So, most of you know by now that I had my interview with the Driver Manager on Tuesday this week, and I received the glorious news yesterday that I was successful and that I’d be progressing onwards with a new employer as a Trainee Mainline Driver. I am hugely excited to be taking on this new challenge, especially as transport is in my blood (my grandfather worked on buses and the railway) and it’s my childhood dream to be a driver! I am raring to go!
However… there are a few more administrative hurdles to pass before it’s all finalised. Mainly, the medical next week (which I’m confident I should be okay with, given I’m currently working in a Safety Critical role!), as well as references and criminal record check. Then, comes the notice period… so I still have some time left being a Guard, but at some point I’ll (hopefully) be saying goodbye to South Western Railway and joining Greater Anglia’s Ilford depot.
So, if all goes well what will the next few months look like?
The first few months will entail a lot of classroom-based learning. I’ll be going to the Greater Anglia Academy with other drivers and learning the rulebook (again, but this time from a different perspective!) as well as the railway operations from the driver’s eyes. After that, I’ll be handed over to my depot, and the local training commences. Of course, as much as possible I’ll be keeping you updated and informed on how things go, but sometimes things may either be confidential and therefore I won’t be able to talk about it… or I might just get so hectic trying to keep on top of my learning and weekly tests that I just don’t have time to write about it all! But I’ll get back to you ASAP if that’s the case…