DRS driver

[Willie mcbeath]

Thinking about applying for a job with drs at either grangemouth or motherwell.
anyone work with drs can give me a bit of info?

 

[TDK]

Thinking about applying for a job with drs at either grangemouth or motherwell.
anyone work with drs can give me a bit of info?

I have friends who work for DRS - 5 in fact, one says it is great and the other 4 wish they had gone passenger. DRS is full of spotters who would work in the old locos for nothing if they didn't get paid and it has been mentioned that around 80% of the driving grade with DRS are spotters. They will do anything to get on the 20's, 37's, 47's etc and when I say anything I mean anything including stitching up their collegues.

Their working condidions are not ideal and there are a lot of long and night shifts. The management at HQ are in a world of their own apparently.

If driving old worn out engines is your thing in the middle of the night then yes, it may suit you. If you just want a driving job then I would go for passenger work as it is a lot more forgiving. I cannot speak for Motherwell or Grangemouth but if those depots are the same format as the depots futher South it is generic.

 

[Willie mcbeath]

I have friends who work for DRS - 5 in fact, one says it is great and the other 4 wish they had gone passenger. DRS is full of spotters who would work in the old locos for nothing if they didn't get paid and it has been mentioned that around 80% of the driving grade with DRS are spotters. They will do anything to get on the 20's, 37's, 47's etc and when I say anything I mean anything including stitching up their collegues.

Their working condidions are not ideal and there are a lot of long and night shifts. The management at HQ are in a world of their own apparently.

If driving old worn out engines is your thing in the middle of the night then yes, it may suit you. If you just want a driving job then I would go for passenger work as it is a lot more forgiving. I cannot speak for Motherwell or Grangemouth but if those depots are the same format as the depots futher South it is generic.

Been a driver with scotrail for nearly 15 years mate, always fancied the move to freight though.
are the engines really that bad?

 

[SkinnyDave]

Think Grangemouth is all/mostly class 66s doing container work for WH Malcolm

Don't know about Motherwell and don't know if you will get trained on the snazzy looking new 68

 

[JAMBO]

What about heavy haul,DBS,or GBRF if its freight your after?

 

[Willie mcbeath]

What about heavy haul,DBS,or GBRF if its freight your after?

only seen vacancies for drs, in central Scotland anyway.

Also freightliners website appears to be down, not been able to get on it for a while.

 

[JAMBO]

Heavy haul are short of drivers,and i am sure intermodal have a depot up there somewhere. DBS wanted quite a few drivers a while ago,freight jobs are word of mouth so maybe worth just dropping them a call.

 

[GB]

Keep an eye out on the GBRF recruitment page over the coming months as I have heard there is to be a recruitment drive at some point for train crew in different areas.

 

[Willie mcbeath]

Cheers for the replies, any info from a drs driver would be greatly appreciated aswell. Or any driver who has experience of being a freight and pass driver.
Can't seem to find any info of what drivers would work out of the new Motherwell depot.

 

[reapz]

I have friends who work for DRS - 5 in fact, one says it is great and the other 4 wish they had gone passenger. DRS is full of spotters who would work in the old locos for nothing if they didn't get paid and it has been mentioned that around 80% of the driving grade with DRS are spotters. They will do anything to get on the 20's, 37's, 47's etc and when I say anything I mean anything including stitching up their collegues.

Their working condidions are not ideal and there are a lot of long and night shifts. The management at HQ are in a world of their own apparently.

If driving old worn out engines is your thing in the middle of the night then yes, it may suit you. If you just want a driving job then I would go for passenger work as it is a lot more forgiving. I cannot speak for Motherwell or Grangemouth but if those depots are the same format as the depots futher South it is generic.

I heard the cool traction 37's etc is all for senior drivers only is this the case?

 

[TDK]

Been a driver with scotrail for nearly 15 years mate, always fancied the move to freight though.
are the engines really that bad?

The engines are not that bad fella just old, drafty and noisy. All the people I know apart from one who went to DRS from passenger have regretted the move. To be fair most of the work is on 66's, these are not great but like a rolls royce when you compare them to say a 37 for comfort. I think you best bet would be to speak to some genuine DRS drivers (not cranks) who are in it as train drivers and not because they are spotters and see what they think.
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I heard the cool traction 37's etc is all for senior drivers only is this the case?

Not at all, the senior drivers, ex passenger drivers will try their damndest to keep off the 37's so they are taken off their card. However this information is blatantly passed on to management if a driver who is out of 37 traction so the cranks can get the work thus making management give the poor senior driver a refresher. When you start you will do 37's, 47's, 57's & 66's traction and get to drive them all the class 20's comes later.
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Heavy haul are short of drivers,and i am sure intermodal have a depot up there somewhere. DBS wanted quite a few drivers a while ago,freight jobs are word of mouth so maybe worth just dropping them a call.

