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Arriva Trainee Drivers and Guards

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TDK

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Crewe
Anyone know if Sundays are outside, and whether conductors work four/five day weeks?

Cheers.

To clarify, Sundays are what is called in the trade commited and this means you are commited to work your rostered Sundays, they are outside the working week and if you work one it is unpensionable overtime, you get one what they call a golden ticket Sunday that will give a gurenteed Sunday off and also Sundays each side of block annual leave are honoured. If you want a Sunday off as the other poster says you will need to try and get it covered, this isn't usually a problem except maybe during the School Holidays or over Christmas, there are plenty of drivers who like to work Sundays for the extra cash.
 
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Sammy h

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25 May 2011
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Has anyone applied for this yet?

Once you have completed your profile, you can apply for the job. It comes up with a screen asking you to fill in your 'personal statement' and sell yourself.

Can anyone confirm once you fill this in and continue, that is the application? Or is there more to come?
 

sw1ller

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4 Jan 2013
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1,567
Has anyone applied for this yet?

Once you have completed your profile, you can apply for the job. It comes up with a screen asking you to fill in your 'personal statement' and sell yourself.

Can anyone confirm once you fill this in and continue, that is the application? Or is there more to come?

Thats the end of the applicaion. Makes it rather easy to apply to more than 1 depot.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I'm just thinking here..... dangerous i know but......

Are Arriva advertising for drivers at the smaller depots first to get more applicants for the likes of holyhead ect, then open up oppotunities at crewe and chester ect in a week or so?
 

gazz

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18 Jan 2013
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6
Hi Guys,

I am a newbie on the site, but have been lurking for a while, so take it easy on me.:D

I noticed the AWT vacancies that went up last week and have a couple of questions if you could help me.

1. I am interested in train driving, but would happy to work as a conductor. Do conductors usually have chance to get overtime?
2. What are the perks like with the AWT TOC, i.e. free travel, pension, etc?

I am currently earning reasonably well, but getting stuck in a rut in a job I am starting to detest.

There will probably be more questions when I can think of them.

Cheers,

Gazz.
 

Sammy h

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25 May 2011
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420
What a great and easy to use website for applying for jobs. FTPE should take note. Very easy website to use compared to most other TOCS. Well done Arriva!
 

sw1ller

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4 Jan 2013
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1,567
What a great and easy to use website for applying for jobs. FTPE should take note. Very easy website to use compared to most other TOCS. Well done Arriva!

I quite agree. I took quarter the time to complete the arriva one and i managed to apply to 2 depots. I get the feeling with the FTPE one that if i want to apply to another depot i would have to re-do a whole new application!!!
 

HSTfan!!!

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11 Jun 2005
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1,975
Hi Guys,

I am a newbie on the site, but have been lurking for a while, so take it easy on me.:D

I noticed the AWT vacancies that went up last week and have a couple of questions if you could help me.

1. I am interested in train driving, but would happy to work as a conductor. Do conductors usually have chance to get overtime?
2. What are the perks like with the AWT TOC, i.e. free travel, pension, etc?

I am currently earning reasonably well, but getting stuck in a rut in a job I am starting to detest.

There will probably be more questions when I can think of them.

Cheers,

Gazz.

Plenty of overtime if your want it due to the shortages of staff.
Perks not bad, free travel on ATW, XC, Chiltern and LOROL, 75% off other TOC's
Pension
 

tirphil

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27 Jan 2011
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275
Location
Wales
For those asking questions regarding the ability to speak Welsh. for the ATW vacancies.

You do not have to speak fluent Welsh for any of the positions advertised. However, it doesn't do any harm to your application if you can.
 

svrdan

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28 Oct 2012
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Location
Tipton
What would you say was the timescale on these positions from application to offered a position/start of training???

I Know there might be a large number of people going for it and could take a while (which is better for me lol), but im trying to figure a time scale of it all of doing the assessment centre (if one will get shortlisted), going to medicals etc. How long from the submitting of the application could it take to possibility being offered a role?? Reason for asking is it could potentially conflict with my current University 2nd semester goings on. I Can move things round for the Assessment Centre, but my concern being, that the slight chance of me progressing through and just maybe being offered a position too soon towards my completion date....

