NorthernRail Trainee drivers 2013

[356a]

Piccadilly and Workington advert just out

 

[Steg]

Any ideas how long it would take to get a transfer from say Leeds to Piccadilly once you are in?

 

[Beveridges]

You can put in for a transfer at any time. Getting successful Northern transfers depend on vacancies at the location concerned. If there isnt enough vacancies to accomodate all transfer requests then it goes down to seniority. At somewhere large like Piccadilly and Leeds, I would be very suprised if you were waiting long at all.

 

[Steg]

Appreciated, I have my medical tomorrow for a job at Leeds. I live on the outskirts of Manchester, Sod's law that a job at Piccadilly should come up now. Ill have to just commute for a while which will be worth it in the long run

 

[TDK]

Appreciated, I have my medical tomorrow for a job at Leeds. I live on the outskirts of Manchester, Sod's law that a job at Piccadilly should come up now. Ill have to just commute for a while which will be worth it in the long run

If a job does come up at Manchester ask for a transfer

 

[driver9000]

I think it is also worth pointing out that a move from Leeds to Piccadilly would also include a change in your T&Cs from ATN to FNW.

 

[Steg]

Appreciated

 

[lefty90]

Delighted to find out I have a place on the June 10th course subject to a medical, really couldn't of made it through the recruitment process without the help and advice found on here, so thank you all.

Really looking forward to getting started, can anybody give me some details about the structure of the Northern training program, such as the splits between classroom and depot?

Hopefully see some of you when we start.

 

[TMLB UK]

Delighted to find out I have a place on the June 10th course subject to a medical, really couldn't of made it through the recruitment process without the help and advice found on here, so thank you all.

Really looking forward to getting started, can anybody give me some details about the structure of the Northern training program, such as the splits between classroom and depot?

Hopefully see some of you when we start.

Congratulations!!

Do me a favour and reply to my private messages! I'm desperately waiting to hear about the course on the June 10th course too!

When did you get the good news?

 

[lefty90]

Congratulations!!

Do me a favour and reply to my private messages! I'm desperately waiting to hear about the course on the June 10th course too!

When did you get the good news?

Replied to your PM mate.

 

[Silv1983]

Delighted to find out I have a place on the June 10th course subject to a medical, really couldn't of made it through the recruitment process without the help and advice found on here, so thank you all.

Really looking forward to getting started, can anybody give me some details about the structure of the Northern training program, such as the splits between classroom and depot?

Hopefully see some of you when we start.

On paper its a 33 week course. The first 16 weeks are "classroom" based training; although you'll spend maybe a 1/3 of that time at your home depot, on the maintenance shed, and 2 weeks riding with drivers' on front-end turns - plus the odd day out to signal boxes etc.

From week 17 onward, its off to your home depot for a 2 day assessment, followed by a traction conversion course on the shed, 'principles of route learning" which involves more front end turns to practice getting to grips with a usually short route - and reproducing maps. Last step is a 15 hours worth of driving with your DTM to show you're safe and able to take instruction. Once the 15 hours is done is practical handling begins with your DI. This roughly last 10 weeks - during which you'll need to clock up 230 hours of driving (including 40 in darkness), and have a series of successful assessments with your DTM who will monitor your progress. The final hurdle is a pass out (which im a couple of weeks away from). This is usually 2 days long, and involves a comprehensive assessment on everything!

 

[TDK]

On paper its a 33 week course. The first 16 weeks are "classroom" based training; although you'll spend maybe a 1/3 of that time at your home depot, on the maintenance shed, and 2 weeks riding with drivers' on front-end turns - plus the odd day out to signal boxes etc.

From week 17 onward, its off to your home depot for a 2 day assessment, followed by a traction conversion course on the shed, 'principles of route learning" which involves more front end turns to practice getting to grips with a usually short route - and reproducing maps. Last step is a 15 hours worth of driving with your DTM to show you're safe and able to take instruction. Once the 15 hours is done is practical handling begins with your DI. This roughly last 10 weeks - during which you'll need to clock up 230 hours of driving (including 40 in darkness), and have a series of successful assessments with your DTM who will monitor your progress. The final hurdle is a pass out (which im a couple of weeks away from). This is usually 2 days long, and involves a comprehensive assessment on everything!

