How do i become a scotrail driver and what is involved?

[skenz77]

I have recently become redundant as an Assistant Site Manager, before that I was a joiner. I wish to diversify and have chosen the rail network. I would like to earn within the 30k bracket. Is working as a train driver a good stepping stone? I live in the west of Scotland near Glasgow. Please help

 

[Gizmogle]

Most people wanting to work as train drivers need to work their way up in the rail industry first. For example, many drivers previously worked as guards, or dispatch, etc.

 

[Mintona]

You can go straight into driving if you're old enough. Working up is more a way for younger people.

Unfortunately there aren't currently any vacancies with Scotrail for drivers at the moment. Keep checking www.jobsatscotrail.com - any new vacancies will appear on there.

 

[skenz77]

:roll:Thanks! Is their any way i can get the ball rolling though even is there are no vacancies? Am thirty bloody two in march lol

 

[Mintona]

:roll:Thanks! Is their any way i can get the ball rolling though even is there are no vacancies? Am thirty bloody two in march lol

Afraid not. If you were already a qualified driver then you could send them your details and they would hold onto them until they had a vacancy, and would more than likely offer you a job as long as you weren't inappropriate in the interview. But not being qualified you can only sit it out and wait.

If you were willing to move, it is likely this lot: http://www.tpexpress.co.uk/index.htm are going to have trainee driver's vacancies soon.

 

[FusionRail]

Frieghtliner were recently opening positions to the pubic, one of our guys applied for it last month.

 

[Scotdriver01]

Hi there, I would not worry about the age thing to much. I am a scotrail driver and ther was a large age range going through the training process with me. I think the oldest was around 40ish. Scotrail do regularly hire for drivers as there is major expansion plans, so keep checking.
Good luck

 

[skenz77]

I take it to get the trainning you need to get the job?

 

[Scotdriver01]

Yeah. It takes about 4 months in the classroom, and about 6mths with a driving instructor. Well worth it.

 

[The_Rail_WAy]

:roll:Thanks! Is their any way i can get the ball rolling though even is there are no vacancies? Am thirty bloody two in march lol

Personally I think it would be a good idea to get involved with a preserved/heritage railway as a voulenteer. You won't get a job as a driver straight away but you will learn more about railway practices and (like any voulantary work) its relevence will help with your CV and interview.

The_Rail_WAy

 

[LilLoaf]

Hate to put a downer on things but with the country state of unemployment the way it is the chances of a TOC taking on anyone who isn't already in the rail industry is very unlikely.

If you have already worked on the railway then great your further ahead than most but if you haven't then i wouldn't as the saying goes "put all your eggs in one basket".

To get to driver you need to work as Revenue Protection Staff, Guard, Driver. In some companies you can skip the Revenue Protection stage.

 

[Mojo]

Platform staff & station staff jobs are also another good place to work.

Be aware though that even these jobs can be *very* competitive. I've just started with a TOC on a station and there were 40 interviews for only 3 positions - and at that it's only part-time!

 

[AlexS]

At the moment every job everywhere is competitive unfortunately - for an internally advertised only vacancy at my current place of work (NHS) as a receptionist there have been well over 100 applications for 4 jobs.

I move to work for Job Centre Plus shortly and there were thousands of applications for the positions - I believe the interviews took 3 weeks to complete doing them all day, 5 days a week.

 

[ianthescot]

Hi skenz77, just to give you some encouragement, FSR are looking to expand their routes quite a bit over the next few years. There are new lines being opened from Bathgate to Airdrie and they will also be working on the Glasgow Airport link. Added to that the service between Glasgow and Edinburgh is being improved with more frequent trains. I'm 45 years old and have no train or any transport experience. I was an Operations Manager in IT for many years and have just passed the recruitment process and start my training in 3 weeks as a train driver. When I first applied they were looking for 10 drivers to be based at Bathgate but by the time I progressed through the proceedure these positions were taken and I have now been assigned to Motherwell.

The process is quite intense and can take quite a while. This can be hard if you are out of work. There are technical tests, some based on basic maths/physics, some concentration tests, trainability tests, a first interview with some of the driving team, a reaction test, 2nd interview (normally HR) and then a medical. I had some problems with the medical but FSR were very patient and once a consultant at my local hospital gave me a checkup and OK'ed me, I was through.

I believe that there were over 1,000 applications for the 10 Bathgate jobs. An elimination based on CVs and the tests soon whittle that quite dramatically.

As I said earlier, FSR do tend to be loooking for drivers quite regularly. Keep checking the recruitment website http://www.jobsatscotrail.com/ and even drop HR an email (address is on the webpage) to see if they possibly have any coming up.

Best of luck.

 

[First ScotRail]

1 answer keep looking. I do have a funny feeling now that SR is cutting down on its external recruitment.

 

[skenz77]

Hi Ian

Thanks very much for a well informed post. As have all the posts. certainly keeping my beady eye on that site now!



Scott

 

[Flyboy]

I commend Ian's informative and encouraging post, and strongly disagree with LilLoaf's point of view. There is no doubt that experience in some instances is valuable, but to recruit solely based on a candidates' rail experience would be foolish, and I'm sure that's rare. Being 'in-house' is obviously an advantage, if you're looking at moving up in the same Company then you have direct access to HR staff, and it's a relatively easy process for the Employer as they know your 'form', but there has to be an element of ability and aptitude. Not all customer-facing staff would make good drivers, and not all drivers would make good customer-facing staff.

The same could be said for my industry - aviation, I don't have the characteristics or skills required to be cabin crew, so why would I become one in order to work my way up to becoming a pilot. Of course I've flown with some guys who are ex-cabin attendants, but in the main it simply doesn't work like that, and rightly so. Different skills, different jobs.