Any info on this would be greatly appreciated:).
 

185

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29 Aug 2010
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5,709
For those asking questions regarding the ability to speak Welsh. for the ATW vacancies.

You do not have to speak fluent Welsh for any of the positions advertised. However, it doesn't do any harm to your application if you can.

Of concern is the fact they asked this question at interview for jobs based at Chester. As a train operator with English based staff, they should not be expected to speak Welsh, even if many do, me included.

People from Cardiff travelling up to run interviews seem to have forgotten which country Chester is actually in. I do hope I remember to (totally legally) "use my bow and arrow after sunset" should I meet them within my home city's walls on a dark night ;)
 

nedchester

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28 May 2008
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Of concern is the fact they asked this question at interview for jobs based at Chester. As a train operator with English based staff, they should not be expected to speak Welsh, even if many do, me included.

People from Cardiff travelling up to run interviews seem to have forgotten which country Chester is actually in. I do hope I remember to (totally legally) "use my bow and arrow after sunset" should I meet them within my home city's walls on a dark night ;)

Ha! Ha! Very good!
 

anthony263

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19 Aug 2008
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Location
South Wales
I have found the ATW website to be one of the easiest to use when applying for vacancies. Best luck to everyone who has or is going to apply for these latest vacancies.
 

sw1ller

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Joined
4 Jan 2013
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1,567
Of concern is the fact they asked this question at interview for jobs based at Chester. As a train operator with English based staff, they should not be expected to speak Welsh, even if many do, me included.

People from Cardiff travelling up to run interviews seem to have forgotten which country Chester is actually in. I do hope I remember to (totally legally) "use my bow and arrow after sunset" should I meet them within my home city's walls on a dark night ;)

HAHA. I love Chester.
 

TT66

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6 Sep 2012
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81
Driver vacancies are no longer on the website.They must have had a lot of applications! Good luck everyone!
 
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Chester depot never came up? Is this a popular depot? Or do they just not need a lot of drivers here. Does anyone know how many positions for drivers there are?
 

LCC106

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16 Nov 2011
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1,488
What would you say was the timescale on these positions from application to offered a position/start of training???

I Know there might be a large number of people going for it and could take a while (which is better for me lol), but im trying to figure a time scale of it all of doing the assessment centre (if one will get shortlisted), going to medicals etc. How long from the submitting of the application could it take to possibility being offered a role?? Reason for asking is it could potentially conflict with my current University 2nd semester goings on. I Can move things round for the Assessment Centre, but my concern being, that the slight chance of me progressing through and just maybe being offered a position too soon towards my completion date....

Any info on this would be greatly appreciated:).

Different TOC but from application to start date for me was 3 months. We've seen that, for others, it could be up to a year.

My suggestion would be that if it all happens too fast, perhaps you could convert to an OU course if you really want to pursue the career AND the qualification. May be worth discussing with your lecturers. On the outside looking in, I would certainly recommend you don't just abandon your studies if you feel you can manage both. Not sure if this helps...
 

BestWestern

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Thanks. I really didnt want my inability to speak welsh to scupper my application.

I seem to recall there was a minor hullabaloo a while back regarding a Signaller somewhere in deepest Wales who suggested he should be able to communicate in Welsh with people using a foot crossing. Network Rail requires a standardised language across the board for safety critical communications, and not surprisingly it is English, and they said no. So I'd have thought that, for a Driver at least, speaking Welsh is almost irrelevant to be honest?
 

rugi

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26 Oct 2012
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As the trainee driver vacancies didn't stay long one can assume they have met their quota of applicants. Does anybody know how many trainee drivers they are looking for?
 

Erniescooper

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518
Chester depot never came up? Is this a popular depot? Or do they just not need a lot of drivers here. Does anyone know how many positions for drivers there are?

The depot is run by Alstom , keep your eye on the Alstom website and it will be advertised as Team member B.
 

ontrack31

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14 Sep 2012
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Just applied for the Valley Lines Trainee Conductor position yesterday. This will be my second go at this. Applied autumn last year and failed the interview. But I was in the bottom 18 out of 3500. So I'm hoping it'll be better this time. We'll see. If the door opens, it opens. If not, I'll continue in my current job.
 

