Anyone took the job then thought....

[Topcat999]

Oh no..I made a huge mistake?

I kind of think this would be my dream job. I have worked in a different industry but very similiar in some ways. I am kicking my -self for not trying to get into this 10+ years ago.

My only worry is. IF I ever did get in (looking doubtful now) I am a bit concerned after all the training, etc i might start thinking "i actually do not like this job"

I mean it's not like they let you do a few shifts with a driver, talk to them, sample the shift and work before you start training is it?

So as anyone ever been there? Even quit during training? Or soon after? Or did anyone simply leave for another career after XX years as a train driver?

Thx

 

[Railweigh]

People do leave during training as the amount of information you have to digest and remember is immense. It takes over your whole life and there are no short cuts.

I’ve heard of a few quitting just as they’ve qualified, but other than that it’s very unusual for people to leave. Where else are you going to get paid £50+k for a 35 hour week? Golden handcuffs really.

 

[big all]

i sat on a ballast train at littlehaven late 80s to early 1990s saturday night rest day 23.50 so double time
worked out it would take about 12hrs and 17 mins to earn a ton
job much more relaxed but around £4.25 an hour

at least then you would be a second man for 3 or 4 years learn slowly from the driver before doing your traction
many would drop out with the first few weeks off shifts
rules and regs wher'nt covered you had to do them in your own time

 

[Luke86]

I have those thoughts aswell due to start as an operative but been at my current job for 7 years and not going anywhere so thought it’s time for a change just don’t wanna end up not enjoying it and thinking I should of stayed where I was

 

[GLENMAYE77]

Or look at it the other way.......would you want to sit there in your 80’s/90’s in the cosy little nursing home and think “what if?”

 

[Aivilo]

Most people only do it for the money these days. Not as if they were banging down the doors to be drivers 10 years ago

There is so much information about the railways available to allow the majority to make an informed decision

 

[Topcat999]

I have those thoughts aswell due to start as an operative but been at my current job for 7 years and not going anywhere so thought it’s time for a change just don’t wanna end up not enjoying it and thinking I should of stayed where I was

Dammed if you dammed if you don't. My prevous career was the same. I spend about 4 years training then when I started doing the job i realised i actually hated it.

Years ago i had a really good job....but i quit to try my own things. Now i look back with regret. BUT then had i have stayed would have i regretted not trying? At the end there probably is no right way. I am going to look back with regret no matter what happens now i feel.

£50k a year, 35 hour week..REALLY appeals to me now. I'd cut my hands off for that now. Amazingly...it was about where i was 20+ years ago. Don't ask! If only i could rewind the clock....Wonder how many wish this?

 

[Topcat999]

Most people only do it for the money these days. Not as if they were banging down the doors to be drivers 10 years ago

There is so much information about the railways available to allow the majority to make an informed decision

Except the actual driving....and what happens 1-2-3 years into the role? You should spend a day with the driver.....actually see what the job entails. REALLY think if you can do it for 15+ years.

Still where i am now I'd simply stick it out till retirement

 

[Aivilo]

You would never be able to drive a train regardless so spending the day on the second man side would provide you anymore than a driver telling you its a very monotonous role.

Personally I enjoy it and always have but as I always say on here anyone can drive a train not everyone can be a train driver

 

[Topcat999]

You would never be able to drive a train regardless so spending the day on the second man side would provide you anymore than a driver telling you its a very monotonous role.

Personally I enjoy it and always have but as I always say on here anyone can drive a train not everyone can be a train driver

OK.. but at least you experience the position. I guess people have to take a long hard look and think seriously about it..IF they are lucky enough to get offered the position.

 

[RBSN]

...anyone can drive a train not everyone can be a train driver

This.

It takes a certain kind of individual to make a career out of driving trains. It’s vastly different to what ‘most’ people imagine.

 

[ComUtoR]

I am not a career Railwayman but I've do have a few years up my belt. What carries me through a lot of the times is that I have experienced the outside world. The railway is truly a bubble and world unto itself. Any point I get a little twitchy about my job I sit and think what I came in from.

I used to work 12hr days for more than half the money.
6/7 day weeks on a regular basis for no overtime.
Weekends, bank holidays

I really lived a McJob life. I hated the daily grind.

