I work at Intermodal has a driver and have a lot of dealings with control. I'm not sure what shifts they do, but I think it's based on 12hrs with quite a bit of time off. I also think they have to cover leave between themselves, but also not sure.
Weekends maybe limited, because trains don't run Saturday nights or Sundays. I know they are there Sunday evenings because we have shed turns, but something to check out, but they most probably told you all about the job spec anyway.
They used to have 2 controllers on, one sorts the **** ups and the other does loco allocations, but not 100%
For the guys up Euston, I think it can be quite hectic, but most up there have nearly been there from the start in 96......so it must be ok.
They are all nice guys, some come out with us drivers for a beer or some drivers pop up there for a cup of tea when passing to Stonebridge Pk.
The job you went for, I think was the guy that retired. It's normally quite rare for a job to come up in Euston, but I don't want to sway you just in case you don't like it.
Freightliner is a good company to work for, its like any other company really and as it's ups and downs, but I enjoy it in the drivers grade. In the drivers grade Freightliner will leave you alone, we don't get no pressure form our bosses like they do in a TOC. And I think this works across the company.
I'm not sure of your package they have offered you, but unless you started before 1996 you will not get free/Priv passes or Priv Oyster card. This is down to ATOC. And coming from LU to a railway company you may even lose them anyway, if you get them now.
I take it a train op is a driver. You have to really look at your benefits that you are getting, like free travel and also look at your pension, maybe health care if you get this with LU.
The other thing is, can you progress in LU ?. At Freightliner we do have trainee driver positions that do come up, but at the moment they are filling up fast. If you want to progress down this route as a driver, it may take a very long time.
I hope this gives you some sort of idea.
