Coductor typical hours

[morris08]

Just wondered if anyone could give me an idea of the typical hours of work in a week for a conductor working on short distance services.

 

[455driver]

It would depend on which company, which depot and which link you are in.

But a basic overview would be-
between 35 and 42 hour week (most seem to be around 40).
4 or 5 day week (most seem to be 5).
start times from 04:00 to 23:30 (depending on whether night shifts are included).
between 6 and 10 hour day (most are around 8-9 hours).

 

[coxxy]

Expect weird and wonderful...

At my depot we have a 35 hour week with all Sundays as overtime. Earliest start with us is 4am and latest finish is about 2am...

4am start doesn't sound that bad but bare in mind this typically means getting out of bed and ready for work at 2.45am which can be a bit annoying at times!

 

[morris08]

Ok so how might an example week pan out and do you ever find that you end up with a few days off in a row or anything like that?

 

[Aeion]

We have a 4 day week, so look forward to a nice long weekend off Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday every 3 weeks. Even better to use up 2 annual leave days and have a full week away

 

[morris08]

that sounds very good indeed, I suppose its just that the days that are worked can be quite long.

 

[455driver]

You will work a fixed roster.

Your days off are fixed so you can see when you are off several months in advance, there are normally 2 roster changes, in May and December when things can change but they rarely do to any great extent, there might possibly be a couple of smaller changes in July and September to allow for any extra trains running over the summer holiday period.
Most of your days work will be fixed but there will be spare turns built in where you can be moved up to 2 or 3 hours to work an uncovered turn, this will be shown on the 36 hour sheet so you do get some notice (our 36 hour sheet is normally posted 3 days before).
Annual leave will be allocated on a rostered system so you can work out when your holidays will be in 10 years time if needed.

 

[morris08]

so does it work the same that it may work out that days off would coincide with Christmas, or have you found you have been able to have time with family even if its not every year?

 

[455driver]

so does it work the same that it may work out that days off would coincide with Christmas, or have you found you have been able to have time with family even if its not every year?

Yes, you wont be working Christmas day or Boxing day so if you are booked to work you may have to use up 2 AL days but if you are day off then you dont, its best if your days off fall before or after these day as then you get a nice break from work at a rather busy time of year.

 

[craigybagel]

Might help if you could tell us where in particular you had in mind?

 

[morris08]

I have applied for Arriva trains Wales, not heard anything back yet by post, email or phone, but the website does say they are in the process of shortlisting.

 

[plastictaffy]

At my place, we know where we should be on the base roster up until the end of the timetable - at the moment that is December. By base roster, that means that I can see when my days off will be, and whether I'm earlies or lates.

As was mentioned further up this post though, there are such things as 'spare' turns, which mean that you can be moved away from your book-on time by a certain amount of time, (agreed by unions and management, usually) although you will stay on earlies or lates, whichever you should be on.

As 455driver said, holiday is indeed allocated on a block basis to ensure that the same people don't get the same time off every year. If you require a certain block for a family holiday or whatever, it is usually easy enough to find someone that will swap with you. I needed a certain fortnight off this year over the summer for my summer holiday, which I got without an issue through a mutually agreed swap.

The actual day's work can be quite varied, depending on which routes and traction you are competent with. I sign quite a resricted route and (now) only one type of traction, so a lot of my jobs are similar - it's either express work or it isn't, the only things that change are the times of the trains you work.

Our earliest book on is 0356, and the latest book on is 1739, with the last man booking off at 0224. Some depots do have nights, too.

 

[craigybagel]

I have applied for Arriva trains Wales, not heard anything back yet by post, email or phone, but the website does say they are in the process of shortlisting.

I wouldn't worry, it normally takes a while to shortlist, especially for as big a recruitment drive as this one.

ATW is a 35 hour 4 day week. Week one you have Monday and Tuesday off, Week two Wednesday and Thursday and Week three Friday and Saturday, which roles back into Week one again so you get a 5 day weekend every 3 weeks. You're rostered for 1 in 3 Sundays - if you can get someone else to do it for you then fine but if no one else wants it then you have to work it. If you work it it's paid overtime, at time + 1/3.

Annual leave is 4 rostered block weeks (1 in Spring, 2 in Summer, 1 in Winter) plus 8 floating days, plus an extra 2 for Christmas and Boxing Day which you get back if you weren't due to work those days anyway.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Do you know what the controllers do? And how many shifts do you do on average that you can't commute by train for?
Thanks
Keiran

 

[craigybagel]

Do you know what the controllers do? And how many shifts do you do on average that you can't commute by train for?
Thanks
Keiran

No idea I'm afraid, other than saying there are people in control 24 hours a day. Night shifts probably wouldn't be so bad actually in terms of commuting, its the earlies and lates that will give you trouble.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Cheers. Having always commuted in to Cardiff by train and paying for the privilege, I was hoping to take as much advantage of the free travel as I could! I guess something to look at as and when...thanks anyway!

