London Midland Trainee Senior Conductor application process.

[the sniper]

If you want to broaden your chances, I'd be aiming for one of the bigger depots purely to get a foot in the door - New Street, Northampton, Bletchley, Wolverhampton.

I wouldn't include Wolverhampton on that list, historically there's always been queue of people waiting to transfer to there from New Street. It doesn't help that it's also a relatively small depot. They occasionally get trainee Guards, but not many.

 

[Joe.666]

The recruitment team don't have a clue. Believe me, our HR team are worse than useless. If they told me it was raining I'd stick my head out to have a look.

Judging by the fact that the guys that sign Crewe in my depot keep getting Crewe's diagrams to cover, and the Crewe's supposed to be going half hourly at christmas, I wouldn't bank on it.
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As far as I'm aware, depots like Shrewsbury are the sort of place that only take on once in a blue moon. It's a small depot, with supposedly decent work (don't know, don't sign that way) and people that just don't leave. It's what we would call in railway terms, a 'dead mens' shoes' depot.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
If you want to broaden your chances, I'd be aiming for one of the bigger depots purely to get a foot in the door - New Street, Northampton, Bletchley, Wolverhampton. Once you're in you can get a transfer back to a depot that's more convenient for you. I originally started at a depot I didn't put as my first choice, but soon transferred to where I wanted to be.

Hi there plastictaffy",

Thankyou for the tips and that does make sense good sense. Your not the first person I've came across to have a view like that in the hr at LM. The only problem is, for example, if Crewe was my nearest depot, isn't there travel restrictions of applying to Wolverhampton, Bletchley and Northampton...?

Thanks again pal

 

[nwbirch83]

The recruitment team don't have a clue. Believe me, our HR team are worse than useless. If they told me it was raining I'd stick my head out to have a look.

Judging by the fact that the guys that sign Crewe in my depot keep getting Crewe's diagrams to cover, and the Crewe's supposed to be going half hourly at christmas, I wouldn't bank on it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
As far as I'm aware, depots like Shrewsbury are the sort of place that only take on once in a blue moon. It's a small depot, with supposedly decent work (don't know, don't sign that way) and people that just don't leave. It's what we would call in railway terms, a 'dead mens' shoes' depot.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
If you want to broaden your chances, I'd be aiming for one of the bigger depots purely to get a foot in the door - New Street, Northampton, Bletchley, Wolverhampton. Once you're in you can get a transfer back to a depot that's more convenient for you. I originally started at a depot I didn't put as my first choice, but soon transferred to where I wanted to be.

Hi I'm new to this train lingo, what does sign at Crewe and diagram mean? Are you saying they are short of staff?

 

[plastictaffy]

As Guards, we sign to say we have the required knowledge of a certain route. The same applied to different sorts of traction. For me I sign only class 350's. New Street, for example, will sign (dependant on roster) classes 350, 323, 153 and possibly 170.

A diagram (job) is the work you have for the day. It should consist of book-on and book off time, the timings of your trains, the headcodes of them and the traction that forms them.
I'm not neccesarily saying Crewe are short of staff - what I am saying is that they often struggle to cover the day's booked jobs.

Joe.666 - could you move for the job??

Class 350 - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Harrow_and_Wealdstone_station_MMB_09_350121.jpg
Class 323 - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe..._New_Street_railway_station_MMB_22_323220.jpg
Class 170 (diesel) - http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/9/0/7/4907.1194980400.jpg
Class 153 (diesel) - https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6232/6291487775_d230959674_b.jpg

 

[Joe.666]

As Guards, we sign to say we have the required knowledge of a certain route. The same applied to different sorts of traction. For me I sign only class 350's. New Street, for example, will sign (dependant on roster) classes 350, 323, 153 and possibly 170.

A diagram (job) is the work you have for the day. It should consist of book-on and book off time, the timings of your trains, the headcodes of them and the traction that forms them.
I'm not neccesarily saying Crewe are short of staff - what I am saying is that they often struggle to cover the day's booked jobs.

Joe.666 - could you move for the job??

