Questions for those who work for a TOC (especially soon after leaving education)

[All Line Rover]

Hello all. I have a few questions:

What is the minimum age you have to be to work for a TOC? Does this vary for safety-critical jobs (such as platform work), or non-safety-critical jobs (such as the ticket office)?

I'm certain that you have to be at least 18 for safety critical jobs. However, when I look on Virgin Trains' website and try to apply for a job (just to see what questions you get asked! ), the first page asks "Are you over 18?" If you select "no", it says "sorry, you weren't successful...." This gives the impression that you must be 19+.

What is the minimum age at which a TOC would employ someone for a non-safety-critical job anyway?

For those who joined a TOC soon after leaving education (at whatever level), what did you choose to do between the age of 16 and when you joined? Did you go to college, university, or did you get a "part-time" job so that you had something to put on your CV?

For those who work for a TOC no matter what age you are, what sort of shift patterns do you have? I am particularly interested in those who work for Virgin Trains!

Do you work 4.5, 5, 5.5 days a week? Do you work 6 days one week and 4 days the next? If you work on board, do you have long shifts? If it's a 35 hour a week on board job, do you work 3 days at 9 hours and 1 day at 8 hours, or are your hours spread out over more days? How about station jobs, where it doesn't seem as necessary to work long shifts?

All responses, no matter which TOC you work/worked for, you be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Traineeconductor]

Hello all. I have a few questions:

What is the minimum age you have to be to work for a TOC? Does this vary for safety-critical jobs (such as platform work), or non-safety-critical jobs (such as the ticket office)?

I'm certain that you have to be at least 18 for safety critical jobs. However, when I look on Virgin Trains' website and try to apply for a job (just to see what questions you get asked! ), the first page asks "Are you over 18?" If you select "no", it says "sorry, you weren't successful...." This gives the impression that you must be 19+.

What is the minimum age at which a TOC would employ someone for a non-safety-critical job anyway?

For those who joined a TOC soon after leaving education (at whatever level), what did you choose to do between the age of 16 and when you joined? Did you go to college, university, or did you get a "part-time" job so that you had something to put on your CV?

For those who work for a TOC no matter what age you are, what sort of shift patterns do you have? I am particularly interested in those who work for Virgin Trains!

Do you work 4.5, 5, 5.5 days a week? Do you work 6 days one week and 4 days the next? If you work on board, do you have long shifts? If it's a 35 hour a week on board job, do you work 3 days at 9 hours and 1 day at 8 hours, or are your hours spread out over more days? How about station jobs, where it doesn't seem as necessary to work long shifts?

All responses, no matter which TOC you work/worked for, you be appreciated. Thank you.

Hey,

It would depend on the nature of the job as to your age and how it would differ.

I would say 16 for a non saftey critical Role OR in the Ticket office. But onboard work would be 18

I started working for GNER as soon as i was 18. they wouldn't employ anyone under this age as it would involve selling alcohol onboard

when i applied to virgin they said the shifts would vary as mine did at GNER one week i would do a 13 hour shift 4 days a week and the other shift i woul work a 5 day week with 2 days off. again this would depend on the nature of the job I was a CSA for GNER at the time.

 

[AlterEgo]

I'm certain that you have to be at least 18 for safety critical jobs. However, when I look on Virgin Trains' website and try to apply for a job (just to see what questions you get asked! ), the first page asks "Are you over 18?" If you select "no", it says "sorry, you weren't successful...." This gives the impression that you must be 19+.

No it doesn't. You're over 18 once you've had your 18th birthday.

 

[driver9000]

I don't think any TOC would employ a person below 16, I'm certain you can't work in a booking office as it has something to do with cash regulations. As I recall if you are below 18 you aren't allowed to work shifts or work alone (as I was told when I was 16) - both of which are very common on the railways.

For safety critical work you must be at least 18 to be a Guard or work on platforms and 21 to be a Driver (18 on LU).

 

[All Line Rover]

No it doesn't. You're over 18 once you've had your 18th birthday.

Ah OK.

 

[GB]

To add to driver9000 post, I believe you can be offered the job of a trainee driver and start training at 20 or so as long as you are 21 when you pass out.

 

[RJ]

I started work on the railways at the age of 19 - think I'm the youngest one at my home station. Prior to this I was studying A-Levels full time and working part time.

I work a 37 hour week - that's 4x 9.25hr shifts with two (consecutive) rest days, or 5x 7.4hr shifts with one rest day. Sundays do not form part of the working week, though rota working means that everybody is allocated one every couple of weeks or so. As an incentive to work them, they're paid at a preferential rate. Rest day working and shifts that run into unsocial hours also mean extra payment. There is flexibility in that shift swaps are permitted, so long as you work a 37 hour week and have the obligatory 12 hour break between shifts.

 

[driver9000]

To add to driver9000 post, I believe you can be offered the job of a trainee driver and start training at 20 or so as long as you are 21 when you pass out.

Yes, this is possible - I always forget to mention this for some reason. I think it depends on the individual TOC though and some do, some don't. I know Northern give a minimum age of 20 when advertising for Trainee drivers.

 

[66526]

Yep that is true, on Network Rail infrastructure can start at 20 as long as you pass out after your 21st. I started my driver training on the Underground at the grand old age of 18 and 5 months...

 

[Fincra5]

To add to driver9000 post, I believe you can be offered the job of a trainee driver and start training at 20 or so as long as you are 21 when you pass out.

Now thats interesting. Wonder if Southern are like that

I personally wouldn't mind driving on LU on the Met, just a shame they never advertise any bloody external jobs

 

[Greenback]

I am fairly sure there was a 17 year old at Reading when I started there in the sales office.

 

[All Line Rover]

I am fairly sure there was a 17 year old at Reading when I started there in the sales office.

I will finish college a year early, you see (at 17), which is why I'm interested about whether they hire under 18's for jobs which aren't safety critical, such as the ticket office. In my opinion, Virgin pay pretty impressive "first time" salaries for ticket office jobs - currently £23,152 and counting! (I've noticed that their salaries have gone up by a few thousand in just a few years.) I hope they don't lose the franchise!

 

[Greenback]

IIRC, the 17 year old had already done work experience at SWT when FGW took him on. But my memory may be failing due to age! Also, I don't know if there has been some change in legislation regarding 16 and 17 year old workers - as ahs been mentioend, you may be restricted in terms of working times these days, I just don't know!

In terms of salary, wher ethere has been an increase this often means that many allowances have been incorporated into the basic pay. For instance, with FGW I earned £18000 in 8 months on a basicsalary of £11000. This included additional payments for Sunday working, shift allowances and occasional overtime. I am sure someone will be able to tell you what has happened with Virign recently.