 

[wellwhatitis]

I wouldn't worry, it normally takes a while to shortlist, especially for as big a recruitment drive as this one.

ATW is a 35 hour 4 day week. Week one you have Monday and Tuesday off, Week two Wednesday and Thursday and Week three Friday and Saturday, which roles back into Week one again so you get a 5 day weekend every 3 weeks. You're rostered for 1 in 3 Sundays - if you can get someone else to do it for you then fine but if no one else wants it then you have to work it. If you work it it's paid overtime, at time + 1/3.

Annual leave is 4 rostered block weeks (1 in Spring, 2 in Summer, 1 in Winter) plus 8 floating days, plus an extra 2 for Christmas and Boxing Day which you get back if you weren't due to work those days anyway.

So ATW only get 10 floating days and time + third on a Sunday? Blimey, that's making my lot look good.

 

[craigybagel]

So ATW only get 10 floating days and time + third on a Sunday? Blimey, that's making my lot look good.

Our basic is still one of the highest around though.,and most of those that are ahead of us work longer hours and/or have worse T&cs
And the annual leave still works out as 26 days for a 4 day week which is pretty good.

 

[387star]

My earliest start is 05:05 latest finish is 00:15 we have five early turns (05:05, 05:42, 05:43, 06:16, 07:30) and four fixed late turns (12:05, 13:00, 14:29, 15:05) monday to friday plus of course early and late cover turns. We only have one link at my depot with sundays and rest days plus any overtime paid time and a quarter... I do permanent lates though atm

Sundays have lots of interesting turns and different traction as well

 

[morris08]

Sounds really interesting!

 

[plastictaffy]

Rest day work at my place pays flat time. RDW on a saturday pays (I think) time and a quarter, and Sundays pay time and a half.

8 jobs, ml?? You must be at a real small depot!!!!

craigybagel - aren't you and I at the same TOC?

 

[Driver068]

What assessments do conductors/Train Managers carry out or does it depend on the TOC

 

[plastictaffy]

At my TOC, they made us draw a picture of a nude male model, then we had to strip to our underwear and run round the room bouncing a pink basketball.

True story.

 

[craigybagel]

craigybagel - aren't you and I at the same TOC?

Nope. I was one of the many who interviewed for your team and got sent for medicals and then heard nothing for a very long time back in Autumn 2012 (IIRC you were part of that recruitment drive as well?). In the meantime, I used my pass from their assessments to apply for other TOCs, one of which was ATW where I am now quite happily employed
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At my TOC, they made us draw a picture of a nude male model, then we had to strip to our underwear and run round the room bouncing a pink basketball.

True story.

Did you get to skip the mud wrestling round then?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

My earliest start is 05:05 latest finish is 00:15 we have five early turns (05:05, 05:42, 05:43, 06:16, 07:30) and four fixed late turns (12:05, 13:00, 14:29, 15:05) monday to friday plus of course early and late cover turns. We only have one link at my depot with sundays and rest days plus any overtime paid time and a quarter... I do permanent lates though atm

Sundays have lots of interesting turns and different traction as well

Sounds like a nice depot alright! Got me wondering now where it might be?

 

[plastictaffy]

Nope. I was one of the many who interviewed for your team and got sent for medicals and then heard nothing for a very long time back in Autumn 2012 (IIRC you were part of that recruitment drive as well?). In the meantime, I used my pass from their assessments to apply for other TOCs, one of which was ATW where I am now quite happily employed
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Did you get to skip the mud wrestling round then?

I remember. Was it really that long ago??

We certainly did, but after the mud wrestling, we went straight to the next stage, which involved stress positions for 18 hours with white noise, followed by some light cottaging.
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ml - that sounds like a beautiful little depot, where be it??

 

[387star]

I remember. Was it really that long ago??

We certainly did, but after the mud wrestling, we went straight to the next stage, which involved stress positions for 18 hours with white noise, followed by some light cottaging.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
ml - that sounds like a beautiful little depot, where be it??

Ah a secret haha but the smallest first great western depot should give it away a dead mans shoes depot for sure

 

[Spankthemonkey]

Our basic is still one of the highest around though.,and most of those that are ahead of us work longer hours and/or have worse T&cs
And the annual leave still works out as 26 days for a 4 day week which is pretty good.

Is that 26 days plus bank holidays in lieu then or 20 days and 8 floating days (essentially your bank holidays in lieu) as suggested above?

 

[craigybagel]

Is that 26 days plus bank holidays in lieu then or 20 days and 8 floating days (essentially your bank holidays in lieu) as suggested above?

TBH I'm not entirely sure what you mean - I've gotten so used to Bank Holidays not existing I've never really thought about them.