Trainee Depot Driver East Midlands Trains

[Quote]

Hi everyone, this maybe is slightly off topic but what are the terms and conditions, a/l etc for the depot driver role at EMT?

 

[Spankthemonkey]

Hi everyone, this maybe is slightly off topic but what are the terms and conditions, a/l etc for the depot driver role at EMT?

It's not a 4 day week. It's sort of like the standard rolling railway roster, 24 lines, but crucially there are 11 Sundays and an extra Friday off somewhere. Works out at 4.375 days a week.

Largely start times between 1630 and 0030 but there are the very occasional 0600, 0800, 1000, 1200 and 1430.

Movement off spare is 3hrs or 6hrs for the whole week .

Holidays - 4 block weeks (day back if it falls on a 4 day week) and 10 floaters.

There is work in progress to bring the link into a 4 day week (thus lengthening the average shift time) and to put the grade under the same pattern as mainline. Suspicion is that this is just incase the new franchisee decides the grade should no longer exist and we all get amalgamated....

 

[stjimmy87]

It's not a 4 day week. It's sort of like the standard rolling railway roster, 24 lines, but crucially there are 11 Sundays and an extra Friday off somewhere. Works out at 4.375 days a week.

Largely start times between 1630 and 0030 but there are the very occasional 0600, 0800, 1000, 1200 and 1430.

Movement off spare is 3hrs or 6hrs for the whole week .

Holidays - 4 block weeks (day back if it falls on a 4 day week) and 10 floaters.

There is work in progress to bring the link into a 4 day week (thus lengthening the average shift time) and to put the grade under the same pattern as mainline. Suspicion is that this is just incase the new franchisee decides the grade should no longer exist and we all get amalgamated....

Haha so forced to go mainline?? Worse things that could happen I guess.

 

[Rhys Wharton]

See a few replies up and there is a message from dynamonic who has helpfully posted a lot on this post, this details the different tests at stage one. There is group bourdon test file stickied to the front page of the forum, not sure if there is any actual material available for the other tests but i read above that they send out practice papers so at least you know the kind of test to anticipate on the day. Good luck

yes i see that now haha. Thanks for the help!

 

[Spankthemonkey]

It's not a 4 day week. It's sort of like the standard rolling railway roster, 24 lines, but crucially there are 11 Sundays and an extra Friday off somewhere. Works out at 4.375 days a week.

Largely start times between 1630 and 0030 but there are the very occasional 0600, 0800, 1000, 1200 and 1430.

Movement off spare is 3hrs or 6hrs for the whole week .

Holidays - 4 block weeks (day back if it falls on a 4 day week) and 10 floaters.

There is work in progress to bring the link into a 4 day week (thus lengthening the average shift time) and to put the grade under the same pattern as mainline. Suspicion is that this is just incase the new franchisee decides the grade should no longer exist and we all get amalgamated....

Forgot to say this is for Notts. Derby do have more days off over a 27 week link, but i believe slightly less weekends off and it's largely overnights as nothing really terminates there during the day.

 

[Spankthemonkey]

Haha so forced to go mainline?? Worse things that could happen I guess.

Aye, terrible that lol

 

[Tomnick]

Haha so forced to go mainline?? Worse things that could happen I guess.

To be fair, that theory's been doing the rounds probably since the day the shed grade was first introduced!

 

[Trackmate]

Does anyone know what would happen to people sat in the Talent Pool, if the franchise changes hands next year?
I know that question may be difficult to answer, but, are there any known examples of this in the past?
Thanks in advance.

 

[stjimmy87]

I'm sure I read somewhere (probably this website) in the case of londinmidland there were people in the pool who waited for ages and when it changed to wmr they still took people from that pool. Not sure if it's a sure thing but certainly but at least there's a good chance u will be ok whoever runs the franchise.

 

[Dynamonic]

Does anyone know what would happen to people sat in the Talent Pool, if the franchise changes hands next year?
I know that question may be difficult to answer, but, are there any known examples of this in the past?
Thanks in advance.

Everything is transferred over to the new franchise, including the pool! It's unlikely a new franchise would immediately drop people from the pool, with money already have been spent on assessments for those waiting.
What has happened in the past is that a new franchise re-interviews people who have been sat in the pool for a while after the franchise changes. (I think that was London Midland again)

Although a new franchise may have the right to drop people from the talent pool, I certainly wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Spankthemonkey]

Everything is transferred over to the new franchise, including the pool! It's unlikely a new franchise would immediately drop people from the pool, with money already have been spent on assessments for those waiting.
What has happened in the past is that a new franchise re-interviews people who have been sat in the pool for a while after the franchise changes. (I think that was London Midland again)

Although a new franchise may have the right to drop people from the talent pool, I certainly wouldn't worry about it.

That did indeed happen at London Midland/WMR, just another DMI, whereas GTR Cambridge just cancelled the whole lot and had a new start a few years back.
Depends on whether the new franchise decides the grade is worth keeping or whether shed work will be incorperated into the mainline links. But for the time being one gets the impression that all headcounts, including those in the talent pool, is being carefully calculated to be "left as they found it".

