Thameslink - Trainee Train Driver - Cricklewood (06/12/24)

[GiordyRail]

I pinged an email the other day to follow up on things, and they said that more MiniSCAAT invites would be sent in a few weeks, for those who haven't heard anything yet following application.

I got that email as well

 

[Mase]

For those who did their MMI how do you think it went. Had mine yesterday and I don’t feel confident at all ughhh !!!

What was the result of your MMI ? I had mine today and was a lot less intense than expected. Hopefully provided them with great answers. Guess it’s a waiting game now.

 

[kinkywinpat]

What was the result of your MMI ? I had mine today and was a lot less intense than expected. Hopefully provided them with great answers. Guess it’s a waiting game now.

Have you heard back ?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Aug 2025 ==

Have you heard back ?

Anyone on here did their MMI for cricklewood depot on 27th August and if you have heard back?

 

[Flower1]

Hi everyone, I have my assessment for Cricklewood coming up in October, any tips or advice ? The MMI is worrying me as I have read horror stories about this lol, any advice would be appreciated thank you

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Sep 2025 ==

Apologies I forgot to mention the assessment coming up in October at Watford is my first assessment day, I’m not sure if the MMI is part of the first assessment day or the second assessment day if successful

 

[Wizard77]

Hi everyone, I have my assessment for Cricklewood coming up in October, any tips or advice ? The MMI is worrying me as I have read horror stories about this lol, any advice would be appreciated thank you

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Sep 2025 ==

Apologies I forgot to mention the assessment coming up in October at Watford is my first assessment day, I’m not sure if the MMI is part of the first assessment day or the second assessment day if successful

Hi - Stage 1 is the pen/paper assessments only. Stage 2 will be the computer tests and MMI.

 

[Flower1]

Hi - Stage 1 is the pen/paper assessments only. Stage 2 will be the computer tests and MMI.

Hi, thank you for responding to me it’s appreciated

 

[Mallumol_60]

Hi guys, I have my Stage 2 soon and I was wondering about a specific way to answer questions in the MMI. Did anyone get like super vulnerable in it at all? For example if I were to mention having had therapy in the past, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing in itself is it?
Also, can you take notes to take away with you so you don’t forget what you wrote in the MMI? Or do they just remind you in the next interview anyway

 

[Chippychips]

Does anyone know what the salary is? and also whether or not there is A. a london weighting/london allowance and B. If Sundays are included in the working week?

 

[Flower1]

Does anyone know what the salary is? and also whether or not there is A. a london weighting/london allowance and B. If Sundays are included in the working week?

Hi, from what I remember the salary is approx £36k -£37k then once training completed and you are a fully competent driver it’s roughly £74k , Im not sure if Sundays are included I just assumed they were as wouldn’t that be expected ?

 

[Class2ldn]

Sundays arent included at TL so they are extra.

 

[whoosh]

Does anyone know what the salary is? and also whether or not there is A. a london weighting/london allowance and B. If Sundays are included in the working week?

Current fully qualified salary is £72,636. I'm not sure on the exact figure for trainee rate but 36-37k sounds about right.
There should be a payrise backdated to October 2025 whenever it gets agreed. Expect this to be between August's CPI and RPI figures.

There is no London weighting/allowance at Thameslink/Great Northern for drivers.

Sundays are not part of the working week. You can say you are unavailable with 7 days notice and it'll be the roster clerks problem to cover it (However, there's normally other drivers who'll take them off you).
Sundays pay 'time +55%'.

 

[Chippychips]

@whoosh @Flower1 @Class2ldn
Thanks for the info. Much appreciated. I Couldn't find it anywhere so was patching bits and pieces together.

 

[boneeeey]

Anyone on the 23rd March course?

 

[fantasy_expres]

Hi all. Could anyone confirm what the employee pension contribution rate is for trainee drivers at GTR, and whether it’s based on basic salary only or includes allowances?

Just trying to budget properly for the training period before moving onto full driver salary. Thanks in advance.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jan 2026 ==

Anyone on the 23rd March course?

Been offered that, but need to confirm availabilities, so currently on standby.

 

[hawkster26]

Amazing Kieran!! Well done! Xx

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 May 2025 ==


Sorry to bother you! I’ve had an email asking to book in for the assessment centre. It’s a 4 hour time block. Do you think that will be just stage 1, it’s hasn’t said anything about being in two stages?

Did you do stage 1/2 on the same day ? I have also been asked to book a 4 hour slot.

 

[Shanti26]

Anyone on the 23rd March course?

Hey, how did the course go?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Apr 2026 ==

Did you do stage 1/2 on the same day ? I have also been asked to book a 4 hour slot.

Hey, how did you get on? Were you required to complete the computer based tests on the same day?

 

[hawkster26]

Hey, how did the course go?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Apr 2026 ==


Hey, how did you get on? Were you required to complete the computer based tests on the same day?

