Re: TRAIN DRIVER

["Tezza" <tezza@atinet.com.au>]

Bob wrote in message <35815831.AA3AD834@fastlink.com.au>...
>David McCloud wrote:

>> Can anyone please tell me how to become a train driver for city rail or
any
>> other rail company. And how often do they advertise in the internal
>> bulletin for these positions?

>  With the current round of redundancies within the SRA particularly at
Delec
>there is an ever growing number of employees being transferred to the ETR
(City
>Rail) as drivers.


Transferring, not being transferred, ie, voluntary.

> I would imagine that they don't take on anyone that is not
>already employed  within the SRA .


The only way to Driver (FC or CR) for about the last 7 years has been to
start as something else and then transfer. A lot of blokes got in by
starting as station assistants. AFAIK this is still the only way to come in
off the street.

>Some years ago there was a trial to employ
>ETR drivers off the street and put them through a crash course on driving
>trains.


Bad choice of words :-)

>The whole thing was a dismal failure and to my knowledge there was only
>one from a school of twenty that got through and he was an enthusiast.


That's the sort of stuff I was hearing for years; huge failure, cost
millions in damages, heaps of SPAS, all resigned, sacked, etc. I've heard
recently though that this wasn't the case, including from one of the test
tubes himself.

> David, I don't think you have a chance.


>From what I've heard I think he does. I believe the new progression to ETR
Driver will be station assistant, guard then Driver which is a sensible line
of progression. They can't get enough Drivers fron FC and that will diminish
as numbers at Delec drop, then the deadline will come into effect in June
2000. I think only the 6th ETR Drivers school for the year starts on Monday.
There's also been ADIT3 schools and guard to Driver schools. They reckon
they want to start training another 250 guards/ADIT3's/FC Drivers to ETR
Drivers from September to boost the numbers for the Olympics. And 20 new
inspectors currently going through to keep them in line.


 >What do you think Tezza as you have just made
>the switch to the ETR.

I have to get through the staff exam yet! But then, if Buff, Batman, OG, Sgt
Smith and countless idiots got through, no prob.