Recent content by Papa

At my depot there is a driver who is in his 60s and can't drive and a couple of drivers were taken on recently who couldn't drive but both have since passed their test. It's probally depends on the company's policy so better to ask them directly. Freight drivers definitly need a licence.

Until there are published statistics everything in this thread is just anecdotal exerperiences and survivorship bias. My depot has to recruit boil in the bag drivers because none of the internal candidates can pass the psychometrics. Seems like people experienced in the armed forces and...

Could anyone say how this compares to driving for a TOC? What the shifts are like for this and mess room facility, pension, holidays ect?

Depends what your current job is how much satisfaction you get from it. Shift work is one of the worst things about the job, it's terrible for health and shift workers do die younger than people who work regular shifts. It does mess up your sleep and you wil be more tired during the day. If...

The pass rate is very high. It's a course with a lot of support and assessments to measure progress, and no one will be left behind. It's not difficult conceptually but a very high volume of information and a lot self study is required. Put in the work and you will very likely pass.

If you have normal colour vision then the test is a formality. Some of the plates are designed so that only people with certains types of colour blindness can read them and some are designed to give 2 different results depending on if you have normal colour vision or colour blindness...

A driver at my depot has been driving trains for over 30 years and doesn't have a car driving license.

Yes, your employer can't discrimiate against you for taking medication for a health condition and if its not safetly critical there is no need to declare it.

It's lonely, isolating and monotomous on the surface but it's a fantastic job with amazing benefits and time off. Work your diagram then take your key out to go home and you don't have to think about work until your next turn. Loads of police drive trains and are guards and all think the move...

You have a pass at the moment, just be aware if you take the test again and fail the joysticks that overwrites you previous result and would be a lost life and have to wait another 6 month. Keep an eye out for TOCs recruiting in your local area.

You get a staff travel card (priv) which entitles you to 75% off on other TOCs. Sometimes TOCs have a free travel agreement with other TOCs or if they operate under the same parent company for example Abellio, then you might get free travel. Generally people in you own depot will be clued up...

GBRF had a part time position advertised recently 2 days a week for half the pay.

In my driver training cohort, there were 9 externals with no railway experience out of 12 and average age was probally mid-thirties, loads of new conductors at my depot over 40 too so age is definitly not a barrier. Medical issues is very vague and occupational health will decide if you are fit...

The tests have cut off limits to avoid false postives, no drug would be detectable after 3 months in urine most drugs its way less than a week and hair is invasive and very unreliable. I got drug tested in the first lock down, I was stood down for 3 weeks sitting the garden waiting for the...

There are a fair few studies showing "point and call" reduced incidents on the New York and Toronto Metros. It's was originally used in Japan and reduced incidents by 85% so has merit. I know of a couple of drivers that had incidences early in thier career and now use their own version of risk...