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part time train driver roles

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girlygirl

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Hi all,
Does anyone know of any tocs that recruit qualified part time drivers? Commuting around the London area.
Thanks
 
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Monty

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Not that I'm aware of, I would imagine it would be pain to make sure you cover all your signed routes and traction in a six month period. I know quite a few drivers and guards who would love to go part time, but it'll never happen as the company gets very little if not nothing out of it. If you are a fully qualified driver you may try your luck with any of the Feight Operating Companies (FOCs) who often employ drivers on 'zero hours' contract and you will be contacted by them if and when work becomes available.
 

matt

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I don't think West Coast take on trainee drivers. It is impossible to pay for your own training unlike learning how to drive a car/bus/lorry

The OP was asking about qualified roles.
 

Met Driver

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LU sometimes allow drivers to go part time when there is a local need. More common are job-shares where a driver and their job-share partner work and rest alternate weeks.
 

notadriver

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The OP was asking about qualified roles.

I should really learn to read :(. However the OP isn't a qualified driver and the idea of someone going through training then only doing part time hours is unsettling.
 
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TDK

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Hi all,
Does anyone know of any tocs that recruit qualified part time drivers? Commuting around the London area.
Thanks

West coast and Colas do zero hours contracts but this method is frowned upon by ASLEF
 
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Heathrow Express employs half time drivers, but I've never seen anyone go from joining the companystraight into one of these roles. Plus we haven't advertised externally for drivers for quite some time. But you never know, could be worth checking with the HR department...

Half time is where two people cover the shifts of one person by splitting the week in half. e.g. We generally work 6 days on, so the first half-timer covers days 1 to 3 and the second covers days 4 to 6. The shifts are full length diagrams obviously.
 
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girlygirl

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Heathrow Express employs half time drivers, but I've never seen anyone go from joining the companystraight into one of these roles. Plus we haven't advertised externally for drivers for quite some time. But you never know, could be worth checking with the HR department...

Half time is where two people cover the shifts of one person by splitting the week in half. e.g. We generally work 6 days on, so the first half-timer covers days 1 to 3 and the second covers days 4 to 6. The shifts are full length diagrams obviously.

Thanks for the Heathrow express tip, will try hr. I have heard good things about this to c!
 

W230

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Hi all,
Does anyone know of any tocs that recruit qualified part time drivers? Commuting around the London area.
Thanks
I would think they are all worth a shout. They can only say no after all!

Southern are very short of drivers at the moment. Maybe you could go in full time and drop to part time after a short period? We have part time drivers at my TOC anyway - with a special part time link.
 

irish_rail

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Trouble is, if too many people start going part time / accomodated hours etc, its the rest of us who have to then cover all the unsociable days/hours.

I can see us getting to a stage where half a depot could be accomodated, with the other half having to "pick up the pieces".

Im all for part time working when someones circumstances change, and then for a limited time, but to be wanting to enter this profession with a view to being a part timer is not a good thing, and I can see why ASLEF are against zero hours etc...
 

notadriver

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Excellent post irish_rail.

As I mentioned earlier if the OP wants a part time career driving they should consider the bus/coach industry.
 

Harlesden

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Perhaps the OP is not really a people person and so prefers the relatively solitary existence of a train driver to the never ending pressures of being a bus/coach driver
 

notadriver

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You're right Harlesden, I just don't want the train driving profession affected by part timers in the same way the road transport industry has been. It costs around 100k to train a driver up to standard not to mention additional checks and ride outs during their first two years so someone going part time after qualifying is not giving value for money and possibly denying someone else the chance who would do the job full time.
 
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