Irish Rail Jobs Discussion

lledlledlled · 30-01-2019 07:55PM

Effects wrote: »

You're missing the guys, who are actual train drivers, saying there are no 12 hour shifts and that's it's not legal anyway.

Thanks, but I hadn't missed that at all. I was challenging a claim from a previous poster that drivers do 12hr shifts. The example given didn't appear to me to add up to 12hrs.

This thread is an excellent source of information for those thinking of train driving as a career. However, there is a also an occasional wild claim made as if it is fact. It's a pity some posters choose to do that, as people reading the forum may use the information in determining what could be a life-changing decision.

This application process certainly is dragged out. I genuinely hope that the positions go to the most deserving applicants.

sabrina99 · 30-01-2019 09:38PM

“Identified competencies of a driver as advised in job advert”
I don’t recall too many details in the ad, anyone know what type of stuff they’re looking for here?

blueband · 30-01-2019 10:08PM

sabrina99 wrote: »

“Identified competencies of a driver as advised in job advert”
I don’t recall too many details in the ad, anyone know what type of stuff they’re looking for here?

the ad is gone from Irish Rail and I didn't keep a copy, this however is on Careersportal in relation to the rail driver recruitment campaign. It may or may not reflect the actual ad that Irish Rail put up but its all I have to work off

Successful candidates must have the following attributes:

Excellent Communication Skills
Calm in an Emergency
Follow Rules and Procedures
Conscientious
Customer Focus
Achievement Orientation

Doghouses · 31-01-2019 12:40AM

Unlikely have to live max 1hr from depot !
Where has this idea come from

prinzeugen · 31-01-2019 12:45AM

Doghouses wrote: »

Unlikely have to live max 1hr from depot !
Where has this idea come from

I know a driver in the UK. Lives in Cupar, based in Edinburgh. That is more than a hours drive! He has been doing it since the 90's.

Doghouses · 31-01-2019 12:49AM

Medical is intense enough I heard. They look for report from GP make sure no history of depression etc...

Doghouses · 31-01-2019 12:53AM

Do all drivers always start at depot. I mean most morning trains are incoming to Dublin. Rosslare to Dublin for example. Where his depot Waterford over 1 hour and Dublin

Willie Stroker 1976 · 31-01-2019 01:26AM

Been on here the last few weeks folks have no word back since stage 2. Going to unfollow (to stop the email notifications), cheers for the help and answers over the last few weeks lads. Best of luck to the remainder of you all still in the running and fingers crossed for ya’s.

Rootsblower · 31-01-2019 04:54AM

Doghouses wrote: »

Do all drivers always start at depot. I mean most morning trains are incoming to Dublin. Rosslare to Dublin for example. Where his depot Waterford over 1 hour and Dublin

There are drivers based in Rosslare

Ais123 · 31-01-2019 07:41AM

Doghouses wrote: »

Unlikely have to live max 1hr from depot !
Where has this idea come from

https://jobs.deutschebahngroup.careers/jobs/JobDetail/Qualified-Train-Driver-Leeds/34154

It states it in all the uk train driver applications they say it’s a requirement due to driving hours and I presume it will be with Irish rail too.

annor99 · 31-01-2019 08:13AM

Willie Stroker 1976 wrote: »

Been on here the last few weeks folks have no word back since stage 2. Going to unfollow (to stop the email notifications), cheers for the help and answers over the last few weeks lads. Best of luck to the remainder of you all still in the running and fingers crossed for ya’s.

Willie you can unfollow the thread so you don't get the emails but check it as and when you want then. Either bookmark or paste and copy the link into a message somewhere so have quick access. Dont loose hope yet.

Rootsblower · 31-01-2019 08:17AM

Ais123 wrote: »

https://jobs.deutschebahngroup.careers/jobs/JobDetail/Qualified-Train-Driver-Leeds/34154

It states it in all the uk train driver applications they say it’s a requirement due to driving hours and I presume it will be with Irish rail too.

This is not the U.K.
Never presume anything regarding the railway

Ais123 · 31-01-2019 08:30AM

Rootsblower wrote: »

This is not the U.K.
Never presume anything regarding the railway

You are very correct! However I’m sure I read somewhere it was to do with EU regulations but I can’t find anything in the eu legislation. So who knows. I guess we’ll wait and see. I’m borderline on the hour so hopefully it’s not a requirement.

Rootsblower · 31-01-2019 08:47AM

Ais123 wrote: »

You are very correct! However I’m sure I read somewhere it was to do with EU regulations but I can’t find anything in the eu legislation. So who knows. I guess we’ll wait and see. I’m borderline on the hour so hopefully it’s not a requirement.

I have never heard of this in my career as a driver
Plenty of guys doing over an hours commute every day

Ais123 · 31-01-2019 08:53AM

Rootsblower wrote: »

I have never heard of this in my career as a driver
Plenty of guys doing over an hours commute every day

Does it mention it anywhere in the contract?

Rootsblower · 31-01-2019 08:59AM

Ais123 wrote: »

Does it mention it anywhere in the contract?

Not in mine

Ais123 · 31-01-2019 09:00AM

Rootsblower wrote: »

Not in mine

Perfect, thankfully then it mustn’t be a requirement in Ireland.

khaldrogo · 31-01-2019 09:17AM

Did anyone get confirmation of the time they selected for phase 2

Rootsblower · 31-01-2019 09:19AM

Ais123 wrote: »

Perfect, thankfully then it mustn’t be a requirement in Ireland.

That doesnt mean it won’t be in new contracts

GM228 · 31-01-2019 09:41AM

To clarify the 1 hour drive time is not a legal requirement in the UK, rather a UK industry accepted best practice which stems from the (now withdrawn) "Hidden Rules".

