Might be getting a new job!

fs9freak · Post by **fs9freak** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 7:57 pm

I've just applied for a job with South West Trains, as a platform assistant at Fareham Station (between Portsmouth Harbour and Southampton Central).
Hopefully I'll be able to get that job, as it will help my career in future!

petermakosch · Post by **petermakosch** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:05 pm

lol, i did with MML many times, and Central Trains.
No luck though

So im an Astron Agent- Woo! lol, i'd rather be a Whistle Blower!

southcoasttrains · Post by **southcoasttrains** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 9:14 pm

Good luck.

Took me 2 years to get onto the railway.

Firstly I applied to be a conductor for then South Central. Past 3 out of 4 of the assesment tests.

Secondly I applied for the Platform staff at Eastbourne, passed the assesment tests but didn't impress the area manager.

Then 6 months later I applied to Network Rail as a signaller, South Eastern for platform staff and South Central for gateline. Network Rail got back to me saying I wasn't successfull, South Eastern took 8 months to reply saying there wasn't anything going :s and South Central said all the gateline jobs had gone but I could go in for Ticket Office. Which is what I'm doing now.

I hope you are successfull in getting the job, its a foot in the door for a good career ahead of you.

arabiandisco · Post by **arabiandisco** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 9:19 pm

I failed the driver test when I applied for chiltern. I don't have the attention span...

Push paper for Network Rail now, and it's way better... Plus i'm gonna be a driver one day anyway, even if it's only driving a peak up and down the MHR...

Railways are pretty decent employers, and the Railways Pension Scheme is second to none.

southcoasttrains · Post by **southcoasttrains** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 9:24 pm

The RPS is brilliant, something to look forward to when you retire.

alex2008 · Post by **alex2008** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 12:01 pm

arabiandisco wrote:Railways are pretty decent employers

I'm sure the RMT would LOVE to disagree with that statement, but from what I have seen they are a pretty decent employer.

Good luck on the job application fs9freak!

seaeagle · Post by **seaeagle** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 12:16 pm

Railways are pretty decent employers

It's the lower management that ruin it for the decent hard working staff. Its amazing how these so called managers hide when something goes wrong, leaving the front line staff to take the brunt of passengers complaints. Good luck with the job application.

petermakosch · Post by **petermakosch** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 12:42 pm

lol, I was on the station once talking to my Train Dispatcher friend. He'd just sent off the 13:16 CT service to Stanstead. The train was just heading out of the station when some people came onto the platform. They had just come off of a replacement bus service.
What suprised me, and made me giggle is that the lady said "They knew we were coming. . ." It sounded like she was going to say "So they sent the train off!" after that bit. No offence, but obviously "they" didnt know the lady and her buddies were coming. Still, i didnt laugh till they were long gone (next train was an hour away). He managed it quite well.
[/little . story]

barrymcguire9999 · Post by **barrymcguire9999** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 12:54 pm

petermakosch wrote:lol, I was on the station once talking to my Train Dispatcher friend. He'd just sent off the 13:16 CT service to Stanstead. The train was just heading out of the station when some people came onto the platform. They had just come off of a replacement bus service.
What suprised me, and made me giggle is that the lady said "They knew we were coming. . ." It sounded like she was going to say "So they sent the train off!" after that bit. No offence, but obviously "they" didnt know the lady and her buddies were coming. Still, i didnt laugh till they were long gone (next train was an hour away). He managed it quite well.
[/little . story]

Always the despatchers fault if someone turns up too late and misses the train

, some bloke wanted to stab me a couple of months back as I wouldn't let him on due the the CDL's being locked and the driver having the "R".

Cheers

Barry

fs9freak · Post by **fs9freak** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 4:51 pm

arabiandisco wrote:...the Railways Pension Scheme is second to none.

Except maybe the Airlines!
One main reason why I applied for the job is that it's full time, plus it's quite close to the local college, as I'm planning on doing a coulpe of A Levels starting September!

The job I most want to do is be a pilot! Not that I'm disrespecting train drivers or anything, it's just that my passion is in the sky (and my head is in the clouds! lol).

southcoasttrains · Post by **southcoasttrains** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 8:47 pm

barrymcguire9999 wrote: Always the despatchers fault if someone turns up too late and misses the train , some bloke wanted to stab me a couple of months back as I wouldn't let him on due the the CDL's being locked and the driver having the "R".

Cheers

Barry

Yep, witnessed that at Lewes. Dispatcher gave the right away for the up Vic one morning and the train pulls away and a lady appeared trying to push the button to open the door.

She then asks why the train left. "It has to be on time madam".

She then raged shouting "I'm a season ticket holder you have to wait for me in the morning".

Dispatcher then replies, well madam, if you got out of bed early you would of caught it.

petermakosch · Post by **petermakosch** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 9:12 pm

It seems to be the evenings to.
I was at the station once at like 6pm or something, only for a couple hours, and i saw no less than 3 people try and get on the train while it was physically moving out of the station. It doesnt sound much, but compared with the average of 0 in the day, it is!
Pete

fs9freak · Post by **fs9freak** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:11 am

It seems strange how people think they own the place when they get something like a season ticket!
HELLO! A season ticket is a ticket allowing you to travel as much as you like on a route for a set amount, it doesn't mean that the train HAS to wait for you!

Perhaps they should start putting that on the backof the season tickets or something!

WAT3212 · Post by **WAT3212** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 5:17 pm

When I was working at London Waterloo, I was going around the station with the Station Manager when we got called to the Windsor side Information Desk.

There waiting, was a man who wanted to get to Reading. However, the train departed 62 seconds early. Seeing as the Reading service only runs every 30 minutes, he was pretty angry!

Makes a change from the trains being late, especially as it was a Juniper

allypally · Post by **allypally** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 3:11 pm

This is why I love non staffed stations, Ive been running up the ramp to the station before when the doors were closed, and the conductor stopped the train to let me on! Another time, my mom left one of my brothers on the platform, the train was stopped and reversed so he could get on! THe dispatchers at Wolverhampton can be really bad at times, though. A bloke was on platform assistance, helped an old lady, and the dispatcher promptly gave the train the right away. Another time, when you were allowed to stick luggage in the DVT, a friend of mine was in there when they gave the right away, and was stuck in there till Coventry!