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First Rail London - Trainee Driver - Recruitment Discussion

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Atuin

Member
Joined
17 Jun 2025
Messages
11
Location
hampton
Can I ask anyone how did you receive your results from stage 1, is it by email ? I did stage one on 09/07 so two weeks today and I haven’t heard anything yet.
 

Atuin

Member
Joined
17 Jun 2025
Messages
11
Location
hampton
Failed 1st stage‍♂️ passed everything to enhanced but the bourdon test, just passed to standard which is annoying.. anyways we go again next campaign! Good luck to everyone
Just heard back I didn’t pass stage one.
How did you know you passed everything to enhanced accept the bourdon test ? My email just said my application will not be progressing, no details on how I did on each test
 

argonaut56d

Member
Joined
14 Oct 2013
Messages
40
Location
Watford, UK
My son went for his DM interview on Thursday morning. And it was actually with my own DM!

Yesterday morning he got the call offering him the job! He was over the moon.

Fantastic news and am extremely proud of him. Contract received, signed and returned. He’s starting on 1st September.
 

Sparky17

Member
Joined
22 Jul 2025
Messages
11
Location
london
My son went for his DM interview on Thursday morning. And it was actually with my own DM!

Yesterday morning he got the call offering him the job! He was over the moon.

Fantastic news and am extremely proud of him. Contract received, signed and returned. He’s starting on 1st September.
Ask your son if he did his stage 2 with a fella with a motorbike
Helmet and glasses. That was me and I signed the contract and start 1st September aswell. Tell him I said congrats.
 

argonaut56d

Member
Joined
14 Oct 2013
Messages
40
Location
Watford, UK
Ask your son if he did his stage 2 with a fella with a motorbike
Helmet and glasses. That was me and I signed the contract and start 1st September aswell. Tell him I said congrats.
He said there were 7 there on stage 2 and only 2 for ARL. The other 5 were for Chiltern.
 

Sparky17

Member
Joined
22 Jul 2025
Messages
11
Location
london
Then it must be you! He did say yours was a long MMI! Congrats and will let him know you are starting same day.
I did struggle with it to be honest. I prepared very well but I think my nerves got the best of me haha. Did my DMI on the 21st and I got a phone call stating that I had passed on the Friday that just went. I got quite lucky as I have bus driver experience that I was able to apply in the competency based questions. Tell your son congrats and I wish him the best. We will probably meet up again in Willesden Junction anyways haha
 

baz962

Established Member
Joined
8 Jun 2017
Messages
3,670
Then it must be you! He did say yours was a long MMI! Congrats and will let him know you are starting same day.
A colleague here at East Midlands ( train manager) is starting 1st September with Overground.
 

jamidodger

New Member
Joined
5 Jul 2025
Messages
2
Location
London
Congratulations to you guys who have already done the DMI and got hired! I have mine in just over a week, any surprises in the interview for you? I'm not entirely sure what to expect other than a general set of questions they may ask.
 
Joined
5 Jun 2025
Messages
48
Location
london
congratulations to everyone who passed their DMI unfortunately i didnt :(( still waiting for the feedback i wanted to know if anyone is aware of any vacancies for trainee train driver
thank you in advance
 

baz962

Established Member
Joined
8 Jun 2017
Messages
3,670
congratulations to everyone who passed their DMI unfortunately i didnt :(( still waiting for the feedback i wanted to know if anyone is aware of any vacancies for trainee train driver
thank you in advance
Apparently Southwestern went live last night. Someone posted elsewhere on this site. Check the Southwestern careers website and be quick.
 

baz962

Established Member
Joined
8 Jun 2017
Messages
3,670
Hi, anyone know how many days annual leave drivers at ARL get?
Just before I left 4 years ago it was 34 plus Christmas day and Boxing day , rising after 5 years to 36 plus Christmas and Boxing day .They do an average 4 day week and not a true 4 day week so some weeks/years you will use more to get a week off than others.
 

Business Bob

Member
Joined
22 Nov 2018
Messages
140
Location
London
Just before I left 4 years ago it was 34 plus Christmas day and Boxing day , rising after 5 years to 36 plus Christmas and Boxing day .They do an average 4 day week and not a true 4 day week so some weeks/years you will use more to get a week off than others.
I wish it was 36 Baz! You been gone too long :lol:

Hi, anyone know how many days annual leave drivers at ARL get?
Its 32 days A/L rising to 34 after 5 years (so if you're starting in Sept 25 your extra 2 days will be added in Jan 31). Plus Xmas day & Boxing day as Baz said. Up to 20 days is allocated in block leave: 1 week Spring, 2 weeks summer, 1 week winter. But you can request to move the allocated weeks if there is space in another block or just do a mutual swap with someone and now we can split our 2 weeks summer into 2x 1 week blocks. Average 4 days, 34hr week with max 26 weekends.
 

mcgrindah

Member
Joined
15 Jul 2025
Messages
38
Location
UK
Hi All,

Can anyone confirm how long the training programme for trainee drivers with ARL takes to complete - from starting to qualifying?

Thanks
 

LCC106

Established Member
Joined
16 Nov 2011
Messages
1,490
The same as other companies between 12 to 14 months from start to finish
I was 9 months from start to pass out (different company) and even then I could have passed out a week earlier. Seems like it may vary from one place to another especially depending on traction, mentor or instructor availability, annual leave etc.
 

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