Pugland53

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As the trainee driver vacancies didn't stay long one can assume they have met their quota of applicants. Does anybody know how many trainee drivers they are looking for?


Rumours of three courses, but cannot confirm this. Usually 8 per course, so say 24 drivers.
 

TDK

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Crewe
The depot is run by Alstom , keep your eye on the Alstom website and it will be advertised as Team member B.

I think the poster is referring to Chester Train Crew depot run by ATW based on Platform 4 at Cheter station.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Rumours of three courses, but cannot confirm this. Usually 8 per course, so say 24 drivers.

No where near 24 I would imagine and I would suspect one course possible 2 at most and not from this recruitment drive. Where did your rumours come from?
 

teaanddunkers

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17 Aug 2012
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24
Just applied for the Valley Lines Trainee Conductor position yesterday. This will be my second go at this. Applied autumn last year and failed the interview. But I was in the bottom 18 out of 3500. So I'm hoping it'll be better this time. We'll see. If the door opens, it opens. If not, I'll continue in my current job.

Good luck! We're due to 'Pass Out' from the current school next Friday.
 

Pugland53

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18 Jun 2012
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South Wales
I think the poster is referring to Chester Train Crew depot run by ATW based on Platform 4 at Cheter station.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


No where near 24 I would imagine and I would suspect one course possible 2 at most and not from this recruitment drive. Where did your rumours come from?


Well, Arriva are losing 4 Cardiff drivers in the next few weeks to other TOCs as well as being short of drivers already. Plus there are gaps to fill in other depots. I'll stick with my number thanks :)
 

Erniescooper

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27 Mar 2010
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I think the poster is referring to Chester Train Crew depot run by ATW based on Platform 4 at Cheter station.


Sorry confusion on my part , those of us at the diesel depot still call platform 4 the booking on point .
 

TDK

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Crewe
Well, Arriva are losing 4 Cardiff drivers in the next few weeks to other TOCs as well as being short of drivers already. Plus there are gaps to fill in other depots. I'll stick with my number thanks :)

Carry on fella, time will tell There will be more vacancies for trainees in the future of course and therefore probably more recruitment drives, the 4 Cardiff vacancies I think will be filled with qualified drivers to meet the current needs as vacancies due to either driver's leaving or retiring are normally filled with either transfers or qualified drivers, it is when the rostering (future) requires more drivers then they advertise for trainees, the reason being if Cardiff is 4 drivers short with the current roster (or more) and to be fair only 2 months ago Cardiff was over compliment it takes a year to train a trainee and only a couple of months for a qualified driver the current situation can be better managed. What is your source for 24 vacancies for trainees from this recruitment drive come from?
 

6Gman

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I seem to recall there was a minor hullabaloo a while back regarding a Signaller somewhere in deepest Wales who suggested he should be able to communicate in Welsh with people using a foot crossing. Network Rail requires a standardised language across the board for safety critical communications, and not surprisingly it is English, and they said no. So I'd have thought that, for a Driver at least, speaking Welsh is almost irrelevant to be honest?

Although there are few - if any - people in Wales who can only speak Welsh, there are a significant number for whom it is emphatically their first language. Under those circumstances it would be useful for staff to be able to use both languages, but would agree it is not a key qualification.
 

rugi

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The word on the street is that there are 20 jobs for trainee train drivers and there have been 1500 applicants. This came from a driver in Cardiff.
 

TDK

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Crewe
The word on the street is that there are 20 jobs for trainee train drivers and there have been 1500 applicants. This came from a driver in Cardiff.

1500 is quite low to be fair however 20 trainees is a big recruitment drive if this Cardiff driver knows for sure the numbers
 

sw1ller

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The word on the street is that there are 20 jobs for trainee train drivers and there have been 1500 applicants. This came from a driver in Cardiff.

That's only 75 applications per job. Very very low. On average figures there should be around 6-7000 applicants. Still, 1500 is still a lot to try to beat to 20 jobs. Anyways, good luck still I suppose. hehe.
 
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