Ais123 · 31-01-2019 10:11AM

khaldrogo wrote: »

Did anyone get confirmation of the time they selected for phase 2

Not yet and they were starting them at 8 this morning weren’t they?

blueband · 31-01-2019 11:36AM

Rootsblower wrote: »

Not in mine

Ais123 wrote: »

Perfect, thankfully then it mustn’t be a requirement in Ireland.

Rootsblower wrote: »

That doesnt mean it won’t be in new contracts

I was wondering why we had to bring proof of address, as I couldn't see the relevance since we hadn't been required to provide that in the online application that I recall.

When I saw the mention of it here about the 1hour commute limit it made me wonder was it connected. Surely then, based on your home address they would exclude people outside the limit from further participation. Hmm.

I would be a touch over the hour in low traffic, and up to two hours in the height of rush hour,. but then most people driving would be considering the heavy traffic in the Inchicore area during rush hour.

Eddie Ere · 31-01-2019 11:47AM

blueband wrote: »

I was wondering why we had to bring proof of address, as I couldn't see the relevance since we hadn't been required to provide that in the online application that I recall.

When I saw the mention of it here about the 1hour commute limit it made me wonder was it connected. Surely then, based on your home address they would exclude people outside the limit from further participation. Hmm.

I would be a touch over the hour in low traffic, and up to two hours in the height of rush hour,. but then most people driving would be considering the heavy traffic in the Inchicore area during rush hour.

I sincerly hope not. I'm based in Galway and want to move to Dublin for the job alone.

Jamie2k9 · 31-01-2019 11:49AM

blueband wrote: »

I was wondering why we had to bring proof of address, as I couldn't see the relevance since we hadn't been required to provide that in the online application that I recall.

When I saw the mention of it here about the 1hour commute limit it made me wonder was it connected. Surely then, based on your home address they would exclude people outside the limit from further participation. Hmm.

I would be a touch over the hour in low traffic, and up to two hours in the height of rush hour,. but then most people driving would be considering the heavy traffic in the Inchicore area during rush hour.

They likely want you to be available reasonably quick if on standby or there equivalent, able to get to work in all weather types etc.

If the whole depot lived 2+ hours away then I suspect where you live could be a major factor plus the companies ability to provide a reliable service would force the issue. Starting a shift at 5am, nobody wants a commute of 1.5 hours.

bikeman1 · 31-01-2019 12:24PM

Guys, plenty of drivers are currently driving from over an hour away to the Dublin depots. Maybe off peak they could get there in about an hour, but not at peak time. Most shifts are early morning, and late evening but plenty requiring you to be there at rush hour as well.

I've heard 175 went for assessment over the two days in Inchicore. About 1800 were asked forward to the "second" online testing. So don't panic if you haven't heard back. If you got the wait 4 weeks email I would guess you are ahead of the group, certainly not out.

Many of the other stages will knock more of the 175 out as discussed in detail here. The medical should not be overlooked. It is quite stringent, you will be in charge of a train doing 100mph with 250 pax behind you or a busy commuter train with 800+ all on your own. You have to climb up to the cab from track side, change ends, find faults etc. Being overweight and unfit will not fair well as well as a history of depression. It may seem harsh but they need the best folks at the front of their trains.

blueband · 31-01-2019 12:44PM

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

They likely want you to be available reasonably quick if on standby or there equivalent, able to get to work in all weather types etc.

If the whole depot lived 2+ hours away then I suspect where you live could be a major factor plus the companies ability to provide a reliable service would force the issue. Starting a shift at 5am, nobody wants a commute of 1.5 hours.

I get that, but I know someone who's a bus driver and my understanding is that they have people on "spare" who are in the depot in case someone doesn't come in, so it's not that they call people in, they have them there anyway. They do it on a rota basis. Now it might be different in IR but possibly not.

They may also ensure that there are a proportion of all drivers who are within a certain distance rather than everyone.
Unless someone here is already working as a driver, I suppose we're only speculating

Rootsblower · 31-01-2019 01:17PM

I am gonna put this 1 hr living from depot stuff to bed.

There is nothing in writing to say how far from a depot you must live. Obviously they don’t want you commuting from home 3 hrs each way.

There are no jobs in any depot “on call” as such and that you have to be in work within a certain length of time. Each day you will have a starting time it’s up to you to be there.

Also Irish Rail isn’t Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann or a U.K. train operating company so what happens to your mate in those companies may not happen in Irish Rail. There are a few Train Drivers posting in this thread I suggest if you want to know something,ask, don’t speculate

noveli · 31-01-2019 01:32PM

To the drivers on here.
Do ye work many weekends? What does a typical week look like, hours wise.

Rootsblower · 31-01-2019 01:45PM

noveli wrote: »

To the drivers on here.
Do ye work many weekends? What does a typical week look like, hours wise.

I work nearly every Saturday but only every third Sunday

No such thing as a typical week. Every week is different. Every depot has different roster structures too. It’s quite complex, far too complex to even begin to explain. Let’s just say that if you value a lot of your weekends and bank holidays off, your going to the wrong job

Daz_ · 31-01-2019 02:03PM

Rootsblower wrote: »

I am gonna put this 1 hr living from depot stuff to bed.

There is nothing in writing to say how far from a depot you must live. Obviously they don’t want you commuting from home 3 hrs each way.

There are no jobs in any depot “on call” as such and that you have to be in work within a certain length of time. Each day you will have a starting time it’s up to you to be there.

Also Irish Rail isn’t Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann or a U.K. train operating company so what happens to your mate in those companies may not happen in Irish Rail. There are a few Train Drivers posting in this thread I suggest if you want to know something,ask, don’t speculate

Thanks for that , I thought the one hour thing sounded off to say the least

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