Depot driver and 5 years have passed?

[railwaymania27]

Hi Guys,

I hope you are safe and well.

Just a quick one, if you have been a depot driver for 5 years plus and the psychometric tests have expired do you need to retake them before you go to the mainline or does it not matter because you have been in the driving grade?

Many Thanks,

 

[FGW_DID]

Hi Guys,

I hope you are safe and well.

Just a quick one, if you have been a depot driver for 5 years plus and the psychometric tests have expired do you need to retake them before you go to the mainline or does it not matter because you have been in the driving grade?

Many Thanks,

At our place, they still have to apply for a trainee driver position but as long as their rules are in date they don’t have to retake any psychometrics. As long as they get past the paper sift, next step is the DMI. Out of all them that I’ve known, that have applied to go Mainline, only one has failed the DMI. I would expect it to be a similar case with the TOCS where its an ‘automatic’ progression but can’t say for definite.

 

[railwaymania27]

Many thanks. I suppose its all how many apply etc. etc.

 

[MRIGuy]

Hi Guys,

I hope you are safe and well.

Just a quick one, if you have been a depot driver for 5 years plus and the psychometric tests have expired do you need to retake them before you go to the mainline or does it not matter because you have been in the driving grade?

Many Thanks,

If it's an internal move, I understand it is not a requirement to make staff redo psychometric testing.

External applications will likely be at the discretion of the hiring TOC. You may be required to complete the entire day, alternatively you may be able to just retake some tests if your original test scores do not meet their standard.

 

[DA1]

I’m pretty sure you will be required to retake them but TOC dependent. At my TOC if your psychometrics were over 3 years old and you were making the move as a shunter driver to mainline you’d be required to retake them.

 

[TheEdge]

At my TOC you wouldn't need to retake them. But then our depot drivers also have mainline knowledge (and therefore license) so they can perform certain shunts outside the depot.

 

[jimfrst]

At my toc if you were progressing from Shunter to mainline you don’t have to retake them, on my course there were shunters who had been on the depot for nearly 8 years before getting a chance to go driving.

 

[railwaymania27]

O okay then. That sounds great .

 

[Stigy]

It depends on the TOC.

I know someone at SWR who had to take them again after three years, even in the same job as depot driver, before he went mainline (seems frankly bizarre given the whole purpose of psychometric assessments is to assess suitability for the role/training etc....he can’t be suitable one minute and do the job for three years, then be unsuitable if he failed psychometrics, surely?).

 

[railwaymania27]

Hmmmm okay thanks Stigy.