You will be lucky to get 225 hours done in 10 weeks unless the DI is detached off their position on the roster. 14 weeks is more accurate and that is if you are lucky. The hours with a DM vary, it is usually 5 hours not 15. From start to finish the total time will be between 10 and 15 months for pass out.

 

[Silv1983]

You will be lucky to get 225 hours done in 10 weeks unless the DI is detached off their position on the roster. 14 weeks is more accurate and that is if you are lucky. The hours with a DM vary, it is usually 5 hours not 15. From start to finish the total time will be between 10 and 15 months for pass out.

I agree the DI being stuck in a link is detrimental to the progress, but even at Northern 10-15 months is a bit much. I am currently 7.5 months into the job, and I lost 3 weeks to annual leave which wasnt compulsary - and currently stand at 185 hours out of 230, darkness complete. My only snag is core route trips. A cautious estimation for pass out is end of June, which minus my 3 weeks leave would put me roughly at 8 months for pass out. And the DTM's at Northern stick to the 15 hours.

 

[W230]

...and currently stand at 185 hours out of 230, darkness complete. My only snag is core route trips. A cautious estimation for pass out is end of June, which minus my 3 weeks leave would put me roughly at 8 months for pass out.

Northern must things differently to my TOC then as I'm half way through my hours but have been in the job since end of last summer, though I think my classroom training may have lasted longer. I'll be lucky (and very pleased) if I pass out within 13 months though I wonder if it's because we have to sign all routes and traction - I think maybe at Northern you start off with one short route and then add stuff on later?

 

[Beveridges]

I'll be lucky (and very pleased) if I pass out within 13 months though I wonder if it's because we have to sign all routes and traction - I think maybe at Northern you start off with one short route and then add stuff on later?

I think thats what it is - Northern give you a few short "core routes" to start off with before passout (which probably total around 80 miles or so of track or 160 if you count it both ways!). Northern add stuff later... much later in some cases. A passenger driver I know has been on core routes only for well over a year now!! He told me he signs less than half of the routes in his link!

Northern are slow at getting round to any "further" training beyond the initial training for the job. As an MDD the traction is normally the issue rather than routes, but thats because we have loads of traction and not much route. It took me 3 years to sign all traction and it was only a one day conversion I was waiting for.

 

[Silv1983]

Northern must things differently to my TOC then as I'm half way through my hours but have been in the job since end of last summer, though I think my classroom training may have lasted longer. I'll be lucky (and very pleased) if I pass out within 13 months though I wonder if it's because we have to sign all routes and traction - I think maybe at Northern you start off with one short route and then add stuff on later?

It may well be! The OP was specific to Northern...and I answered thus.

It's not a short route however. Im doing Manchester Victoria to Southport (both ways - ie via Atherton and via Bolton); and Man Vic Easterly as far as Newton Heath Depot. I sign all traction relevant to my route and link (142, 150/1/2, 153 and 156). Once passed out it's a combination of route learning and core route driving. So that'll probably be it. I don't know what your routes are like, but there's probably 12 plus odd from Vic so that would frazzle the brain trying to learn all of that and then drive it all for a pass out.
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As an MDD the traction is normally the issue rather than routes, but thats because we have loads of traction and not much route. It took me 3 years to sign all traction and it was only a one day conversion I was waiting for.

Is the traction training as intensive as mainline? If an MCB trips for somethings leaking don't you just shout the fitters over?

 

[Beveridges]

Is the traction training as intensive as mainline? If an MCB trips for somethings leaking don't you just shout the fitters over?

