Recent content by AgentGemini

Good question. They call their guards/traincrew "Train Managers" but reading the job description, this appears to be more like a Conductor / Guards Manager, a line manager role. Reading indepth it is definitely a line manager's job.

Depends on the TOC. A friend on the inside applied for a TOC for a position 100 miles away, offering to relocate etc. They essentially headhunted him and expressed him to final managaer interview. Sadly he didn't get it but no tests needed - literally just "Send us your CV will you?" after he...

196s have controls in the cabs but not guard friendly. On the driver's side, for say an island platform, they are across the seat towards the middle of the cab. There are none on the door side, whereas the class 170s had both, ie, two sets of door controlls on the driver side. On the second man...

Apparently Avanti have been rather topsy turvy with their staff and morale is plummeting. Might explain the service. Look at other franchises where the rot set in when new unscrupulous owners took over - London Midland becoming WMR under the infamous Abellio, or the lamented EMT now becoming...

Legally it's 12hrs, but it has been known for them to go over and then have their next day covered / partially covered to allow them 12hrs mandatory rest...

He was willing to take the training, as his reasoning is that while safety crit is identical, the way some things are done might well be different. He was also willing to take a temporary salary reduction in exchange for getting the job. *shrug* I don't know. I didn't know TFW did Qualified...

They seem to be having a clearout of old administration - both I and a qualified friend heard back a couple of weeks ago. We were both rejected at sift stage, I can take it on the chin but he was gobsmacked given he already does the job.

Inside information tells me the training for onboard staff has been put back to May/June now. Not sure why, but another step in this sorry saga. Meanwhile, EMR were due to get the remaining 170s in May. This will not be happening. I can see these ending up being replaced in only a few years...

It happens. A friend of mine who's been a conductor for his TOC has had the same. He can't believe it, when he's pretty much already qualified. He's considering quitting the railway industry because he's just so worn down by bad management and little career opportunity plus no chance of side...

Hoping the TfW experts can answer a question here: Come Aboard website has this caveat: "Please note before proceeding, if you have been through the assessment or interview process for a Trainee Train Conductor role (in any location) within the last six months and were unsuccessful, we are...

12months before full pay? That is nothing new. Friend joined what was London Midland and had 12 months on probation mid-£20ks salary before getting the full pay. Not sure what legacywise, Abellio WMR do with new guards, but the resentment boils when you find out that other TOCs that run the same...

This looks it's the Avanti equivalent of a Conductor/Guards Manager, not being the onboard TM/Conductor.

Well this is news. I live within 45mins of Birmingham NS and still have heard nothing. East Shropshire/Staff border resident. I would reckon they are using past talent pool first.

Applied - had nothing, no SCAAT or online invites. Still "application in process" :rolleyes: Same still for the two Train Manager / Conductor roles in Birmingham advertised last November. Heard nothing back, supposedly 'in process'. I think I can consider myself out of the running for anything...

One thing for sure: "enhanced" varies between TOCs. You have National Standard, and then TOC A's "enhanced" could be higher than TOC B's "enhanced" requirements.