How to become a train driver in Ireland

D Trent

Any whispers on when IR will seek new train drivers again?
This year possibly?
And what would the initial requirements most likely be ?

Jamie2k9

Be a bus driver within CIE first. They don't like "outsiders" joining at such a high grade.

Seriously chances of direct entry from outside are slim but you could email there HR and see what they say. They claim to need drivers now but have not advertised.

Hilly Bill

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Be a bus driver within CIE first. They don't like "outsiders" joining at such a high grade.

Seriously chances of direct entry from outside are slim but you could email there HR and see what they say. They claim to need drivers now but have not advertised.

Any vacancies will be on their Web site and the Outsiders bit is bull.

Jamie2k9

Hilly Bill wrote: »

Any vacancies will be on their Web site and the Outsiders bit is bull.

They stated publicly to a Cork newspapers a few weeks ago they had 5 vacancies available yet they have not been advertised on there website, just like the DART intake wasn't advertised either.

The outsiders bit is not bull, its reality. You would struggle to point out a driver who hasn't previous CIE experience.

IE 222

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

They stated publicly to a Cork newspapers a few weeks ago they had 5 vacancies available yet they have not been advertised on there website, just like the DART intake wasn't advertised either.

The outsiders bit is not bull, its reality. You would struggle to point out a driver who hasn't previous CIE experience.

Any company the size of IE will hire from within especially if the total number is only 5. They will only look outside if they can't fulfil vacancies.

Hilly Bill

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

They stated publicly to a Cork newspapers a few weeks ago they had 5 vacancies available yet they have not been advertised on there website, just like the DART intake wasn't advertised either.

The outsiders bit is not bull, its reality. You would struggle to point out a driver who hasn't previous CIE experience.

It's not just bull, it's pure bull.. If a drivers job was advertised on their website, nobody would have an issue with anyone getting it.
Actually i could point out several of them.

Jamie2k9

Hilly Bill wrote: »

It's not just bull, it's pure bull.. If a drivers job was advertised on their website, nobody would have an issue with anyone getting it.
Actually i could point out several of them.

The fact is they don't advertise it, what makes a Dublin Bus driver more qualified than anybody else. no need for a union application?

Any company the size of IE will hire from within especially if the total number is only 5. They will only look outside if they can't fulfil vacancies.

Hiring from within is fine, hiring bus drivers and failing to advertise to the general public is my issue.

whisky_galore

They are advertised internally only.

If you really want to be one, the uk is probably a better hunting ground. IE recruitment is sporadic and interest is high in bagging a job, despite modern aptitude tests it often comes down to having relations in the job to get hired.

dashcamdanny

Last couple of classes that went into training where almost entirely made up of CIE bus and coach drivers if my information is correct.

GM228

Hilly Bill wrote: »

It's not just bull, it's pure bull.. If a drivers job was advertised on their website, nobody would have an issue with anyone getting it.
Actually i could point out several of them.

A drivers job is currently* an internal job only and only advertised internally.

*Up until about 5 years ago it was internal to IE only, since then it is internal to the CIE group obly.

This is due to a long standing collective agreement, union agreement being required several years ago to open up to the CIE group. Prior to around 2013 or so a BE or DB driver had to transfer into anothet department of IE and then seek a drivers job (with no guarantee of actually getting such a position).

There has been talk recently (going back to previous WRC sessions) that management will seek to open up the positions to the general public in the near future but it requires a collective agreement.

Jamie2k9

GM228 wrote: »

A drivers job is currently* an internal job only and only advertised internally.

*Up until about 5 years ago it was internal to IE only, since then it is internal to the CIE group obly.

This is due to a long standing collective agreement, union agreement being required several years ago to open up to the CIE group. Prior to around 2013 or so a BE or DB driver had to transfer into anothet department of IE and then seek a drivers job (with no guarantee of actually getting such a position).

There has been talk recently (going back to previous WRC sessions) that management will seek to open up the positions to the general public in the near future but it requires a collective agreement.

So if they found nobody to fill positions within CIE they would have to seek permission to go external? Is this why Cork positions have not been filled?

We should all have guessed, unions seek to prevent newbies joining...

dashcamdanny

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

So if they found nobody to fill positions within CIE they would have to seek permission to go external? Is this why Cork positions have not been filled?

We should all have guessed, unions seek to prevent newbies joining...

There is no shortage of people within CIE wanting to join.

That Cork position was not advertised internally as far as I know.

GM228

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

So if they found nobody to fill positions within CIE they would have to seek permission to go external? Is this why Cork positions have not been filled?

I don't think there will be a case of nobody to fill positions any time soon.

Cork positions* have been advertised a long time ago but all the IR issues delayed newer classes and none will start until after the summer.

They are actually advertised per region as opposed to depot and when applying you state your preferred depot. For example jobs would be advertised for the "Cork District", you request Cork, but could be allocated Cork, Mallow or Tralee as business dictates, you then accept or reject the depot offered if successful in your application.

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

We should all have guessed, unions seek to prevent newbies joining...

To be fair this is a legacy issue which as far as we can tell pre-dates CIE as nobody within IE or the unions could pinpoint the origin of the original agreement to us, but both sides agree there is such an agreement and it's an old one.

It is believed to originate from pre CIE steam days to ensure progression from fireman to driver and carried through to CIE days when road and rail were both the one company before IE, DB and BE were set up. In other words a "railwayman" within CIE had first choice for promotion to a railwaymans job as opposed to a busman.

Jamie2k9

dashcamdanny wrote: »

There is no shortage of people within CIE wanting to join.

That Cork position was not advertised internally as far as I know.

Yeah I didn't expect a shortage but would be interesting to see what would happen if there was. Its an agreement that needs to be replaced immediately.

Hilly Bill

GM228 wrote: »

A drivers job is currently* an internal job only and only advertised internally.

*Up until about 5 years ago it was internal to IE only, since then it is internal to the CIE group obly.

This is due to a long standing collective agreement, union agreement being required several years ago to open up to the CIE group. Prior to around 2013 or so a BE or DB driver had to transfer into anothet department of IE and then seek a drivers job (with no guarantee of actually getting such a position).

There has been talk recently (going back to previous WRC sessions) that management will seek to open up the positions to the general public in the near future but it requires a collective agreement.

No it doesn't, if they don't get enough interest internal it will go external. and nobody Will give a fiddlers.

Hilly Bill

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

So if they found nobody to fill positions within CIE they would have to seek permission to go external? Is this why Cork positions have not been filled?

We should all have guessed, unions seek to prevent newbies joining...

They don't need permission.