 

[O L Leigh]

Scott,

Train driving done to a nationally agreed standard, so the recruitment and training process is going to be broadly the same whichever TOC you're angling for. The best website by far is http://www.railwayregister.care4free.net/becoming_a_train_driver.htm which should tell you all you need to know.

There is some advantage to applying for driving from another grade within a TOC, but it is not always required. The only two ways I can think of is that a TOC may not necessarily advertise for trainees externally if it can fill all the vacancies from internal candidates, and that an internal candidate will not need to worry about getting through the first sift because they should be offered an assessment straight away. However, once at the assessment stage the process is equal and there are no advantages to be had. So internal candidates do have a better chance of getting into the driving grade where external candidates have to work that bit harder, but current rail experience is not necessarily required as LilLoaf has said.

Best of luck!!

O L Leigh

 

[Flyboy]

Yes indeed Scott, stick with it if it's something you really want to do.

I second OL's recommendation of Mike's website at the above link, scroll down to the TOC section which contains important details such as terms & conditions, pay, rosters etc. for each TOC, as well as regularly updated vacancies.

Although the recruitment situation is very different now to what it was last year, at a 'Train on Rail' conference held in Derby in July 2008, NEEC's HR Director - Andy Meadows - said :

"The picture that appears to be emerging suggests that the current (rail) workforce, together with our share of new entrants leaving full-time education, will not be able to meet our needs, either in terms of quality or quantity. We therefore must seek to attract and re-skill adult workers from other sectors and possibly other countries."

 

[scotchgitt]

Scott,

during the assessments/interviews you will be challenged to your reasons for becoming a train driver, I assume wanting to earn in excess of £30k will be one you talk too much about. Yes it is a factor, but with it comes responsibility and odd hours. the training wage of around £19k will be for upto (and maybe even beyond 12 months) depends on you , the trainer and routes baing available. then over the first 12 months driving your wage will step up. £26k after 6 months, then £29k after another 3 months and finally the £33k after a further 3 months.

Ian's post is correct, I was recently in for my final stage in the assessment/interview/medical process and HR are still very busy. There are currently 40 posts being recruited for and that had over 10,000 applicants (going by the info HR told me). HR did also tell me that the average age of a driver is 44 and there are 2 recent new recruits well into their 50s. So while being a TOC employee may help you get through the first sift the rest is based on raw skill, knowledge and life experience......something that an older person is more likely to have.

I first applied late September for a depot that is now full but they have put me forward for a further possible 2 depots. Hope to find out very soon which it is to be.

As Ian said it is sifficult if you are out of work as these jobs don't pop up too often and when they do many, many folks apply for them.

It would be wise if you were to start reading this forum and others like it, that also exist, to see the sort of tests, questions and application form info you could gather together so you are well prepared.

If the job pops up it is still around 6 months before training will start (at the earliest).

good luck

 

[ungreat]

To get to driver you need to work as Revenue Protection Staff, Guard, Driver. In some companies you can skip the Revenue Protection stage.

No you don't.If you are over 21 you can apply straight for driver positions.

 

[ungreat]

Hate to put a downer on things but with the country state of unemployment the way it is the chances of a TOC taking on anyone who isn't already in the rail industry is very unlikely.


To get to driver you need to work as Revenue Protection Staff, Guard, Driver. In some companies you can skip the Revenue Protection stage.

Where on earth do you get your info from? Do you make it up?

 

[mikeym]

I was driving for london underground for 11 years, excellent work record, nvq, letters of recognition for good work etc... Moved to scotland in sept last year, passed testing for scotrail but Failed at interview. When I asked for feedback, I was sent a letter saying that the manager thought I did not know enough about the role of a train driver and the environment in which they work !!!
Surely the only explanation for this is because I am english !

 

[First ScotRail]

Surely the only explanation for this is because I am english !

Thats is a stupid comment to make! ScotRail employes on merits, not nationality, there are a wide variety of people working at the company, so to say that you failed at the interview because you were english I dont count as a real reason. ScotRail gave you the reason, it may not have been you didnt know enough, you may not have communicated very well...thats the only reason I can think of.

 

[F Great Eastern]

There are English people working for Scotrail, I've seen them personally myself.

Slightly off topic, but I see the Scottish press is giving Scotrail a harsh time recently. When I went up there in February for a week I thought the service provided by Scotrail was outstanding, much improved from National Express' days.

Yes there are infrastructure improvements that can be made, but the train service itself is very well run, and I can't speak highly enough of the staff I encountered on the sleeper, which incidentally, were not all Scottish.

 

[me123]

I've met a disproportionately high number of employees from South of the border. If they said you don't know enough about the role and environment yet you were a LU driver, it sounds like a problem with the interview. That said, working on the LU is completely different to any of Scotrail's operations (with the possible exception of Cathcart Circle).

Speaking as someone who is not in the rail industry.

 

[37401]

Theres a fantastic website that i found has loads of info including Hours Pay for all TOC`s FOC`s...

http://www.railwayregister.care4free.net/becoming_a_train_driver.htm

good luck mate.

 

[mikeym]

yeah may sound silly of me to give such a response, but like i said i had lots of recognition in my last job, and the interview i thought went very well, having obviously done my research into scotrail beforehand. I just thought it was a very lame excuse on their part to say that i didnt know anything ! Anyway, ill keep searchmg and hopefully do better next time eh lol

 

[Flyboy]

Although feedback is a useful tool one should always be sceptical of the content. Positive discrimination is a common thing and no one can ever be sure what requirements are being applied to the recruitment process by a Company at any given time. Of course what's written in black and white is that "ABC Ltd is an equal opportunities Employer" but that's just for the Lawyers, you'd have to be extremely naive to believe it's actually true.