Rail Gourmet

[Traineeconductor]

Can anyone tell me what the rate of pay for TPE Trolley services is at all? And can also anyone tell me what the interview process is like please? Also how long the training period?

Thanks ya.

 

[185]

Two or three days training, no travel benefits, sales commision limited.

Up side is it's a good way onto the railway, and some of the best traincrew, RPIs, managers and station staff started off their careers there ;o) Local RailGourmet management are some of the nicest people I know.

 

[Traineeconductor]

Two or three days training, no travel benefits, sales commision limited.

Up side is it's a good way onto the railway, and some of the best traincrew, RPIs, managers and station staff started off their careers there ;o) Local RailGourmet management are some of the nicest people I know.

Cool, do u have any idea of the Hourly rate at all?

 

[scotsman]

Cool, do u have any idea of the Hourly rate at all?

Pardon me, but why would "Traineeconductor" be wanting to know about RailGourmet jobs?

 

[Traineeconductor]

Pardon me, but why would "Traineeconductor" be wanting to know about RailGourmet jobs?

Well it's all about knowing ppl and friends who wish to get a foot into the railway industry.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Well it's all about knowing ppl and friends who wish to get a foot into the railway industry.

So anyone else any idea.

 

[142094]

At a guess I would say pay is at or near minimum wage.

 

[E&W Lucas]

Pardon me, but why would "Traineeconductor" be wanting to know about RailGourmet jobs?

Perhaps the OP's username is more a statement of aspiration than situation?

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=40517

These jobs are nothing like "proper" onboard jobs, with the like of Virgin or GNER. Low wages, no travel, no conditions, no railway pension. From what I've seen of the people, the caliber is lower as well. The ones on EMT seem to usually be half asleep, unshaven, have unironed shirts or dandruff. As for bring able to work out change from a tenner, without the use of a calculator, then forget it!

 

[185]

I think it was £7.55 not too long ago. I may be wrong.

 

[142094]

A lot of the Rail Gourmet staff on TPE seem to be Russian - the accent sticks out in Yorkshire.

 

[185]

Russian? Nah most of the foreign staff are Czech with a few Slovakians, and one token Estonian. You'd be amazed how many guards and drivers have learnt a few words of their language (mostly obscenities, screamed down the tannoy).

Looks quite strange when I scroll through Facebook and a lot of the updates are unpronounceable

 

[mike1990]

not sure about RG staff working on said TOC but I can tell you that the hourly rate for RG staff working on EMT is £6.20, maybe it's similar for all RG trolley staff I don't know.

 

[387star]

£7.55 is very good for pushing a trolley around!

 

[Greenback]

£7.55 is very good for pushing a trolley around!

I assume you will be applying then?

 

[Traineeconductor]

well i dunno. depends how i feel.

 

[Scotrail84]

Is this the same Rail Gourmet that delivers catering supplies to trains??

I started in there when i was fresh out of school at 16. IIRC i was getting between £800-£1000 a month for 5 usually 6days work although there was always plenty overtime when i was working there. Couldnt tell you what any of the pay or conditions are like now as i left years ago. Put it this way you dont get any benefits that working for a proper toc give you.

Its a good way to get to know people in other companies that can give you advice on how to get into the railway proper.

 

[Traineeconductor]

Is this the same Rail Gourmet that delivers catering supplies to trains??

I started in there when i was fresh out of school at 16. IIRC i was getting between £800-£1000 a month for 5 usually 6days work although there was always plenty overtime when i was working there. Couldnt tell you what any of the pay or conditions are like now as i left years ago. Put it this way you dont get any benefits that working for a proper toc give you.

Its a good way to get to know people in other companies that can give you advice on how to get into the railway proper.

Yeah i no a few Rail Gourmet workers from the Leeds Depot. well we will see what happens. i do think its a good foot in the door.

 

[HST Power]

Yeah i no a few Rail Gourmet workers from the Leeds Depot. well we will see what happens. i do think its a good foot in the door.

If you have plans to go further in the railway industry, even the smallest tad of experience will be useful, as competition for jobs like train driving can be very fierce.

 

[BestWestern]

There is a depot on the First Gt Western network which has around 5 or 6 Guards out of 20-ish who started on the 'Gourmet, including one who qualified very recently, so if their policies on TPE are along similar lines then it might be worth persuing. Having said that, I never hear a positive word being said about the firm or it's management, the staff get messed about royally and seem to be expected to just put up with whatever crap they are dealt and not take home much pay in return; so be prepared! (Umm, that's Rail Gourmet's staff by the way, not FGW's!)

 

[Traineeconductor]

There is a depot on the First Gt Western network which has around 5 or 6 Guards out of 20-ish who started on the 'Gourmet, including one who qualified very recently, so if their policies on TPE are along similar lines then it might be worth persuing. Having said that, I never hear a positive word being said about the firm or it's management, the staff get messed about royally and seem to be expected to just put up with whatever crap they are dealt and not take home much pay in return; so be prepared! (Umm, that's Rail Gourmet's staff by the way, not FGW's!)

If what your saying is correct. Most companies are within the same boat at the moment because they no they can do it and there is many people who they can be picky and choosey about when it comes to getting a job.

So i personally think when it comes to geting a job is to grin and bare it and work hard at it and then thats when you can apply for bigger and better things.

 

[BestWestern]

If what your saying is correct. Most companies are within the same boat at the moment because they no they can do it and there is many people who they can be picky and choosey about when it comes to getting a job.

So i personally think when it comes to geting a job is to grin and bare it and work hard at it and then thats when you can apply for bigger and better things.

