Thameslink drivers

[Ladder23]

am I right in believing there was recently a big recruitment campaign for TL trainee drivers and chances of another campaign are very slim?

I currently work for network rail S&T, but really hoping to be able to move onto driving in the future..

I don’t want to hold out in hope of something I could quite simply never have a chance of getting,

Curious to hear any info

 

[bionic]

Last I heard Thameslink were about 130 drivers oversubscribed, so sadly you are correct. It doesn't look like there'll be any recruitment soon.

What depots were you after? If its Bedford forget it altogether as they have pages and pages of names on the transfer list to go there (mostly people who were originally there but displaced in the restructuring). You'll have more chance of the suburban depots (Orpington, St Albans, Cricklewood, Hornsey etc) in future as intensive work depots tend to have a higher turnover.

Keep an eye on it, but probably best to put in for other TOCs as well.

 

[Ladder23]

Last I heard Thameslink were about 130 drivers oversubscribed, so sadly you are correct. It doesn't look like there'll be any recruitment soon.

What depots were you after? If its Bedford forget it altogether as they have pages and pages of names on the transfer list to go there (mostly people who were originally there but displaced in the restructuring). You'll have more chance of the suburban depots (Orpington, St Albans, Cricklewood, Hornsey etc) in future as intensive work depots tend to have a higher turnover.

Keep an eye on it, but probably best to put in for other TOCs as well.

Typically enough, bedford. However I am situated close to harlington, so getting to St Albans, or even cricklewood isn’t a bother, I am very familiar with the route as that’s where I worked for the best part of 4/5 years.

I now work on the west coast mainline, driving careers I believe are through abellio? I’ve looked, but I am very fond of the thameslink routes. Purely down to experience and knowledge of the areas

 

[westcoaster]

It would most likely be cricklewood if, and if they did recruit.
When Bedford (260 ish drivers) went through restructuring, only 120 stayed, the rest were relocated to Luton and St Albans. Most of these drivers put in for return moves back to Bedford, so the requirement for drivers at Bedford will be zero and if they need drivers these will come from Luton first and foremost.

 

[bionic]

Typically enough, bedford. However I am situated close to harlington, so getting to St Albans, or even cricklewood isn’t a bother, I am very familiar with the route as that’s where I worked for the best part of 4/5 years.

I now work on the west coast mainline, driving careers I believe are through abellio? I’ve looked, but I am very fond of the thameslink routes. Purely down to experience and knowledge of the areas

St Albans is nothing but Sutton loops. Cricklewood is nothing but Sutton and Orpington. You'd have a lot more chance getting on with LNR at Bletchley I would have thought.

 

[Inamberclad]

I got all the way through the process over 2 years ago and am still waiting. They said there will be nothing for us in 2019 so I'd look elsewhere.

 

[Ladder23]

I got all the way through the process over 2 years ago and am still waiting. They said there will be nothing for us in 2019 so I'd look elsewhere.

So for you it’s a case of waiting till your top of the list and then start?

How long could that be?!