Life as a GWR driver

[Jeronimo]

Morning,

I apologise in advance if this replicates any previous threads too closely.

This week I applied for a Trainee Driver position with GWR in Plymouth and Ive completed the online alphanumeric and situation based questions.

I just wondered if anyone who has been through this process recently with GWR could give any tips or advice, for if I should be lucky enough to go further in the process.

Ive also read different stories about rota patterns and wondered if anyone knew of any patterns to rotas at GWR in Plymouth. I have no issue working shifts as I used to work in care previously. Though at present I work Mon-Fri term time only, so would be interested to get an idea of what would possibly needed in terms of childcare.

Thanks in advance.

Jeronimo.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Plymouth is a start and end of service depot, so lots of early starts and late finishes. Quite a few nights It'll be a GWR contract, so a 4 day week with committed Sundays as overtime every 3-4 weeks, but expect that to be in the working week in the next 18months.

Despite what some posters on here say, there's not some mad conspiracy against the depot.

Routes are Gunnislake, Looe and Newquay and Paignton branches, and Penzance to Paddington (via Box, Melksham and the Berks and Hants) and Laira depot. Currently sign IETs, HSTs, 57s and 150s for mainline and branch work, 2+4 short HSTs for moves to/from Laira, and 08s and Voyagers for moves on Laira.

 

[Daydr3am3r]

Morning,

I apologise in advance if this replicates any previous threads too closely.

This week I applied for a Trainee Driver position with GWR in Plymouth and Ive completed the online alphanumeric and situation based questions.

I just wondered if anyone who has been through this process recently with GWR could give any tips or advice, for if I should be lucky enough to go further in the process.

Ive also read different stories about rota patterns and wondered if anyone knew of any patterns to rotas at GWR in Plymouth. I have no issue working shifts as I used to work in care previously. Though at present I work Mon-Fri term time only, so would be interested to get an idea of what would possibly needed in terms of childcare.

Thanks in advance.

Jeronimo.

Hello mate

I have recently been through the process with GWR. Happy to answer any questions that you have.
You will definitely be working a lot of early starts and late finishes!

 

[Jeronimo]

Hi Daydr3am3r, thanks for your reply.

By early starts, Im guessing thats around 4am? Is it right that if you start before 5am shifts are a max of 8 hours long?
By late finishes Im guessing that 1am/ 2am?

Is there a pattern to a rota?

 

[tiptoptaff]

You can start as early as 0300, earlier if amended. Latest around 0100. Max turn length for turns starting 2300-0559 is 8hr 45, max turn overall is 10hrs, but will reduce by Jan 2021 to 9hr30

 

[Mintona]

Earliest start at Bristol is 0215, and latest is 2008. Not Plymouth but gives a bit of an idea of shifts at a similar depot. @irish_rail is your best bet for this one though. Expect to be starting at any hour of day or night.

 

[irish_rail]

As a new driver at Plymouth you will be joining the brand new GWR link (As opposed to the high speed link that 99 percent of Plymouth drivers are currently in).
No one yet knows for sure what the new link (including these trainees) will be doing work wise. The company have not yet told us however I'd say it's a good bet you would be doing branchlines to gunnislake looe Newquay and paignton and the mainline from Exeter to Penzance plus laira depot. You may well do short HSTs and IETs in time and almost certainly class 150.
The new GWR link at Plymouth has literally only just been set up and has no work in it at moment so cannot give any specific times of shifts.
However going on what we have on the high speed side ( with similar work to what you guys will do except we sign London) earliest start is 0445 and latest finish is about 00.40ish. A fair amount of night work too and this is set to increase though a dedicated night link is keeping some of that work away from the main links which is good for those of us who despise nights! Also worth mentioning I think the maximum shift for anything starting before 6am will be 8 hours 45 for you new GWR drivers....

 

[387star]

Earliest start at Bristol is 0215, and latest is 2008. Not Plymouth but gives a bit of an idea of shifts at a similar depot. @irish_rail is your best bet for this one though. Expect to be starting at any hour of day or night.

Sounds intense though I guess if it is a large link it may be infrequent to start that early

Horsham Thameslink has no nights and the earliest start is 4/5am latest finish around 1am with a taxi agreement for those on the old conditions

 

[Class2ldn]

They won't always have no nights, no way they are going to get away with that in the next timetable change

 

[Cornish Cannon]

As a new driver at Plymouth you will be joining the brand new GWR link (As opposed to the high speed link that 99 percent of Plymouth drivers are currently in).
No one yet knows for sure what the new link (including these trainees) will be doing work wise. The company have not yet told us however I'd say it's a good bet you would be doing branchlines to gunnislake looe Newquay and paignton and the mainline from Exeter to Penzance plus laira depot. You may well do short HSTs and IETs in time and almost certainly class 150.
The new GWR link at Plymouth has literally only just been set up and has no work in it at moment so cannot give any specific times of shifts.
However going on what we have on the high speed side ( with similar work to what you guys will do except we sign London) earliest start is 0445 and latest finish is about 00.40ish. A fair amount of night work too and this is set to increase though a dedicated night link is keeping some of that work away from the main links which is good for those of us who despise nights! Also worth mentioning I think the maximum shift for anything starting before 6am will be 8 hours 45 for you new GWR drivers....

How many trainee drivers do you think they will need at Plymouth?

 

[irish_rail]

No clue but they have been advertising for qualifieds for 6 months now so presumably a large intake is needed.....

 

[Daydr3am3r]

No clue but they have been advertising for qualifieds for 6 months now so presumably a large intake is needed.....

Are you aware of many qualified drivers taking up this offer in Plymouth or Exeter during this time?

 

[Chris1982]

I see the advert for the trainee Plymouth drivers for talent pool has now been withdrawn so maybe you will hear something soon after you have done both your online test's. Have you had any kind of reaponse after the alpha-numeric test?

 

[387star]

They won't always have no nights, no way they are going to get away with that in the next timetable change

True swings and roundabouts
Horsham Southern has no nights either as off the mainline and the TL Peterborough service does not run all night through the core like the Bedfords.

Where I am going next has nights but no passenger workings thankfully. Of course some people like nights when I was at Bridges I had them all covered

 

[irish_rail]

Are you aware of many qualified drivers taking up this offer in Plymouth or Exeter during this time?

So far none have started at Plymouth. Unsure if they are in a holding pool or what , again the company likes to keep it all under wraps.

 

[Jeronimo]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Ive not heard anything back yet after completing the alphanumeric test but as has been mentioned, there is probably loads of applications. Wait and see I suppose...

 

[Danny_H22]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Ive not heard anything back yet after completing the alphanumeric test but as has been mentioned, there is probably loads of applications. Wait and see I suppose...

Yeah I’ve had nothing as well, but I’m not expecting to for a good while yet. I imagine such a high demand job will have had a huge number of applicants. Would love to know the total available positions