I agree, and at least you would be working within your desired environment, if not yet in your desired job. From what I have noted personally, many of the Stewards employed by RG are either foriegn and doing the job just to earn something to send home, or British and wholly disinterested. If you can give a good account of yourself you will stand out, the Guards you work with will notice this, and word does get round when it's time to recruit for Guards. So, give it your best shot!

 

[Traineeconductor]

I agree, and at least you would be working within your desired environment, if not yet in your desired job. From what I have noted personally, many of the Stewards employed by RG are either foriegn and doing the job just to earn something to send home, or British and wholly disinterested. If you can give a good account of yourself you will stand out, the Guards you work with will notice this, and word does get round when it's time to recruit for Guards. So, give it your best shot!

totally agree. So I have applied for a number of different things But we will see where it all leads too. I don't hold my hopes to high and then if things go a little pair shaped then it dont hurt too much.

 

[cantosis]

D Rail Gourmet advertise in their website, never seen any jobs there? When I worked in Kings Cross we used to think we would hate working for them as the rail gourmet offices were really scummy in the basement, no air or windows...like a bunker....but now with it getting harder to find work I have been thinking about it

 

[Traineeconductor]

No they don't advertise on thier website. I personally got the number for the depot and rangthem up irectly and applied that way.

 

[BestWestern]

D Rail Gourmet advertise in their website, never seen any jobs there? When I worked in Kings Cross we used to think we would hate working for them as the rail gourmet offices were really scummy in the basement, no air or windows...like a bunker....but now with it getting harder to find work I have been thinking about it

I would try and locate their local manager and approach them; they seem to have a high staff turnover so the chances are there will more than likely be something going before long!

 

[Eng274]

I've seen "on board hospitality" jobs advertised on agency websites and job centre plus, describing what is essentially pushing a trolley. It doesn't give any details of TOC (or if it is indeed in the rail industry at all). Pay is £6/hour, I'm half tempted to apply if there is (still) plenty hours and overtime to be had.

Does anybody know what the actual shift would be like? I guess for Scotrail it would be 4-6 return trips on the edinburgh - Glasgow shuttle, or a return trip to Aberdeen?

How many runs up the length of the train does the trolley have to make? Does it just depend on how keen the attendant is to sell their stock, or on longer services, one run per major stop?

 

[scotsman]

I've seen "on board hospitality" jobs advertised on agency websites and job centre plus, describing what is essentially pushing a trolley. It doesn't give any details of TOC (or if it is indeed in the rail industry at all). Pay is £6/hour, I'm half tempted to apply if there is (still) plenty hours and overtime to be had.

Does anybody know what the actual shift would be like? I guess for Scotrail it would be 4-6 return trips on the edinburgh - Glasgow shuttle, or a return trip to Aberdeen?

How many runs up the length of the train does the trolley have to make? Does it just depend on how keen the attendant is to sell their stock, or on longer services, one run per major stop?

I'd have thought ScotRail might have paid a bit more than £6/hour, since they're in-house - bear in mind that with in-house catering you get all the usual rail staff priveleges (especially at ScotRail with the First group boxes, vouchers etc!)

I've heard the shifts can be torturous with them always starting and ending in the same point, but going anywhere else in between! Glasgow-Edinburgh-Glasgow-Aberdeen-Edinburgh-Glasgow could be a good guess at a shift (from what I've been told anyway)

Trolley tends to go through once, followed by a rubbish run on the E&G. You'll be lucky to get more than 2 trolley and rubbish runs per trip on the Inverness or Aberdeen trains I find.

I could be wrong though, I don't know a huge amount - but it's a good stepping stone in the industry, especially in-house with access to internal applications for Conductor/Driver positions. In between runs you can even get a bit of route learning in!

 

[Eng274]

I'd have thought ScotRail might have paid a bit more than £6/hour, since they're in-house - bear in mind that with in-house catering you get all the usual rail staff priveleges (especially at ScotRail with the First group boxes, vouchers etc!)

I've heard the shifts can be torturous with them always starting and ending in the same point, but going anywhere else in between! Glasgow-Edinburgh-Glasgow-Aberdeen-Edinburgh-Glasgow could be a good guess at a shift (from what I've been told anyway)

Trolley tends to go through once, followed by a rubbish run on the E&G. You'll be lucky to get more than 2 trolley and rubbish runs per trip on the Inverness or Aberdeen trains I find.

I could be wrong though, I don't know a huge amount - but it's a good stepping stone in the industry, especially in-house with access to internal applications for Conductor/Driver positions. In between runs you can even get a bit of route learning in!

There was literally no more than a basic job description, hourly pay rate, and that the agency has "a client who requires... temporary with potential for a permanent job for the right candidate" the fact it isn't advertised on First's own recruitment site tells me it might not be for first, but who knows.

Thanks for shift info as well, seems gruelling but it can't be worse than serving the Smirnoff Ice jakey brigade at the airport, on their holidays to zante :roll: and the simple fact its on the railways makes it infinitely more interesting!

 

[scotsman]

There was literally no more than a basic job description, hourly pay rate, and that the agency has "a client who requires... temporary with potential for a permanent job for the right candidate" the fact it isn't advertised on First's own recruitment site tells me it might not be for first, but who knows.

Thanks for shift info as well, seems gruelling but it can't be worse than serving the Smirnoff Ice jakey brigade at the airport, on their holidays to zante :roll: and the simple fact its on the railways makes it infinitely more interesting!

Not ScotRail then, could be FSP or RG though - who do XC, TPE and LM

 

[Traineeconductor]

Not ScotRail then, could be FSP or RG though - who do XC, TPE and LM

XC have there own in house Trolley dollys and they earn a decent amount for it too.

 

[scotsman]

XC have there own in house Trolley dollys and they earn a decent amount for it too.

Not on their Stansted route, external partner on minimum wage I think