PRE Metro Operations - Stourbridge Shuttle staffing arrangements

[Odyssey]

Can someone please explain to me how things work at PRE Metro Operations? Specifically, do the company train their own trainee drivers or do they hire qualified drivers from other TOCs/FOCs? Do they just sign the 1 route and traction? Is the actual staff depot based at Stourbridge Junction?How many people work there as drivers/guards? And if possible what the shifts and rosters are like? I keep reading in ASLEF press releases that a pay deal has been agreed there unlike the National Rail contract TOCs in dispute. So presumably staff are "heavy rail" trained drivers, who also act as guards, with European Train Driving Licenses represented by ASLEF driving a "Very Light Rail" train? Does this require full rule book competency? It seems like this is a very polished operation and I am very curious to know more about how it works. Indeed if any staff are on here would be interested to know if it is a good place to work?

 

[SCDR_WMR]

They are a standalone operation, with their own staff both on train and maintenance, despite wearing WMR uniforms.

They are based at Stourbridge Junction, and have their own mess room facilities too.

Can't say how many staff they have, or what their shifts are like but it's quite intensive work, and very monotonous given they only work Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town. All day. Every day.

They have 2 single unit vehicles (can't justify calling them trains), forget what the class number is.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Class 139.

The crew are both drivers and guards (never understood why it isn't DOO to be honest, it's little more than a glorified minibus) and usually do one role one way and one role the other.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Class 139.

The crew are both drivers and guards (never understood why it isn't DOO to be honest, it's little more than a glorified minibus) and usually do one role one way and one role the other.

It could easily be DOO, but the 2nd person does ticket checks en route at least so not totally wasted resource (even if it does only take 2 minutes)

 

[Goldfish62]

It could easily be DOO, but the 2nd person does ticket checks en route at least so not totally wasted resource (even if it does only take 2 minutes)

I've used the service quite a few times in the past couple of years and have never had my ticket checked.

 

[SCDR_WMR]

I've used the service quote a few times in the past couple of years and have never had my ticket checked.

Oh, well that's disappointing. I moved from the area in 2021 and they always seemed to check before then

 

[Bletchleyite]

Oh, well that's disappointing. I moved from the area in 2021 and they always seemed to check before then

It appears to me that some do and some don't. Which is similar to "big" WMT, though I've seen more of late.

 

[Odyssey]

They are a standalone operation, with their own staff both on train and maintenance, despite wearing WMR uniforms.

They are based at Stourbridge Junction, and have their own mess room facilities too.

Can't say how many staff they have, or what their shifts are like but it's quite intensive work, and very monotonous given they only work Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town. All day. Every day.

They have 2 single unit vehicles (can't justify calling them trains), forget what the class number is.

Thanks for this. Do you know if drivers have full European Train Driving Licence competency? Also does PRE have trainee drivers or do they take qualified drivers from other companies?

It could easily be DOO, but the 2nd person does ticket checks en route at least so not totally wasted resource (even if it does only take 2 minutes)

I think the DOO thing relates to the line status as one worked by train staff. Also having 2 people on board improves service resilience if one of the two is unavailable at any point mid journey, for example being taken ill.

 

[800 Driver]

They do NOT have full European Train Driving License Competency and their pay and T&Cs are more in line with a tram operation.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Fairly sure by the way that it's Pre, not PRE, i.e. it doesn't stand for anything but is referring to the line (sort of) being a pre-metro, a term for a light rail metro that isn't quite a proper underground railway. More typically tram derived though.

 

[godfreycomplex]

I think the DOO thing relates to the line status as one worked by train staff.

that’s correct, the line isn’t permitted to be worked DOO

 

[Odyssey]

Fairly sure by the way that it's Pre, not PRE, i.e. it doesn't stand for anything but is referring to the line (sort of) being a pre-metro, a term for a light rail metro that isn't quite a proper underground railway. More typically tram derived though.

Thanks for pointing this out. The website says Pre Metro. The ASLEF Press Release says PRE Metro. Was going off the press release but would assume their website has the correct form.

ASLEF Rejects Proposal and Announces New Strike Dates | ASLEF

ASLEF has rejected a proposal – that was not the result of negotiation, despite this trade union making itself available more often than the other side for talks – made by the cartel [put in place on behalf of a government which has been shown to be interfering in the talks] representing some of...

aslef.org.uk

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jan 2024 ==

that’s correct, the line isn’t permitted to be worked DOO

In which case it's interesting that drivers without full ETDL competency can drive across it. Perhaps a training course with a focus on the rule book modules on single line working with train staff can compensate for that. "Metro" drivers of course do not require ETDL.