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You have bear in mind that if I book a days leave in three months time, no one would be able to say for sure whether my turn will be able to be covered or not until the daily sheet comes out. I’m sure you’d agree it would be incredibly unfair on me if the days leave that was granted three months...

And potentially locations of isolating cocks etc

Because that’s generally the minimum time it takes to train a competent Train Driver?

Depends on whereabouts you are in the country. There has definitely been a noticeable drought in qualified vacancies in recent years.

This comparison to road transport always crops up whenever Train Driver route knowledge is being discussed. Route knowledge isn’t a vaguely beneficial thing that may or may not improve safety/punctuality, it is literally an integral and necessary aspect of being a competent Train Driver. You...

They come in very handy as a freight driver with no access to a toilet for most of the day….

I would argue there is an abuse of position of trust. If I were a lone female on a late night train and in one coach there was a drunk man in civvies and in the next coach was a man dressed in railway uniform, I would feel safer being sat in the coach with the man in railway uniform. Passengers...

So as a result of ASLEF declaring that the 14th April shall hereby be known as ‘National Train Drivers Day’ you believe that us Drivers wanted it? I can’t remember receiving that ballot paper… 1713140646 Just for the record, I was replying to your comment about working Sundays. As a Driver...

As a Train Driver I find this ‘National Train Driver Day’ embarrassing as I’m sure most others do too. Good if you to use it as an excuse to bash us though, sincerely, a Train Driver who is currently at work on this Sunday night.

Honestly it is frightening how easy it is to have an incident as a Driver (not just as a new Driver either). There are a multitude of ways to mess up and it is always (rightfully) dealt with robustly.

Care to enlighten us as to these ‘archaic working practices’?

Agreed. It’s the intent behind it, not the wording itself. If people are deliberately being belligerent/trying to cause offence, that in itself is what causes the offence.

Helpful way to put their mind at ease…..

The fact that you’re posting this demonstrates you have a good attitude towards the job already. Work hard, put the effort in and ask if you’re unsure, you’ll be fine. The vast majority of Trainees/Drivers that have issues have a bad attitude towards the job. Best of luck!

In the example Step3 Star has given you should be proceeding at caution. If the wrong direction board was X50, you should be proceeding at caution up to 50mph between the board and the crossing. In reality, if it was an X50 board, you’d be unlikely to actually be travelling at 50mph as that...

I think it’s in some TOCs driving policies

Wasn’t a relief Driver someone who had passed the MP12 Drivers course and had to work 100 turns as a Driver before being ‘made up’ to the grade? In between those 100 turns they would continue to be utilised as a Secondman?

If it’s struggling to get away, it’ll more than likely struggle to stop. I’d hardly say that’s a ‘bad mistake’. I’d rather be at the controls of a train struggling to accelerate due to wheelslip than at the controls of a train unexpectedly struggling to stop due to wheel slide.

Exactly this, tree related debris scattered around the railway can create poor railhead conditions. As can a sprinkling of fine rain after a long sunny spell. It’s not just confined to the autumn period, it’s not the leaves themselves but the contamination that causes the issues.

As will some railway staff. And I guarantee that many of your colleagues would decline the offer. Every workplace in every industry is staffed with individuals, each with individual needs/wants.