Avanti - Trainee Train Drivers - Recruitment Discussion

[scotsman82]

I have seen quite a few adverts for qualified drivers at the depot I am waiting on and am told there have only been 1 or 2 candidates per course for Manchester . So it’s pretty tough to remain hopeful. But I’ll continue to have my fingers crossed nevertheless

Yeah could get in for this month about future courses . They only hold 10 or so and I think they were short on trainers . Be patient, your time will come . Seems pointless to make everyone sit about for 5 years and bin them

 

[Jordan1991]

Yeah could get in for this month about future courses . They only hold 10 or so and I think they were short on trainers . Be patient, your time will come . Seems pointless to make everyone sit about for 5 years and bin them

It does happen I’m afraid. It seems that at the time they were pressured by the government to take action because they were poorly performing, so then did the recruitment drives. I know of people who applied on the second intake avanti put out and then were told after months they were no longer needed.

I do hope they make the call one day, but there’s a lot of things that point towards them not doing. I hope to be proved wrong.

Which depot have you applied for mate? How long have you been waiting?

 

[scotsman82]

It does happen I’m afraid. It seems that at the time they were pressured by the government to take action because they were poorly performing, so then did the recruitment drives. I know of people who applied on the second intake avanti put out and then were told after months they were no longer needed.

I do hope they make the call one day, but there’s a lot of things that point towards them not doing. I hope to be proved wrong.

Which depot have you applied for mate? How long have you been waiting?

Glasgow and passed DMI just over a year ago

 

[Jordan1991]

Glagsow and passed DMI just over a year

Good luck mate. There might be more need for drivers there

 

[scotsman82]

Good luck mate. There might be more need for drivers there

Think there will be a need for drivers regardless .

 

[Jordan1991]

Looks like no early July update anyway!

Is there anyone else here waiting on Manchester out of interest?

 

[Callidus80]

Looks like no early July update anyway!

Is there anyone else here waiting on Manchester out of interest?

Yes, that would be me. I'm from the 2022 recruitment. I know one other on here in the Talent Pool for Manchester. Including you, that makes the three of us.

I'm sure they'll be in touch shortly.

 

[Jordan1991]

Yes, that would be me. I'm from the 2022 recruitment. I know one other on here in the Talent Pool for Manchester. Including you, that makes the three of us.

I'm sure they'll be in touch shortly.

Jheez you’ve been waiting even longer than me! How long do you have before your tests expire? Are you hopeful we will still get called at some point?

 

[Callidus80]

Jheez you’ve been waiting even longer than me! How long do you have before your tests expire? Are you hopeful we will still get called at some point?

Yeah tell me about it

Unless there are sweeping changes to the recruitment process or entry requirements it doesn't make much logical sense for them to not use those already in the talent pool.

I'm not particularly hopeful for the remainder of this year for Manchester, based on rumours of staffing levels, but definitely hopeful for 2026.

As it stands today I have 2 years left on my CBI.

 

[Jordan1991]

Yeah tell me about it

Unless there are sweeping changes to the recruitment process or entry requirements it doesn't make much logical sense for them to not use those already in the talent pool.

I'm not particularly hopeful for the remainder of this year for Manchester, based on rumours of staffing levels, but definitely hopeful for 2026.

As it stands today I have 2.4 years left on my CBI.

Yeah you’re exactly the same as me then, November 2027 mine expire. I was initially told I’d be looking at getting on a course in 2024 and that’s the last they ever directly spoke to me

I’d be pretty hopeful if it was just the 3 of us waiting, but who knows how many more there could be who aren’t on this forum?

Have you applied anywhere else or are you just holding out? I’ve got another application live at the minute but it’s a massive gamble

 

[Callidus80]

Yeah you’re exactly the same as me then, November 2027 mine expire. I was initially told I’d be looking at getting on a course in 2024 and that’s the last they ever directly spoke to me

I’d be pretty hopeful if it was just the 3 of us waiting, but who knows how many more there could be who aren’t on this forum?

