Chiltern Line - Sunday Working Question

[bhoy87]

Hi, this is my first post. I’m about to start the role of trainee train driver on the Chiltern line (very exciting). I’ve signed my contract and am looking forward to starting in a couple of weeks. I just had one question. The Sundays are outside the working week with Chiltern. I think we get rostered in 2 out of 5 Sundays. Are we expected to work a particular amount of Sundays? Contract seems to suggest they expect us to work them. But as they are outside the working week are we entitled to not work any (for instance). Thanks in advance for any information. My guess is I should start off by working a good few Sundays and settle in. This is all under the presumption I will pass exams and qualify as a chiltern line driver.

 

[Class2ldn]

No obligation to work any sundays, they are fully voluntary, you can opt out completely if you want but if not you have to give 14 days notice of any you don't want to work
Most do them especially with it being minimum 8 hours at 1.75.
You can't do any while your training.

 

[Ridetherails]

Congrats, which depot?

 

[d44nny]

Congratulations. Can I ask when did you pass all your opc assessments and the DMI?

 

[gatters]

No obligation to work any sundays, they are fully voluntary, you can opt out completely if you want but if not you have to give 14 days notice of any you don't want to work
Most do them especially with it being minimum 8 hours at 1.75.
You can't do any while your training.

a small tweak to this. you don't actually have to give 14 days notice, it's just that if you give less then it becomes your responsibility to find someone to cover it (although in reality as long as it's a few days the TCS will generally find someone to work it for you)

if you give 14 days notice then it's the company's responsibility

 

[Class2ldn]

You'll always find someone to work it normally lol

 

[HeelBurton]

Hi, this is my first post. I’m about to start the role of trainee train driver on the Chiltern line (very exciting). I’ve signed my contract and am looking forward to starting in a couple of weeks. I just had one question. The Sundays are outside the working week with Chiltern. I think we get rostered in 2 out of 5 Sundays. Are we expected to work a particular amount of Sundays? Contract seems to suggest they expect us to work them. But as they are outside the working week are we entitled to not work any (for instance). Thanks in advance for any information. My guess is I should start off by working a good few Sundays and settle in. This is all under the presumption I will pass exams and qualify as a chiltern line driver.

Congratulations and see you in a few weeks.

As many have said, you do not have to work them and you do not have to give 14 days notice anymore. Sundays are proving popular at the moment with the recent increase. I would say that its important to manage fatigue levels before trying to nail the Sundays. If you gave a Sunday up at short notice someone will take it, and vice versa, sticking your name in the Rest Day Working book will usually get you one or be first in line if one becomes available.

 

[bhoy87]

Really appreciate all the responses to this. It’s good to know that they are entirely voluntary. I was thinking it would be very handy to have the routine of Sunday off, especially at the start, to manage fatigue.

I will be in the Marylebone depot. Looking forward to my career in the railway!!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jul 2025 ==

Congratulations. Can I ask when did you pass all your opc assessments and the DMI?

So the job advert was at the start of the year. Didn’t hear back til probably May roughly. I had the paper tests, then stage 2 in the OPC mid June. MMI wasn’t fun but I passed it! Chiltern interview was then at the end of June. I think because they were on a tight deadline with wanting to fill spaces end of July it was all done quite quickly by that point. I heard back about 2 hours after leaving the interview that I had been offered the position. So here I am… starting on Monday!

 

[saiveen]

Congrats bhoy87 , do you or anyone has idea what does this mean.
“0.4 unsuccessful after application”
I noticed this on my current stage of Apprentice train driver - Marylebone vacancy.
Any suggestions for future application.
Thanks

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jul 2025 ==

Really appreciate all the responses to this. It’s good to know that they are entirely voluntary. I was thinking it would be very handy to have the routine of Sunday off, especially at the start, to manage fatigue.

I will be in the Marylebone depot. Looking forward to my career in the railway!!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jul 2025 ==


So the job advert was at the start of the year. Didn’t hear back til probably May roughly. I had the paper tests, then stage 2 in the OPC mid June. MMI wasn’t fun but I passed it! Chiltern interview was then at the end of June. I think because they were on a tight deadline with wanting to fill spaces end of July it was all done quite quickly by that point. I heard back about 2 hours after leaving the interview that I had been offered the position. So here I am… starting on Monday!

Congrats bhoy87 , do you or anyone has idea what does this mean.
“0.4 unsuccessful after application”
I noticed this on my current stage of Apprentice train driver - Marylebone vacancy.
Any suggestions for future application.
Thanks

 

[bhoy87]

Congrats bhoy87 , do you or anyone has idea what does this mean.
“0.4 unsuccessful after application”
I noticed this on my current stage of Apprentice train driver - Marylebone vacancy.
Any suggestions for future application.
Thanks

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jul 2025 ==


Congrats bhoy87 , do you or anyone has idea what does this mean.
“0.4 unsuccessful after application”
I noticed this on my current stage of Apprentice train driver - Marylebone vacancy.
Any suggestions for future application.
ThanksCan’t h

Sorry but I can’t really help there. I’m surprised if you haven’t been informed by email from the OPC before seeing that notification. Could be worth chasing up. Obviously doesn’t sound like it was successful ‍♂️

 

[saiveen]

Sorry but I can’t really help there. I’m surprised if you haven’t been informed by email from the OPC before seeing that notification. Could be worth chasing up. Obviously doesn’t sound like it was successful ‍♂️

I’m surprised too. I didn’t receive any email and was waiting for some acknowledgment. Today, I just logged into the my chiltren’s account and saw this message. Yes, it gives the impression of being unsuccessful, but I don’t understand the code. Thanks for the reply, by the way!"

 

[mcgrindah]

Hi, I'm curious to know what the salary for a newly qualified train driver with Chiltern is. If anyone is willing to share, that would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[piers1234]

Hi, I'm curious to know what the salary for a newly qualified train driver with Chiltern is. If anyone is willing to share, that would be much appreciated. Thanks

£65407

 

[HeelBurton]

Hi, I'm curious to know what the salary for a newly qualified train driver with Chiltern is. If anyone is willing to share, that would be much appreciated. Thanks

65k with an enhancements on working Sundays and rest days which probably takes you close to the 70k mark

 

[mcgrindah]

65k with an enhancements on working Sundays and rest days which probably takes you close to the 70k mark

Thank you.

 

[HeelBurton]

Thank you.

67,630 now since the latest payrise was agreed today