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London Underground - CSA1 & CSA2 (2022 & 2023 intake)
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southlondoner
Member
Some OT is available helping on stations, you're not getting anywhere near 60 hours a week though. You can ask for more details if you get to interview.
A working week is a rostered as 37.5 hours, not including meal breaks. Shifts are 8 hours long including breaks, you get paid for your contracted hours of 35 hours a week and get the extra hours back as extra leave. It's a bit of a complicated system to explain but it works for most people across the underground. PM me if you like, unless that's against forum rules or something.
Essentially the working pay/conditions are exactly the same as CSA1 but with less extreme shifts and a better shift pattern generally.
kinkywinpat
Member
Hello
Hello
Just curious do anyone have a list of the cover group stations in zone 1, like the list of stations you have to cover in a group in a zone 1. Someone here mentioned that 99 out of 100, you get allocated to a zone 1 station. Reason I am asking is to look at the rosters and see just incase I need to swap on training day
Hello
Just curious do anyone have a list of the cover group stations in zone 1, like the list of stations you have to cover in a group in a zone 1. Someone here mentioned that 99 out of 100, you get allocated to a zone 1 station. Reason I am asking is to look at the rosters and see just incase I need to swap on training day
Last edited by a moderator:
samcentral
New Member
hello! i was also told exactly this after my sbi last week but i emailed HVC and asked if i wait for the offer email before sending my id docs and they said (not word for word) 'we don't normally tell people on the day if they're successful. please wait for your outcome email' so i guess I'll wait patiently
danyjac
Member
Can someone please tell me when we would receive the oyster card.. will I be a able to use it during training as well or is it only when I start my shifts? M asking bcs I would be travelling everyday from Chelmsford to Ashfield for the 4 weeks period as I can only relocate after knowing my station area. Thanks
It's a waiting game now, u are sure you will get but when?hello! i was also told exactly this after my sbi last week but i emailed HVC and asked if i wait for the offer email before sending my id docs and they said (not word for word) 'we don't normally tell people on the day if they're successful. please wait for your outcome email' so i guess I'll wait patiently
bluegoblin7
Established Member
In theory you’ll receive it on your first day of training but there have been some delays. You’ll definitely have it before you go out onto stations as it is part of your gateline equipment.
Worth mentioning that it isn’t valid from Chelmsford to Shenfield at all, is valid between Shenfield and Stratford only on Elizabeth line services and between Stratford and Liverpool Street only on any service. Don’t be tempted to use it on Greater Anglia beyond Stratford - it isn’t valid and staff travel misuse is one of the quickest ways to lose your job.
A week? Are you sure - that would be 100h weeks out of 168 possible hours. Doesn’t seem right!
danyjac
Member
Thanks for the reply. I wouldn’t use it on Greater Anglia services but it would help my travel from Stratford to Ashfield house. It’s a bit expensive otherwise. Thank you for the info.
Is there a high turn over annually in the CSA1 & 2 jobs due to the "extreme shifts/shift patterns"
Not sure I follow your maths. How does 60 hours a week turn into 100?
Is this the case?
If they did 60 hours of overtime on top of the 37.5 hour week that would be just shy of 100 hours total.
I suppose the poster @Horizon22 quoted might have meant 60 hours total, so 23 hours overtime, which seems more realistic.
bluegoblin7
Established Member
Apolgogs for only answering some specific questions recently, I've been a bit snowed under. I think most things were already covered, but here's a bit of a round-up of recent posts - better to cover things twice than not at all!
Second this. As I've said previously on this thread, joining a Union is like taking out an insurance policy against your job, but there are also plenty more benefits that may not seem immediately apparent. You'll get a visit from a Senior Stations Rep during your training to give you more info, but I'm also more than happy to answer any queries or offer advice etc. as a Senior Service Control Rep. My DMs are open if it's preferred to be in private.
Train Operator, Service Control, Station Supervisor etc. - there are literally hundreds of grades across the Combine that never see external recruitment. Use CSA as a catalyst to moving forwards and upwards - there will absolutely be something up your street (I am of course biased but I'd always advocate the Service Control route
)
Certainly for @kinkywinpat the best option is to get a privilege rate season ticket from GTR once you've joined - the forms are on the Intranet - as this will work out best value for money. A tax-free loan would be available to cover the cost of this if necessary, with repayments made via your wages, although it is unlikely to be needed. As mentioned, this is available only for annual season tickets.
The flexible season ticket reimbursement is generally not suitable for operational staff, and in any rate is a taxable benefit in kind.
Relief generally refers to 'Meal Relief' but can be used as meaning 'Cover', i.e. on other stations/groups. I haven't looked at the stations rosters in any detail (it doesn't bear much relevance to most on these threads in my opinion, to be honest) but would suspect it to be the former.
