Transport for Wales - Conductor Recruitment and Discussion

[LC08]

I emailed just after that post, and got a generic reply to the effect of when we have news we will be in touch.I’m down to 8 months left in the pool

I emailed just after that post, and got a generic reply to the effect of when we have news we will be in touch.I’m down to 8 months left in the pool

Hi All, my first post but have been following the forum for a few weeks. Sounds like a few of us had interview day around the same time.. I was successful end of Jan 2025 but still not heard anything. I have made contact a few times but as already stated get the automated response. Fingers crossed for us that there is going be a few courses running towards end of this year

 

[kaylieilewis]

I have a family member that works on the railway, he has told me that next year there are 15-16 courses planned for the year, I'm holding out for that as I think it's going to be last minute getting the call.

I interviewed in March 2025, however, I have another family member that interviewed in January and has been given a course for this July. I have no idea how it works!

 

[LC08]

I have a family member that works on the railway, he has told me that next year there are 15-16 courses planned for the year, I'm holding out for that as I think it's going to be last minute getting the call.

I interviewed in March 2025, however, I have another family member that interviewed in January and has been given a course for this July. I have no idea how it works!

That sounds promising. If there is that many courses next year hopefully we will all be on a course .

Do you know when your family member in January was interviewed? Thanks

 

[kaylieilewis]

Yeah it was the beginning of January I believe

 

[Marsprobe]

Hopefully it's the end of Jan 25 lot next

 

[kaylieilewis]

She was the end of Jan, I just looked through messages

 

[David-1]

Let’s hope the end of Jan interview candidates who are in the pool are being called, as that is me

 

[kaylieilewis]

Let’s hope the end of Jan interview candidates who are in the pool are being called, as that is me

She got called in Feb for July, maybe worth giving them a message ☺️

 

[David-1]

She got called in Feb for July, maybe worth giving them a message ☺️

I’ve emailed this morning and had another reply of “when we have news we will be in touch”

 

[kaylieilewis]

I’ve emailed this morning and had another reply of “when we have news we will be in touch”

How strange, tbh she seems to be the only one who has been called up - let's hope for some good news towards the end of the year

 

[jah_147]

Yeah it‘s a very odd process of plucking people out, someone posted they got the call after 20 months whereas your friend was in for 13 months and given 5 months advanced notice of the course. I’m just reading it appears we have courses in July and September for down south and seemingly many of us are not going to be on these, thus leaving us October/November realistically for this year? I can’t see them running courses over Christmas and it would be very last minute to get the call for Jan taking us right to the 24 month limit. I’m just worried will they realistically take a cohort in September and then run another course the following 2 months?

 

[Marsprobe]

Yeah it‘s a very odd process of plucking people out, someone posted they got the call after 20 months whereas your friend was in for 13 months and given 5 months advanced notice of the course. I’m just reading it appears we have courses in July and September for down south and seemingly many of us are not going to be on these, thus leaving us October/November realistically for this year? I can’t see them running courses over Christmas and it would be very last minute to get the call for Jan taking us right to the 24 month limit. I’m just worried will they realistically take a cohort in September and then run another course the following 2 months?

I think.as long as you are assigned a course before your two year talent pool is up, it's fine. Even if the course is outside of this window. You just need to be given a date

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 May 2026 ==

Yeah it‘s a very odd process of plucking people out, someone posted they got the call after 20 months whereas your friend was in for 13 months and given 5 months advanced notice of the course. I’m just reading it appears we have courses in July and September for down south and seemingly many of us are not going to be on these, thus leaving us October/November realistically for this year? I can’t see them running courses over Christmas and it would be very last minute to get the call for Jan taking us right to the 24 month limit. I’m just worried will they realistically take a cohort in September and then run another course the following 2 months?

Plus a friend of mine was only given a few weeks notice for a course (which he couldn't make) so you just never know

 

[Marsprobe]

Anyone heard anything at all? I'm confused who is actually going on these courses as no one here is on them and the talent pool numbers hardly seem to move downwards from one FOI to the next!

 

[kaylieilewis]

Anyone heard anything at all? I'm confused who is actually going on these courses as no one here is on them and the talent pool numbers hardly seem to move downwards from one FOI to the next!

Nope, not heard anything I think it's going to be the end if the year, if at all

 

[KaiCorless23]

Same here, got my fingers crossed for the Metro and the end of the year.

 

[Welshy89]

Read through the thread and think it also answers my questions then, when are they likely to open recruitment up for conductors.

But by the seems of it they won't be for a significant time

 

[Marsprobe]

Read through the thread and think it also answers my questions then, when are they likely to open recruitment up for conductors.