 

[Baumy1]

Hello guys, does anyone have a idea as to when stage 1 test are taking place?

 

[stjimmy87]

Week commencing 26th November.

 

[Baumy1]

Thanks stjimmy87
Are you sitting them? Have you had any details about it through? I had the confirmation that I made it to stage one but nothing since.

 

[stjimmy87]

Already been through the process matey!

last time they split the application process into two groups so even though I applied at the same time as others I had to wait until the next year before I took stage 1. Not sure if they'll do it the same way this time. I think you will hear something very soon about the exact dates for stage 1 but at least u have been shortlisted so be patient!

All the best.

 

[Baumy1]

Thank you for that mate,
Want to make sure I’m ready for it. Any prep tips would be much appreciated

 

[stjimmy87]

Thank you for that mate,
Want to make sure I’m ready for it. Any prep tips would be much appreciated

No problem mate I understand what you mean.

EMT should send out some practice materials for you but beware these materials are not the exact copies of what you'll be doing on the day. To be fair to the opc who run the tests, you do get a lot of explanation on how to do these tasks so you should be ok.

If you want to practice things like the group bourdon test then i think there's a link at the top of this page which you can download some practice material.

My advice to you would be to not practice on the computer but to print out some copies of the test and use a pence then get someone to time you it's 2 minutes for every page and there's 5 pages on the test.

Personally the test I was worried about what's what's known as the GLOP test this is a basically reading comprehension where you have to listen to a passage being read on a tape you also get a print out on the day and then you have so many minutes to make notes and answer some questions. I personally got my better half to print out some test passages and then she read them and I read them at the same time and answered questions. I think in the end I did actually help.

But like I said the opc give you very detailed instructions on the day so as long as you listen to what he or she says you should be fine.

 

[_Alex_D_]

I've past application so assume be psychometric tests next. Does this count as one of your lives for train driver. I'm new to all this and really eager to start a career in railways but don't want to ruin my chances. I'm am practicing SCAAT . Not making many errors. Not done other tests.

Also are the books any good. Looking at the https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Become...ain+driver&dpPl=1&dpID=518tPLRMJ8L&ref=plSrch by Richard McMunn

 

[MostlyHarmless]

I've past application so assume be psychometric tests next. Does this count as one of your lives for train driver. I'm new to all this and really eager to start a career in railways but don't want to ruin my chances. I'm am practicing SCAAT . Not making many errors. Not done other tests.

Also are the books any good. Looking at the https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Become...ain+driver&dpPl=1&dpID=518tPLRMJ8L&ref=plSrch by Richard McMunn

An often asked questions on here and the consensus is not to waste your money. They (the TOC) will send you all the information that you need about the tests, including some examples for you to try. IMHO the only one worth spending any time practising is the Group Bourdon test, and you can download the software from this forum if you have a PC.

Well done and good luck

 

[Baumy1]

No problem mate I understand what you mean.

EMT should send out some practice materials for you but beware these materials are not the exact copies of what you'll be doing on the day. To be fair to the opc who run the tests, you do get a lot of explanation on how to do these tasks so you should be ok.

If you want to practice things like the group bourdon test then i think there's a link at the top of this page which you can download some practice material.

My advice to you would be to not practice on the computer but to print out some copies of the test and use a pence then get someone to time you it's 2 minutes for every page and there's 5 pages on the test.

Personally the test I was worried about what's what's known as the GLOP test this is a basically reading comprehension where you have to listen to a passage being read on a tape you also get a print out on the day and then you have so many minutes to make notes and answer some questions. I personally got my better half to print out some test passages and then she read them and I read them at the same time and answered questions. I think in the end I did actually help.

But like I said the opc give you very detailed instructions on the day so as long as you listen to what he or she says you should be fine.

Top advice, appreciate your time mate. Cheers

 

[_Alex_D_]

And what about the two lives thing I hear?

 

[stjimmy87]

And what about the two lives thing I hear?

If you fail any part of the assessment then that's one life gone however remember EMT have an "enhanced standard" at stage one (not stage 2) so you can still technically pass the tests to a national standard and have your lives intact but if u do not reach the enhanced standard then you have only one life left at EMT.

 

[_Alex_D_]

Wow thanks. Better pass then.

 

[stjimmy87]

Wow thanks. Better pass then.

It's advisable haha!

 

[Jonnyboy84]

Hi everyone have the assessments all finished yet?

 

[Hasan Shah]

Anyone received any dates yet?

 

[SAlty]

Derby on 28th!

 

[Baumy1]

Still waiting on my date.

 

[Dynamonic]

Still waiting on my date.

Stage One is often run over multiple dates during a week.

 

[Spankthemonkey]

Stage One is often run over multiple dates during a week.

Aye, it was 10 sessions of about 50 people in each if memory serves me right?