If you've alerted HR to any pre-booked holidays at the earliest opportunity these will generally be honoured as long as they don't fall during your Ashfield House training. As a general rule, you can't take any leave during any training on any part of LU.
You'd be best off starting a new thread for any Revenue-specific questions. I'm happy to answer things there, but won't here as it doesn't have the same relevance. It's also worth noting that both LU and TfL have RCOs, and they are not the same contracts. Any advice for LU would not necessarily apply to TfL and vice-versa.
This is of no benefit to you. Most of the rosters are similar, and you won't have any control over where you get placed on that roster regardless of the station you get. Pretty much all CSA locations have similar start/finish times and rotations.
Yes, understandable. Probably worth getting a Chelmsford outboundary-Travelcard on your first day and going from there. It should be on day 1 but the process has slowed slightly post-Covid.
Yes, there is a high turn over, no, it is not due to the "extreme shifts/shift patterns" - staff move on to other locations or jobs, or retire. If you're not prepared to start as early as 0430 and finish as late as 0130 then this isn't the job for you. All operational jobs have an element of "extreme" shifts, and most above CSA also have a night turn element.
Personally, I loved a regular 0115 finish and would always manage to swap away other shifts to work a fairly reliable 1715-0115 turn. In my current grade I am still able to swap away most of my earlies (0700 book-on up to two hours from my home).
Second this. As I've said previously on this thread, joining a Union is like taking out an insurance policy against your job, but there are also plenty more benefits that may not seem immediately apparent. You'll get a visit from a Senior Stations Rep during your training to give you more info, but I'm also more than happy to answer any queries or offer advice etc. as a Senior Service Control Rep. My DMs are open if it's preferred to be in private.
Train Operator, Service Control, Station Supervisor etc. - there are literally hundreds of grades across the Combine that never see external recruitment. Use CSA as a catalyst to moving forwards and upwards - there will absolutely be something up your street (I am of course biased but I'd always advocate the Service Control route
)This covers off most of it, but the season ticket rules are quite complex and the specifics depend on which operator you are travelling with, whether you want to take advantage of a 75% discount or privilege rate and whether you want to incur additional tax liability. @Mawkie is correct in all of what they say, but if there are any specific routes/locations I'd be happy to offer specific advice - it's going to be easier and less confusing than generalising.
Certainly for @kinkywinpat the best option is to get a privilege rate season ticket from GTR once you've joined - the forms are on the Intranet - as this will work out best value for money. A tax-free loan would be available to cover the cost of this if necessary, with repayments made via your wages, although it is unlikely to be needed. As mentioned, this is available only for annual season tickets.
The flexible season ticket reimbursement is generally not suitable for operational staff, and in any rate is a taxable benefit in kind.
As long as you pay attention, do the homework and apply yourself you shouldn't have any trouble. The ticketing rules can be a bit fiddly, but also there will be plenty of people able to help. Ask as many questions as you like - ultimately your trainers are there to help you. Most importantly, remember that safety always comes first.
Should be day 1 of training, but if not certainly within the first week.
Yes. Two weeks Ashfield House training and then moving to 'live learning' on your station. This happens slightly differently on every Area so is quite hard to give specific details of how that element is structured, but expect to cover all the relevant stations on the Area to get familiarised.
Generally new starters will be allocated 'Gateway' stations, which are generally in Zones 1 and 2 (with some exceptions such as Heathrow) and 'Destination' stations. These stations often do have the highest turnover of staff as very few will nominate to transfer into these stations, and most will transfer out. As a new joiner you'll definitely want a busy station - it's a great way to hone your skills and learn your trade.
Yes, exactly this. You should be able to swap amongst other classes that start on the same day, but you won't be able to swap with anyone on a different course/start date. Genuinely don't read too much into the stations that you get though - every station has its challenges and foibles, and in almost all cases you'll be able to find a compromise that works for you, once fully qualified, if there are travel challenges. All that said: you (generic) have applied for a job where 'working anywhere on the LU network' is very clearly stated in the job application and all documentation there after. If this isn't something that works for you, then this job isn't for you. Whilst nominating to a new station at the same grade is possible, any promotional transfers will be by the same standard of getting sent anywhere on the network. It's a way of LUL life and you'll soon get used to it.
You should get at least the Saturday after your Ashfield House training off, but otherwise you're straight into shift work. Accommodations will be made when they can be for anything pre-booked, but there are reasons why I and others have advocated having an empty diary for your first 28 days or so.
Part time training is exactly the same as full time training, and is stated in the job advert. The part time element only kicks in once you are qualified.
Yes.
As a general addition to this, please do learn how to search a thread: you won't get spoon-fed all the info once you're on the job, and understanding things like rosters is a fairly important part of that.