Heavy Haul isn't much better either - I know many Heavy Haul drivers. Intermodal is a better choice all depending on what work you want to do.

 

[JAMBO]

Heavy haul at Carlisle took a few of the DRS drivers a while ago,so that may just tell you something about them.

 

[Willie mcbeath]

The engines are not that bad fella just old, drafty and noisy. All the people I know apart from one who went to DRS from passenger have regretted the move. To be fair most of the work is on 66's, these are not great but like a rolls royce when you compare them to say a 37 for comfort. I think you best bet would be to speak to some genuine DRS drivers (not cranks) who are in it as train drivers and not because they are spotters and see what they think.
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I'm hoping for drs driver to see this, unfortunately I don't know any.
The drs drivers you know, what droits do they work at?

 

[Stuart-h]

Heavy haul at Carlisle took a few of the DRS drivers a while ago,so that may just tell you something about them.

Heavy haul?

 

[deltabravo]

Heavy haul?

Freightliner Heavy Haul

 

[Beveridges]

Name one thing that makes DRS worse than other FOCs. I hear crappy shifts and bad T&Cs but don't all the FOCs offer that ?
Only thing I can think of is Salary, advertised at £53k (apparantly its less than this really) so does not compare favourably to for example GBRf who are apparantly £61k basic.

 

[Willie mcbeath]

Name one thing that makes DRS worse than other FOCs. I hear crappy shifts and bad T&Cs but don't all the FOCs offer that ?
Only thing I can think of is Salary, advertised at £53k (apparantly its less than this really) so does not compare favourably to for example GBRf who are apparantly £61k basic.

DRS advertise there salary as £43,203 with additional 5% bonus available.
Also for overtime it's an average of £4k.

 

[Dave1987]

One of our Colchester drivers is about to transfer to DRS in July, so it can't be that bad compared to passenger work.

 

[Beveridges]

DRS advertise there salary as £43,203 with additional 5% bonus available.
Also for overtime it's an average of £4k.

Oh right the ad said £53k when I last saw it and there were drivers saying its wrong

 

[Willie mcbeath]

Oh right the ad said £53k when I last saw it and there were drivers saying its wrong

I've quoted em exactly what it says in my application pack.
On the advert in the drs website it gives the £43k figure but goes on to say with potential to earn up to £50k.

 

[TDK]

One of our Colchester drivers is about to transfer to DRS in July, so it can't be that bad compared to passenger work.

Is he/she a spotter?

 

[Willie mcbeath]

Is he/she a spotter?

What depot do you know drivers at mate if you don't mind me asking?

 

[TDK]

What depot do you know drivers at mate if you don't mind me asking?

Crewe, London and the new depot on the Nottingham line ( I can't remember the name of it)

 

[Dave1987]

Is he/she a spotter?

Er I don't know him personally but from what others have said I think he is yes..........

 

[TDK]

Er I don't know him personally but from what others have said I think he is yes..........

He may regret his move however if he is enthusiastic about old diesels then he will most likely be happy there.

 

[JAMBO]

Drivers who I have known who worked for DRS had an interest in the traction,so if you are into that then it will very much suit you,if you ain't bothered then the other 3 operators can be considered, if its the pound signs you are after then heavy haul and GB would be your best bet,for the terms and conditions and better working practices then opt for DBS.

 

[Beveridges]

If you want old traction DRS may not be the best choice, as isn't most of their work 66s now - especially if based at Crewe or Carlisle?
How much longer can the 20s, 37s and 47s go on? Moving to DRS drive those is not really thinking long term, unless the classic diesels really are that good that they can go on for longer. DRS are also getting new locos soon as well so maybe its the place to go for the newest traction really?

 

[SkinnyDave]

Class 68s are about to start testing

 

[TDK]

Name one thing that makes DRS worse than other FOCs. I hear crappy shifts and bad T&Cs but don't all the FOCs offer that ?
Only thing I can think of is Salary, advertised at £53k (apparantly its less than this really) so does not compare favourably to for example GBRf who are apparantly £61k basic.

They are not a part of the Railway pension scheme and if you join them you lose your free travel entitlement that is if you are a qualified driver of course.
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If you want old traction DRS may not be the best choice, as isn't most of their work 66s now - especially if based at Crewe or Carlisle?

There are a lot of old traction diagrams at Crewe