at the present time, more Saturdays off on the GN side - 1 in 2 at Kings Cross. Hitchin has about 5 out of 8 Saturdays off and less nights than Kings Cross. The rest days are a bit more random, although there tends to be a long weekend Friday/Saturday[Sunday]Monday (sometimes Tuesday as well) every four weeks. Cambridge is similar to Hitchin.
Peterborough is a very random roster as far as rest day pattern goes. Just under half of Saturdays worked there.

Hi mate, thanks for the info! I start my training at Hornsey on Monday, my depot will be Peterborough. My plan during training is to take the 10 minute drive to Huntingdon train station to get to work, but my question is will GTR pay for the parking at the train station every day? The charges are going to rack up and wondered if they covered the costs...

Thank you

 

[inthearea]

They wont pay for your parking - but you can put in for a car park permit - if they allow you too. I can only get one for the depot and not for my local station unfortunately, so I used to just have to park in the local area on the roads.

 

[Matt K]

Just had a call changing me from 30th start at Bedford to week before 23rd. Hopefully someone on here might get the space on the 30th

 

[WDS2015]

Just had a call changing me from 30th start at Bedford to week before 23rd. Hopefully someone on here might get the space on the 30th

Cheers Matt

*Removes phone from silent mode*

 

[387star]

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[dr1323]

Also removed phone off silent to loud and now tapped to my ear so I can not miss the call

 

[Tenthghost]

What number they call off?

 

[traintraining]

Just had a call changing me from 30th start at Bedford to week before 23rd. Hopefully someone on here might get the space on the 30th

I had a very productive day at work... Til i saw this update

 

[Matt K]

Also removed phone off silent to loud and now tapped to my ear so I can not miss the call

Sorry guys! Just thought you should know in case they called. They called me on 0208 929 8600 which threw me as only ever been called off a mobile number by Claire.

I know the same happened to Hoody back end of last week, being moved forward, so not sure what's going on there.

 

[WDS2015]

Sorry guys! Just thought you should know in case they called. They called me on 0208 929 8600 which threw me as only ever been called off a mobile number by Claire.

I know the same happened to Hoody back end of last week, being moved forward, so not sure what's going on there.

No call for me

 

[dr1323]

No call for me

 

[allurehomme]

Anyone else starting Three Bridges on 7th Dec apart from ML & me?

Also does anyone know if TL drivers still get a priv rate oyster card?

 

[whoosh]

Hi mate, thanks for the info! I start my training at Hornsey on Monday, my depot will be Peterborough. My plan during training is to take the 10 minute drive to Huntingdon train station to get to work, but my question is will GTR pay for the parking at the train station every day? The charges are going to rack up and wondered if they covered the costs...

Thank you

When I was training (and afterwards) I got given a pass for my nearest station and a pass for the car park at the depot I was based at. You'll have to ask about it at Hornsey as I'm not sure who administers car park passes now.

Also does anyone know if TL drivers still get a priv rate oyster card?

Yes, although it is only you (the member of staff) now. It used to be ONE nominated member of your household (edit - as well as you) before, but it's just you now.

ATOC passes to get PRIV tickets are still available to your dependants though, as are free passes on Govia TOCs.