But by the seems of it they won't be for a significant time

Yeah, probably not soon as there are about 100 people waiting

 

[bingbongbutler]

With a lot people due to drop out early next year though. Fingers crossed they extend us and don’t waste time and money with more recruitment

 

[David-1]

I’m sure the drivers in the talent pool had an extension, hopefully if we are not called we get the same

 

[Railway1642]

With a lot people due to drop out early next year though. Fingers crossed they extend us and don’t waste time and money with more recruitment

We asked for extension after 2yrs and were advised it wasn’t possible ( April 2025 )
Sadly dropped out of the talent pool along with many others.

 

[David-1]

This is the reply i got to an email I sent yesterday asking for any kind of
Update

 

[bingbongbutler]

Same old same old. Would be mad to lose 30/40 people mind. You’d think in the interests of time and money they’d consider extending

 

[crisky]

All sounds really frustrating. I've only been waiting since last November and I'm in the North which there seems to be a bit more movement in so it seems different for me, but I realise that I might still have a long wait ahead!

 

[Marsprobe]

Does anyone know of anyone that applied for another role in tfw whilst waiting in a talent pool for something else...just wondering how that would work

 

[ValleysTM20]

Hi, so my pass out rides are next week , I had my interview in March 2025 and then got a phone call in October 2025 for a January start date. Amazing experience so far, training is 16 weeks plus 4 weeks route learning. From what I was told from some recruitment managers , on the interview day you have a score, if it’s high then you’re gonna be at the top of the talent pool and most likely to start soon, however if you have a low score then unfortunately you’re gonna be pretty low and can be waiting up to 2 years. There are plans for around 16 new courses next year and another influx of applications end of this year. Hope this is useful. If anyone has any questions related to training or the job then let me know )

 

[D1015]

In short, I suspect that a lot of talent pool dwellers are going to end up as quiet, soft rejections. Especially if they plan for "an influx of applications end of this year" when they've still got talent pools to scour.
God Almighty.

 

[Marsprobe]

Hi, so my pass out rides are next week , I had my interview in March 2025 and then got a phone call in October 2025 for a January start date. Amazing experience so far, training is 16 weeks plus 4 weeks route learning. From what I was told from some recruitment managers , on the interview day you have a score, if it’s high then you’re gonna be at the top of the talent pool and most likely to start soon, however if you have a low score then unfortunately you’re gonna be pretty low and can be waiting up to 2 years. There are plans for around 16 new courses next year and another influx of applications end of this year. Hope this is useful. If anyone has any questions related to training or the job then let me know )

When reading a freedom of information request, dated 2024 it states that there are multiple factors

 

[ValleysTM20]

When reading a freedom of information request, dated 2024 it states that there are multiple factors

Again , the information I provided is just stuff that I personally know from my time in the railway, but it’s good to see what else they consider when picking out candidates from the talent pool.

In short, I suspect that a lot of talent pool dwellers are going to end up as quiet, soft rejections. Especially if they plan for "an influx of applications end of this year" when they've still got talent pools to scour.

Depends on how many are left in the pool, I was told by a recruitment manager that there are plans for 12-16 courses next year for Cardiff Valleys and I believe there are 2 more scheduled for this year. The reason for the influx of applications is that the Cardiff Valleys are extremely short on conductors hence the number of courses and the applications. But whoever is left in the talent pool (if the criteria is met) They should give them a start date soon. Also if you’ve applied for Cardiff Mainline, it’s likely you’ll be asked to go to Valleys as the waiting list for Mainline is around 2 years

 

[Marsprobe]

Again , the information I provided is just stuff that I personally know from my time in the railway, but it’s good to see what else they consider when picking out candidates from the talent pool.

Depends on how many are left in the pool, I was told by a recruitment manager that there are plans for 12-16 courses next year for Cardiff Valleys and I believe there are 2 more scheduled for this year. The reason for the influx of applications is that the Cardiff Valleys are extremely short on conductors hence the number of courses and the applications. But whoever is left in the talent pool (if the criteria is met) They should give them a start date soon. Also if you’ve applied for Cardiff Mainline, it’s likely you’ll be asked to go to Valleys as the waiting list for Mainline is around 2 years

They have apparently been short for nearly two years but it hasn't stopped them leaving a large bulk of people sitting in the talent pool for nearly two years

 

[David-1]

I appreciate they pick based on highest scores first but surely we have all met the criteria needed for the job, seems like there is a lot of us in the pool and seems silly for them to bump us all off and bring fresh in as it suggests they will, I have pretty much given up starting now, the repeated reply to emails saying “we will be in touch when we have news” sounds a bit negative but that’s where my thought process is at.