Relief generally refers to 'Meal Relief' but can be used as meaning 'Cover', i.e. on other stations/groups. I haven't looked at the stations rosters in any detail (it doesn't bear much relevance to most on these threads in my opinion, to be honest) but would suspect it to be the former.
If you've alerted HR to any pre-booked holidays at the earliest opportunity these will generally be honoured as long as they don't fall during your Ashfield House training. As a general rule, you can't take any leave during any training on any part of LU.
You'd be best off starting a new thread for any Revenue-specific questions. I'm happy to answer things there, but won't here as it doesn't have the same relevance. It's also worth noting that both LU and TfL have RCOs, and they are not the same contracts. Any advice for LU would not necessarily apply to TfL and vice-versa.
This is of no benefit to you. Most of the rosters are similar, and you won't have any control over where you get placed on that roster regardless of the station you get. Pretty much all CSA locations have similar start/finish times and rotations.
Yes, understandable. Probably worth getting a Chelmsford outboundary-Travelcard on your first day and going from there. It should be on day 1 but the process has slowed slightly post-Covid.
Yes, there is a high turn over, no, it is not due to the "extreme shifts/shift patterns" - staff move on to other locations or jobs, or retire. If you're not prepared to start as early as 0430 and finish as late as 0130 then this isn't the job for you. All operational jobs have an element of "extreme" shifts, and most above CSA also have a night turn element.
Personally, I loved a regular 0115 finish and would always manage to swap away other shifts to work a fairly reliable 1715-0115 turn. In my current grade I am still able to swap away most of my earlies (0700 book-on up to two hours from my home).
Blue Goblin, may I take this opportunity to thank you for all your input to all the candidates and delegates waiting to start or who are just about to start their training courses. The information that you have shared has been priceless. Personally I can't wait to start at some point in the future on a night tube training course. Thank you.Apolgogs for only answering some specific questions recently, I've been a bit snowed under. I think most things were already covered, but here's a bit of a round-up of recent posts - better to cover things twice than not at all!
Second this. As I've said previously on this thread, joining a Union is like taking out an insurance policy against your job, but there are also plenty more benefits that may not seem immediately apparent. You'll get a visit from a Senior Stations Rep during your training to give you more info, but I'm also more than happy to answer any queries or offer advice etc. as a Senior Service Control Rep. My DMs are open if it's preferred to be in private.
Train Operator, Service Control, Station Supervisor etc. - there are literally hundreds of grades across the Combine that never see external recruitment. Use CSA as a catalyst to moving forwards and upwards - there will absolutely be something up your street (I am of course biased but I'd always advocate the Service Control route
This covers off most of it, but the season ticket rules are quite complex and the specifics depend on which operator you are travelling with, whether you want to take advantage of a 75% discount or privilege rate and whether you want to incur additional tax liability. @Mawkie is correct in all of what they say, but if there are any specific routes/locations I'd be happy to offer specific advice - it's going to be easier and less confusing than generalising.
Certainly for @kinkywinpat the best option is to get a privilege rate season ticket from GTR once you've joined - the forms are on the Intranet - as this will work out best value for money. A tax-free loan would be available to cover the cost of this if necessary, with repayments made via your wages, although it is unlikely to be needed. As mentioned, this is available only for annual season tickets.
The flexible season ticket reimbursement is generally not suitable for operational staff, and in any rate is a taxable benefit in kind.
As long as you pay attention, do the homework and apply yourself you shouldn't have any trouble. The ticketing rules can be a bit fiddly, but also there will be plenty of people able to help. Ask as many questions as you like - ultimately your trainers are there to help you. Most importantly, remember that safety always comes first.
Should be day 1 of training, but if not certainly within the first week.
Yes. Two weeks Ashfield House training and then moving to 'live learning' on your station. This happens slightly differently on every Area so is quite hard to give specific details of how that element is structured, but expect to cover all the relevant stations on the Area to get familiarised.
Generally new starters will be allocated 'Gateway' stations, which are generally in Zones 1 and 2 (with some exceptions such as Heathrow) and 'Destination' stations. These stations often do have the highest turnover of staff as very few will nominate to transfer into these stations, and most will transfer out. As a new joiner you'll definitely want a busy station - it's a great way to hone your skills and learn your trade.
Yes, exactly this. You should be able to swap amongst other classes that start on the same day, but you won't be able to swap with anyone on a different course/start date. Genuinely don't read too much into the stations that you get though - every station has its challenges and foibles, and in almost all cases you'll be able to find a compromise that works for you, once fully qualified, if there are travel challenges. All that said: you (generic) have applied for a job where 'working anywhere on the LU network' is very clearly stated in the job application and all documentation there after. If this isn't something that works for you, then this job isn't for you. Whilst nominating to a new station at the same grade is possible, any promotional transfers will be by the same standard of getting sent anywhere on the network. It's a way of LUL life and you'll soon get used to it.