Stage 1 was 5 paper tests then if passed stage 2 is 3 computer tests ( on a different day) if passed you are kept behind to complete the MMI

 

[whoosh]

Hi all. Could anyone confirm what the employee pension contribution rate is for trainee drivers at GTR, and whether it’s based on basic salary only or includes allowances?

Just trying to budget properly for the training period before moving onto full driver salary. Thanks in advance.

There's a bit of a calculation involved here!

Take your 'pensionable pay' (which would be your salary), MINUS one and a half times the State Pension. The resulting figure is called 'section pay'.
(If this figure is less than half your pensionable pay, then your section pay will be 50% of your pensionable pay, as this is the minimum it is allowed to be.)

The pension contribution of the employee is then a percentage figure of 'section pay' as a deduction.
I can't remember the percentage figure exactly, but it is somewhere around 7% - 8% of 'section pay' at Thameslink/Great Northern.


There are no allowances. The only allowance for drivers that is pensionable is the enhancement you get if you become a Driver Trainer/Instructor.
The only 'extra' you can earn is through overtime, which is not pensionable.

 

[Shanti26]

Stage 1 was 5 paper tests then if passed stage 2 is 3 computer tests ( on a different day) if passed you are kept behind to complete the MMI

Oh interesting. Have an assessment coming up but not sure whether i would be asked to do all in one day or doing it in stages is given.

 

[hawkster26]

Oh interesting. Have an assessment coming up but not sure whether i would be asked to do all in one day or doing it in stages is given.

To much to do in one day. The paper tests in stage 1 is a time slot from 9am-5pm

 

[Shanti26]

To much to do in one day. The paper tests in stage 1 is a time slot from 9am-5pm

Great! Thanks and all the very best to you!

 

[baz962]

Current fully qualified salary is £72,636. I'm not sure on the exact figure for trainee rate but 36-37k sounds about right.
There should be a payrise backdated to October 2025 whenever it gets agreed. Expect this to be between August's CPI and RPI figures.

There is no London weighting/allowance at Thameslink/Great Northern for drivers.

Sundays are not part of the working week. You can say you are unavailable with 7 days notice and it'll be the roster clerks problem to cover it (However, there's normally other drivers who'll take them off you).
Sundays pay 'time +55%'.

Bit late to this , but I thought new drivers had to commit to 12 Sundays a year.

 

[Class2ldn]

I believe its reverted back to how it was before they became committed.

 

[whoosh]

Bit late to this , but I thought new drivers had to commit to 12 Sundays a year.

As part of the 2016 pay deal, Drivers had to commit to either 8 or 12 Sundays per year (depending on their start date). This had the proviso that if Sundays were not in the working week by 2025, then the previous entirely voluntary working of all Sundays would be reverted to.
By 2025, there had been no negotiations to make Sundays part of the working week whatsoever, and so the entirely voluntary arrangement was reverted to.

 

[baz962]

As part of the 2016 pay deal, Drivers had to commit to either 8 or 12 Sundays per year (depending on their start date). This had the proviso that if Sundays were not in the working week by 2025, then the previous entirely voluntary working of all Sundays would be reverted to.
By 2025, there had been no negotiations to make Sundays part of the working week whatsoever, and so the entirely voluntary arrangement was reverted to.

Where do i sign up . In all seriousness thanks for the info.

 

[Purplerain77]

Stage 1 was 5 paper tests then if passed stage 2 is 3 computer tests ( on a different day) if passed you are kept behind to complete the MMI

Got my stage 2 very soon, at the opc in Watford. What was the day like? How did the MMI go in terms of structure and how intense was it heard mixed things

 

[hawkster26]

Stage 2 was 3 Computer tests. MMI they asked 6 questions. You get to know why they are before you go in.

 

[Psalms3418]

Got my stage 2 very soon, at the opc in Watford. What was the day like? How did the MMI go in terms of structure and how intense was it heard mixed things

FYI, you only do the MMI if you’ve passed the computer tests to GTR’s enhanced standard.
Should be the same day if that’s the case. And going off what whitby26 said - they’ll give you 6 questions to fill out prior that they will use to form the interview around.

It is a little intense, they scrutinise your answers and dig deeper than usual. Best thing is keep your cool, answer confidently and always relay it back to safety somehow. Best of luck

 

[hawkster26]

Anyone recently had a DMI ? Been waiting a few months for a email to book my DMI

 

[Purplerain77]

FYI, you only do the MMI if you’ve passed the computer tests to GTR’s enhanced standard.
Should be the same day if that’s the case. And going off what whitby26 said - they’ll give you 6 questions to fill out prior that they will use to form the interview around.

It is a little intense, they scrutinise your answers and dig deeper than usual. Best thing is keep your cool, answer confidently and always relay it back to safety somehow. Best of luck

Thanks for your advice! I passed both, my MMI ended up being really laid back and more like a conversation than anything. Originally 10 people were there, 6 passed the computer tests and only 2 passed the MMI. Now waiting for my DMI