The railway can be punishing at times but I have NEVER regretted it. Shifts are a killer but they do have advantages. I still work weekends but I get just as many off. My day is restricted with a very specific set of terms and conditions and I only work a 4 day week !

It does take a certain mentality to be a Driver. I have known many who quit.

 

[Journeyman]

This.

It takes a certain kind of individual to make a career out of driving trains. It’s vastly different to what ‘most’ people imagine.

What kind of individual do you think that is? I know the official answer, what's your take on it?

 

[Llama]

Quite a few trainees at our place have jacked it in in recent years, some have been dismissed, some have scraped through a passout and quite obviously can't hack it - failed route/traction assessments, or had several incidents and career in the balance early on, or just played the sick system. This isn't a new thing but is increasingly common as people just see the salary and think they've cracked it once they pass the psychometric.

Train driving isn't always a job that people should think they can do if the only thing they want out of is the salary. It wouldn't be nice to feel trapped doing it.

 

[Juliet Barvo]

Qualified Drivers will tell you that you will never quit this job.

 

[Trico382]

Having done a job for many years which was lower paid, more stressful and not as conducive to family life I realise how lucky I am now to be working on the railway. Even if the job were to become monotonous, I would only need to look back on my previous career and I would snap out of it as again....I am aware of how lucky I am to be here! I have done shifts all my working life so that part doesn’t bother me. The training was indeed intense with an incredible amount of info but, if you put the work in you will pass. All of my intake passed (from varied academic or professional backgrounds) and are still going strong.
Simply put, I would never go back! My only regret is I didn’t make the jump sooner

 

[jamesst]

Overall I like the job but just like every other job,some days you just don't want to be there! Think that's human nature more than anything

 

[Topcat999]

Quite a few trainees at our place have jacked it in in recent years, some have been dismissed, some have scraped through a passout and quite obviously can't hack it - failed route/traction assessments, or had several incidents and career in the balance early on, or just played the sick system. This isn't a new thing but is increasingly common as people just see the salary and think they've cracked it once they pass the psychometric.

Train driving isn't always a job that people should think they can do if the only thing they want out of is the salary. It wouldn't be nice to feel trapped doing it.

I presume this is where the interviews and the testing come in and are supposed to weed these out? I guess no system is prefect though?

This is why i think "gaming" the system to get in is a dangerous. No point in getting in then finding you struggle doing the job. I would rather fail before hand.

Yes the jobs sounds fantastic. I have worked much harder shifts in the past... I mean nearly £60k a year for a 35 hour week is about as good as you will get. Go and look at H.G.V. driving salaries and workload...You are about double the money.I know where i'd rather be.

But like you say, it shouldn't be all about the money.

Out of interest why have some been dismissed? Incidents? Attitude? Lack of work ethic?

 

[Topcat999]

Overall I like the job but just like every other job,some days you just don't want to be there! Think that's human nature more than anything

True....not every day is sunshine and happiness. Not in any job/work/business.

I mean say every 5 years or so can you change routes? Even change location every so often? Or would that be frowned upon?

 

[baz962]

True....not every day is sunshine and happiness. Not in any job/work/business.

I mean say every 5 years or so can you change routes? Even change location every so often? Or would that be frowned upon?

Most TOCs allow one lateral move I believe. Ours is one . Some of our depots have people on waiting list for a good five years. After roughly a year , you would sign all routes for your depot at ours too.

 

[387star]

I think having an interest in trains helps

Depends where you're based

There's some grim all stop routes through industrial and run down urban areas with frequent unmanned stops london bridge to gravesend via greenwich or Sutton loop spring to mind

Then there's driving under greens for thirty minutes for instance Horsham to Barnham must be a lovely route to drive with stunning scenery

Problem us at some depots seniority keeps the best routes away. 25 plus years at barnham.before you sign Southampton seems odd to me surely it's better if everyone signs everything. That's how some depots work. I guess the bigger the depor the harder that is. Ideally the work is well spread out.

