<p>Greater Anglia’s shunt driver<b> Lottie Hart</b>, who offers her top tips for drivers.</p>
I was a cabin crew member for a big airline, but when they closed my local base and moved to Gatwick, the commute was awful, so I started looking for something nearer home. My dad and my other half are on the railway, so I was already part of the ‘railway family’, if you like. I looked on a couple of websites, found a vacancy with Greater Anglia, and here I am at Southend Victoria.
My previous role prepared me for the training really well. I was already used to the online assessments and then going to do the academy-based work, which I really enjoyed. Having worked for an airline, I was used to shift work and also knew that safety comes first. That awareness has definitely helped.
There are certainly a lot of them! But again, I was used to that in my old job, and we go over them so much, they soon become second nature. We’re also given plenty of tips too, so that's a big help.
I sign in, go to the mess hut and am then told by the panel person when I need to do certain shunts and which units need coupling or uncoupling. At Southend, we’ll take empty stock into the station ready for service, and drive the out-of-service ones back to the sidings.
My route knowledge is all about Southend, but we do learn the signals, and also things like single line working. Obviously, I’m not going to be using that as a depot driver, but I have the knowledge should it be needed.
The train presentation crew is always waiting on the platforms, ready to clean the trains. They sort the carpets, empty the toilet tanks and more. It’s a continuous operation to ensure the trains are safe and clean. It reminds me of my days on the airline. I was in charge of the cleaning. I used to say, ‘Just leave the aircraft how you would like to find it.’ I didn’t want passengers to feel like they’re sitting in dirt. The same goes with the trains.
It’s a very good setup all round. We’re inspired by the train presentation crew – they keep the trains clean, so we take pride in our sidings. When we see rubbish on the track, our manager arranges for it to be removed as soon as possible. In the mess hut itself, we’ve got a little kitchenette, comfortable chairs, a TV, toilet, and obviously the computer room. It’s a very nice place to work.
I’m part of the railway now and I don’t see myself doing anything else. Training is something I could be interested in, but I want to progress to the main line first. That’s the beauty of our industry – you can branch out in so many ways. My assessment was done by an ex-depot driver and that’s very inspiring, as it shows what’s possible. I know the railway is still male-dominated, but there's no reason why women shouldn’t be joining our industry.
On the depot, always stick to the walking route, no matter what the temptation to take a short cut might be.
When you have to walk lineside, be aware of your position of safety – keep in mind that you’re dealing with big, heavy pieces of metal.
Take care of yourself by eating well and making sure you rest as often as you can.
Keep organised – have what you need where you need it. That goes for home as well as work. It will save you time and cut down on stress.
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