Achref (Ash) Maachaoui

It is my goal to work as a train driver in the railway as I have a passion for travel and transport especially within the rail sector also i believe i posses the right skills and attributes that qualifies me to be a train driver .As a Train Driver, i will transport our customers safely and efficiently across the Northern network. You might drive the train on your own, but i will be part of a big team here at Northern. Working on the frontline, i will work alongside Train Conductors, Station Dispatch, and Control colleagues – together ensuring our customers enjoy a true Northern experience onboard our trains. I believe I will be an asset to the company with a view to:

• High focus and concentration to ensure a safe train dispatch.
• Train Inspections: Conduct safety inspections of trains prior to driving and reporting any defects to maintenance staff. Securing the train on completion of your journey and promptly reporting any faults which have arisen during service.
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure.
• Observation and recording skills.
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
• Responsible for the professional operation of trains, ensuring the train adheres to schedule whilst maintaining safe operations.
• high concentration skills.
• Carry out all roles as requested by the Management team.
• the ability to remain energetic, focused and concentrated over long period of time.
• Communication: Maintain clear and effective communication with control centres, signal operators, and other relevant personnel to ensure smooth train operations.
• Communicate effectively with other On Board to create an amazing customer experience whilst being safe, always ensuring your own personal safety and that of others at all times.
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• Strictly adhere to safety protocols, including signalling systems, speed limits, and track conditions, to ensure the safety of passengers, crew, and the public.
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail and the ability to operate and control equipment.
• Emergency Response: In the event of an emergency or unexpected situation, respond quickly and appropriately, following established procedures and protocols.
• knowledge of public safety and security.
• the ability to react quickly to unexpected events.
• Continuous Training & Assessments: Undergo regular training and competency assessments to stay updated on safety procedures, regulations, and any changes in operating practices. You will be expected to maintain your own appropriate professional knowledge and keep informed of industry developments.
• Communication: Maintain clear and effective communication with control centres, signal operators, and other relevant personnel to ensure smooth train operations.

In my free time I enjoy home workouts and achieving personal fitness goals, I recently completed a challenge that consisted of doing 100 push ups everyday for 30 days and raised money (£243, over my original target of £100 with kind donations from my village community) for the Teenage Cancer Trust charity.

Another hobby of mine is camping. My fiancé, my little boy and I recently took a trip down to Dorset for a seaside camping holiday for ten days right on the Jurassic Coast at Seatown. We enjoyed fossil collecting, swimming at the beach, boat excursions, visiting the Jurassic museums and learning about the prehistoric dinosaurs and driving out to surrounding areas such as Seaton, Weymouth, Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. We like to also visit the lakes as often as possible for family days out or mini camping trips. We also enjoy visiting steam rail museums, steam branch lines and steam boat excursions for family days out.

We are in the middle of planning our upcoming wedding in 2023 which has been enjoyable in starting to finally actively make those preparations together (we were not able to plan ahead much during covid!).

I also enjoy fishing. I find it very relaxing to take time out fishing and love to BBQ our catch afterwards! I love taking my little boy crabbing at Glasson Docks too. Another hobby of mine is gaming. I am a proud avid gamer and have built myself an impressive gaming room with a collection of retro gaming consoles and memorabilia! I am quite handy with getting old consoles to work, I take them apart and then refurbish them to make them like new. I am often found at a car boot during summer months searching out old consoles to repair!

Finally, I love listening to podcasts and eBooks; mostly the ones that teach me more of the languages I am learning, but others on social and political topics or self development.