We get the same initial traction training as mainline but the difference is, we use our traction knowledge all the time as we are dealing with all the knackers and moving demics around. In the practical handling part of MDD training there is even more traction training, such as moving half-units around, haulers, swingers, splitting & joining units, demics, fault finding exercises and more. You should see the state of some of the demics that have most of their componants missing that then have to be moved to another road. They are in a far worse state than they were before they went in. Fault finding is a very frequent part of the job. Fitters will go mad if you kept calling them out to do something that an MDD could have done and you'd be seen as incompetant by the management for frequently wasting hours of fitters time every day. We deal with around 15-30 faults per shift per driver. For example, raising the EBS, assists with other units, Isolating the BIC's or even parking brakes, are all regular tasks for an MDD. As is getting units moving with tripped BC/LC/TC etc. Its a good thing in my opinion as it means I never forget my traction knowledge as I'm using all aspects of it on a regular basis.

 

[BravoGolfMike]

Beveridges is right. The MDD's wHo I know, even the ones who went driving years ago, have a far superior traction knowledge to mainline drivers who have never worked on a depot.

 

[W230]

It's not a short route however. Im doing Manchester Victoria to Southport (both ways - ie via Atherton and via Bolton); and Man Vic Easterly as far as Newton Heath Depot. I sign all traction relevant to my route and link (142, 150/1/2, 153 and 156). Once passed out it's a combination of route learning and core route driving. So that'll probably be it. I don't know what your routes are like, but there's probably 12 plus odd from Vic so that would frazzle the brain trying to learn all of that and then drive it all for a pass out.

It's a little different then - we have to sign all (core) routes before passing out (which is everything anyway) and a mass of diversionary ones around south London which make my head hurt!!

 

[Legzr1]

Beveridges is right. The MDD's wHo I know, even the ones who went driving years ago, have a far superior traction knowledge to mainline drivers who have never worked on a depot.

Hardly surprising considering the difference in roles.

Now, I'd be impressed if an MDD/shed driver/shunter/whatever they're called this week could speak from experience of AOCL regulations during degraded working / Tiii possessions or their personal braking point at 115mph for the permanent 30/50 200 miles away from their own depot.

 

[madmack37]

I applied for the trainee job at workington and need to take the online test befor the selection process

mark

 

[BravoGolfMike]

Hardly surprising considering the difference in roles.

Now, I'd be impressed if an MDD/shed driver/shunter/whatever they're called this week could speak from experience of AOCL regulations during degraded working / Tiii possessions or their personal braking point at 115mph for the permanent 30/50 200 miles away from their own depot.

No it's not surprising. I was just defending MDD's against the charge that in the event of failure they "Just call the fitters over," as had been suggested earlier in the thread.

 

[Silv1983]

No it's not surprising. I was just defending MDD's against the charge that in the event of failure they "Just call the fitters over," as had been suggested earlier in the thread.

Wasn't really a charge. If you re-read the post I actually asked the question.
MDDs for Northern leave the mainline drivers course after week 6 - when all the defective on train equipment lessons are taught and a lot more technical stuff is re-visited. I presume they get to go throught it all again with their instructor on the job.

 

[BravoGolfMike]

Well I would have thought DOTE is irrelevant to an MDD as it's rules in the event of a failure as opposed to traction training. My minder was an ex MDD, the stuff he knew was way more advanced than what we had been taught on course. He knew far more than the DTM's and probably the instructors as well because it was practical experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge.

 

[Steg]

Ive passed my medical, Anyone else still waiting for the results of the urine test?

 

[Beveridges]

My minder was an ex MDD, the stuff he knew was way more advanced than what we had been taught on course. He knew far more than the DTM's and probably the instructors as well because it was practical experience as opposed to theoretical knowledge.

I can agree with that. The stuff I have learned on traction while doing my practical training on depot and actually performing the role of an MDD, goes way beyond what is learned during those first 6 weeks of the course.

 

[TMLB UK]

Ive passed my medical, Anyone else still waiting for the results of the urine test?

What start date has been mentioned for you?

 

[Steg]

10th June

 

[Steg]

Another question for you guys, in terms of references do we know what is asked?

I have been told a former employer is not allowed to go into great depth these days?

 

[Red18]

Another question for you guys, in terms of references do we know what is asked?

I have been told a former employer is not allowed to go into great depth these days?

I think an employer is only required to confirm your job title and duration of your employment with their company.