Have you applied anywhere else or are you just holding out? I’ve got another application live at the minute but it’s a massive gamble

Due to how rapidly things progressed to start with, for example, invitation to online assessment to my CBI pass was only 8 weeks, I too thought it wouldn't be particularly long before training would start. But I guess you've just got to wait it out.

It's entirely possible and probable that they may be prioritising internal candidates also. So that's another thing to bear in mind.

I'm happy to wait it out for Avanti, there's a few reasons, rolling stock, routes ect.. therefore, I have not bothered applying anywhere else, although I have heard of a number of people doing so.

Good luck with the other application! Are you aware of the CBI / MMI exclusivity, whereby you can only hold one at a time?

 

[Jordan1991]

Yeah I hadn’t considered any internal applicants. I guess we wouldn’t see or know about any of that going on behind the scenes.

I’d love to work for avanti for similar reasons, I’m just getting a bit twitchy about the expiration date the more time that goes by.

So I believed that to be the case also, however I have spoken to someone and literally seen their evidence of having both an MMI and CBI valid at the same time, and also receiving offers from both TOCs. As far as I’m aware, failing an MMI would remove me from the avanti talent bank, but passing an MMI would just be a pass along with a CBI, as they are both a pass and not different results. It’s all very confusing and hard to get exact information. I’ve asked avanti the question but had no response

 

[Pintman]

You can't hold an MMI and CBI pass at the same time, the more recent one supercedes the older one

 

[Jordan1991]

You can't hold an MMI and CBI pass at the same time, the more recent one supercedes the older one

Yep that is my understanding too, however I’ve seen in black and white someone who sat both and received offers from two different TOCs that used CBI and MMI. So I don’t know what to make of it

 

[Pintman]

Yep that is my understanding too, however I’ve seen in black and white someone who sat both and received offers from two different TOCs that used CBI and MMI. So I don’t know what to make of it

If they try and move forward with the one that uses their older interview they'll be stopped because they no longer hold a valid pass for that TOC. TOCs aren't automatically informed when someone sits the other type of interview, they'll only find out when they do the database check before starting the course

 

[Jordan1991]

If they try and move forward with the one that uses their older interview they'll be stopped because they no longer hold a valid pass for that TOC. TOCs aren't automatically informed when someone sits the other type of interview, they'll only find out when they do the database check before starting the course

Ah right ok. Maybe it was a case of they did both and passed, but they ended up taking the offer that they did the last test for. So that will probably explain that scenario. Thanks

 

[SD1]

Just wondered if anyone has had any contact or heard any rumours on future possible courses?

 

[MrBalfour95]

I also got the expect an update by early July email back in January. I emailed them a couple days ago to ask if there was any update but got no reply as of this moment.

 

[scotsman82]

Not heard a sausage are u Edinburgh or Glasgow

 

[MrBalfour95]

Applied for Edinburgh mate

 

[scotsman82]

I also got the expect an update by early July email back in January. I emailed them a couple days ago to ask if there was any update but got no reply as of this moment.

Applied for Edinburgh mate

U might get a shout for Glasgow a hear the last guy jumped ship to Glasgow from Edinburgh Don’t know how that worked out though

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Has anyone had any Comms yet ?

 

[Jordan1991]

U might get a shout for Glasgow a hear the last guy jumped ship to Glasgow from Edinburgh Don’t know how that worked out though

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Jul 2025 ==

Has anyone had any Comms yet ?

Nothing

 

[scotsman82]

maybe mean early July 2026

 

[Jordan1991]

maybe mean early July 2026

I wouldn’t put it past them

 

[Ned21]

Check your emails

 

[scotsman82]

Seen that fingers and toes crossed for everyone

 

[HogwartsExpres]

Good luck everyone

 

[Jordan1991]

Can anyone elaborate what it said? I haven’t received one which is strange

 

[scotsman82]

Can anyone elaborate what it said? I haven’t received one which is strange

Offers made in next couple of weeks for Jan and March courses mate

 

[Jordan1991]

Thanks mate, I wonder why I’ve not been sent one as I have up until this point..

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Aug 2025 ==

Thanks mate, I wonder why I’ve not been sent one as I have up until this point..

Received now, panic over

Good luck all!