Class 350 - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Harrow_and_Wealdstone_station_MMB_09_350121.jpg
Class 323 - https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe..._New_Street_railway_station_MMB_22_323220.jpg
Class 170 (diesel) - http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/9/0/7/4907.1194980400.jpg
Class 153 (diesel) - https://c1.staticflickr.com/7/6232/6291487775_d230959674_b.jpg

I would if I was given the opportunity. However, how often do LM provide that opportunity and do they not just stick to the "1 hour travel time to depot"...?

Regards
Joe

 

[plastictaffy]

I would if I was given the opportunity. However, how often do LM provide that opportunity and do they not just stick to the "1 hour travel time to depot"...?

Regards
Joe

Maybe they do, but if you moved closer to one of the depots that seem to take on more regularly, (New Street, Coventry, Northampton, Bletchley) you'd be well inside that, then you just start banging the applications in. Or you apply to a depot that's out of range for you but put on the application that you are willing to move to the area. When I applied I was given a choice of depot. I put, in order, Northampton, Bletchley, Watford, Coventry and New Street. Had it came to it, I would have moved for this job. I was lucky enough to not need to. Plenty do move for railway jobs though.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I wouldn't include Wolverhampton on that list, historically there's always been queue of people waiting to transfer to there from New Street. It doesn't help that it's also a relatively small depot. They occasionally get trainee Guards, but not many.

My bad, I believed (wrongly) that Wolves was quite a large depot. The guy that did my induction was a Wolves Guard. Scottish accent as thick as tar!!!

 

[Joe.666]

Maybe they do, but if you moved closer to one of the depots that seem to take on more regularly, (New Street, Coventry, Northampton, Bletchley) you'd be well inside that, then you just start banging the applications in. Or you apply to a depot that's out of range for you but put on the application that you are willing to move to the area. When I applied I was given a choice of depot. I put, in order, Northampton, Bletchley, Watford, Coventry and New Street. Had it came to it, I would have moved for this job. I was lucky enough to not need to. Plenty do move for railway jobs though.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


My bad, I believed (wrongly) that Wolves was quite a large depot. The guy that did my induction was a Wolves Guard. Scottish accent as thick as tar!!!

Good point, that does make good sense now you mention it ☺

 

[teslatech]

The recruitment team don't have a clue. Believe me, our HR team are worse than useless. If they told me it was raining I'd stick my head out to have a look.

Judging by the fact that the guys that sign Crewe in my depot keep getting Crewe's diagrams to cover, and the Crewe's supposed to be going half hourly at christmas, I wouldn't bank on it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
As far as I'm aware, depots like Shrewsbury are the sort of place that only take on once in a blue moon. It's a small depot, with supposedly decent work (don't know, don't sign that way) and people that just don't leave. It's what we would call in railway terms, a 'dead mens' shoes' depot.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
If you want to broaden your chances, I'd be aiming for one of the bigger depots purely to get a foot in the door - New Street, Northampton, Bletchley, Wolverhampton. Once you're in you can get a transfer back to a depot that's more convenient for you. I originally started at a depot I didn't put as my first choice, but soon transferred to where I wanted to be.

Still waiting for interview feedback from the recruitment team. Bare in mind I interviewed way back now start of September. So we're moving beyond the 28 days one was asked to wait. My opinion of HR weakens daily.

 

[Joe.666]

Still waiting for interview feedback from the recruitment team. Bare in mind I interviewed way back now start of September. So we're moving beyond the 28 days one was asked to wait. My opinion of HR weakens daily.

What job were you interviewed for...?

 

[BHM-TASHA]

Can somebody help me? What's the LM assessment like and iv been in the initial sift 1 year ?

 

[teslatech]

Can somebody help me? What's the LM assessment like and iv been in the initial sift 1 year ?

I waited about a year between assessment and interview. Assessment for senior conductor is good fun. Everyone I've met at LM on these assessments are friendly and the atmosphere is pretty relaxed. You'll get all the info and practice material when you're invited to one, I did find doing the practice stuff helpful.

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[BHM-TASHA]

Thank you. I hope it's not to difficult :roll:

 

[teslatech]

Thank you. I hope it's not to difficult :roll:

Well speaking for myself I didn't find the assessment particularly hard. It's the interview I fall over at!

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