 

[Louby]

I think having an interest in trains helps

Depends where you're based

There's some grim all stop routes through industrial and run down urban areas with frequent unmanned stops london bridge to gravesend via greenwich or Sutton loop spring to mind

Then there's driving under greens for thirty minutes for instance Horsham to Barnham must be a lovely route to drive with stunning scenery

Problem us at some depots seniority keeps the best routes away. 25 plus years at barnham.before you sign Southampton seems odd to me surely it's better if everyone signs everything. That's how some depots work. I guess the bigger the depor the harder that is. Ideally the work is well spread out.

i have no interest in trains but love my job, seniority needs stamping out, prehistoric attitude, we all get paid the same and should sign the same

 

[Topcat999]

i have no interest in trains but love my job, seniority needs stamping out, prehistoric attitude, we all get paid the same and should sign the same

I thought at the interview you had to pretend you were a train spotting type of person?

 

[Llama]

I presume this is where the interviews and the testing come in and are supposed to weed these out? I guess no system is prefect though?

This is why i think "gaming" the system to get in is a dangerous. No point in getting in then finding you struggle doing the job. I would rather fail before hand.

Yes the jobs sounds fantastic. I have worked much harder shifts in the past... I mean nearly £60k a year for a 35 hour week is about as good as you will get. Go and look at H.G.V. driving salaries and workload...You are about double the money.I know where i'd rather be.

But like you say, it shouldn't be all about the money.

Out of interest why have some been dismissed? Incidents? Attitude? Lack of work ethic?

Trainees being dismissed has been both a lack of work ethic and attitude (those with attitude tend to have poor work ethic, but those with poor work ethic don't always have a poor attitude) and dismissal has often been when the trainee is quite far into the course and after prior action such as extension of probationary period and warnings. I am not aware of any trainees being dismissed as a result of safety of the line incidents, there have of course been some incidents with trainee drivers 'in the seat' but the overall responsibility of the train lies with the instructor so unless for example the incident occured because of the trainee ignoring a direct instruction in the cab, a trainee would be fairly, but not completely, immune from taking the rap.

 

[martin2345uk]

I thought at the interview you had to pretend you were a train spotting type of person?

Quite the opposite in most cases is what I’ve heard on here..!

 

[Topcat999]

Trainees being dismissed has been both a lack of work ethic and attitude (those with attitude tend to have poor work ethic, but those with poor work ethic don't always have a poor attitude) and dismissal has often been when the trainee is quite far into the course and after prior action such as extension of probationary period and warnings. I am not aware of any trainees being dismissed as a result of safety of the line incidents, there have of course been some incidents with trainee drivers 'in the seat' but the overall responsibility of the train lies with the instructor so unless for example the incident occured because of the trainee ignoring a direct instruction in the cab, a trainee would be fairly, but not completely, immune from taking the rap.

Wow talk about opportunity lost. Imagine throwing away such an opportunity?

 

[dctraindriver]

I thought at the interview you had to pretend you were a train spotting type of person?

No.......

They don’t want anoraks driving a train as could be distracted. Demonstrate you’re a spotter in interview and they’ll mark you down.

 

[baz962]

Wow talk about opportunity lost. Imagine throwing away such an opportunity?

There was talk on a previous thread , a good year ago or more. While training you will have periods of front ending in cabs with driver's. While doing this part of training , you are usually told to do a certain amount of hour's a day. What time you start and finish is up to the trainee as long as a minimum amount of hour's are done. Not at my toc a large number of trainee's where doing very few hour's before going home. Easy to do as you are just standing at stations and asking driver's , with no actual timetable etc to follow , and driver's can refuse so you could be in cab all day or just wandering around stations in theory. So as you can gather it isn't hard to slip away. Apparently a whole bunch of trainee's at one toc got caught and dismissed. You are correct in what you say , why just why. I was as a trainee and now qualified , very appreciative of my chance and loved front ending. I guess after saying all that I should proffer some advice. If you get the chance , don't waste it .

 

[OneLowban]

The first week of front ending we did was allocated drivers and times etc so was fine. Fun first insight to train driving from the drivers POV. After that as baz said we were just told to go out on the route and as he also said it could be a hard time trying to get into a cab for various reasons. But instead of wasting the time I would be at home going over rules or completing my taskbook questions etc. I have heard a lot of stories of trainees messing around and basically wasting the opportunity of actually being lucky enough to get through and it amazes me.

 

[Topcat999]

I just tried that Groupborboun test....and failed terribly.

I couldn't do it......is that because it was my first attempt....or worse? I do feel my concentration levels have dropped off over the last few years. Is that due to lack of use or age?