You should get at least the Saturday after your Ashfield House training off, but otherwise you're straight into shift work. Accommodations will be made when they can be for anything pre-booked, but there are reasons why I and others have advocated having an empty diary for your first 28 days or so.
Part time training is exactly the same as full time training, and is stated in the job advert. The part time element only kicks in once you are qualified.
Yes.
As a general addition to this, please do learn how to search a thread: you won't get spoon-fed all the info once you're on the job, and understanding things like rosters is a fairly important part of that.
Relief generally refers to 'Meal Relief' but can be used as meaning 'Cover', i.e. on other stations/groups. I haven't looked at the stations rosters in any detail (it doesn't bear much relevance to most on these threads in my opinion, to be honest) but would suspect it to be the former.
If you've alerted HR to any pre-booked holidays at the earliest opportunity these will generally be honoured as long as they don't fall during your Ashfield House training. As a general rule, you can't take any leave during any training on any part of LU.
You'd be best off starting a new thread for any Revenue-specific questions. I'm happy to answer things there, but won't here as it doesn't have the same relevance. It's also worth noting that both LU and TfL have RCOs, and they are not the same contracts. Any advice for LU would not necessarily apply to TfL and vice-versa.
This is of no benefit to you. Most of the rosters are similar, and you won't have any control over where you get placed on that roster regardless of the station you get. Pretty much all CSA locations have similar start/finish times and rotations.
Yes, understandable. Probably worth getting a Chelmsford outboundary-Travelcard on your first day and going from there. It should be on day 1 but the process has slowed slightly post-Covid.
Yes, there is a high turn over, no, it is not due to the "extreme shifts/shift patterns" - staff move on to other locations or jobs, or retire. If you're not prepared to start as early as 0430 and finish as late as 0130 then this isn't the job for you. All operational jobs have an element of "extreme" shifts, and most above CSA also have a night turn element.
Personally, I loved a regular 0115 finish and would always manage to swap away other shifts to work a fairly reliable 1715-0115 turn. In my current grade I am still able to swap away most of my earlies (0700 book-on up to two hours from my home).
coffeetable
Member
The recruitment team has begun the process for my preferred part-time position (evenings anytime between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m., 4 hours per day, 20 hours per week) due to the delays with the Night Tube vacancies until mid-2024. They've started on my references, but there's an issue.
They requested my HMRC record, which I uploaded to the XMS Portal. However, there seems to be a mistake. The HMRC tax document shows that I've worked for Tesco for over 10 years, but I've never been employed by them.
I've explained the discrepancy to REED but haven't heard back yet. I'm awaiting their response. If REED asks for a reference from Tesco, how can I prove that I never worked there?
Absolutely priceless information!! Also a thank you from me !
Desmothsky
New Member
Don’t worry mate, i got the same email, saying congratulations on securing a place for CSA1, it’s just a typo in the email.
Regarding the AC1 to AC3, thats their lexicon for assessments. You have already done the written and communication test, which was AC1. AC2/AC3 means Assessment Centre 2 and Assessment Centre 3, which is basically what they call role play - AC2 and SBI - AC3.
On the day, You do your AC2 which is role play and if you pass, then you do AC3 which is scenario based. They will tell you whether you passed or failed in about 10 mins while you are waiting and hopefully not pulling your hair out like a nervous wreck aka Me!
Good luck! Nothing to worry about!
I passed mine and just got done with screening! Hopefully see you on the line!
StemzeySignals
Member
TfL recruitment takes another U-Turn I see…
Is this the first time you’ve done Reed reference checks?
coffeetable
Member
Yes, this is the first time, why so Stemzey Signals?
StemzeySignals
Member
Ah I did mine back in October!
Just wondering - incase they were asking for references for a second time (that would be awkward for my current and former employers….)
Just a very basic question to all those that applied on here .
I'm unable to find a search on here what the 'online assessment' example questions was, when you applied... before the 3 stage process happens when you're successful.
As you might gather I missed out apply so on here now gathering information pre next intake .
I'm unable to find a search on here what the 'online assessment' example questions was, when you applied... before the 3 stage process happens when you're successful.
As you might gather I missed out apply so on here now gathering information pre next intake .
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coffeetable
Member
Have you started your work, or are you still waiting for a start date?
StemzeySignals
Member
Still waiting.
coffeetable
Member
Oh gosh, which contract did you apply for - Night Tube or part-time days? Once they start your reference check, it usually goes straight to medical and then training. Is there a reason yours stopped after the reference stage?
One of my references responded, and the other was rejected as the other was a personal email. Then I had to provide an email with the company email, but still, they insisted I upload a tax document from HMRC.
How long has the whole process taken you from the day you done the online assessment to joining date
Nov 2023 to May 2024
Did you get a call to book your medical or was it sent by email? And is your start date based on the reed screening portal or has it been confirmed by Onboarding?