A career as a signaller

[SmokeAndJoe]

Write it out in a word document and copy and paste it. Doesn't save the page forms individually...

Better yet use evernote and you can access your answers from anywhere!

 

[SmokeAndJoe]

I've been offered an interview for the London Bridge temp positions!

However I'd rather get one of the Three Bridges ROC jobs I'm in for but these are further behind in the process.

What would happen if I accepted a position at London Bridge and started school and then accepted either another position starting asap as well as one with a delayed start date?

When's your interview?

 

[KneeOn]

When's your interview?

Tuesday morning! It's a good thing I'm on a run of early shifts anyway!

 

[Supercoss]

You should all be made aware of the' 52 week rule' which came into use at the start of the year -
You apply for position at location 'A', pass assessment and get invited to interview, success at interview then get offered a position at signalling school, do your 8-10 weeks at school then return to location 'A' for training
When and only when you are ' productive' at location 'A' ( so after training complete. you have been 'approved' and 'ruled' then you my not relocate from that location to anywhere else for a 52 week period. Nothing to stop you applying but contract of employment allows you to be held at original location for 52 weeks 'productive'.
This is mainly to stop the tide of staff applying anywhere just to get 'in' then moving straight to location near home location.
A further 14 hour door to door rule also applies for fatigue - so if your prospective location has a 12 hour roster you can (few exceptions) not live more than an hours commute away, worth considering when applying.

 

[TomBoyd]

You should all be made aware of the' 52 week rule' which came into use at the start of the year -
You apply for position at location 'A', pass assessment and get invited to interview, success at interview then get offered a position at signalling school, do your 8-10 weeks at school then return to location 'A' for training
When and only when you are ' productive' at location 'A' ( so after training complete. you have been 'approved' and 'ruled' then you my not relocate from that location to anywhere else for a 52 week period. Nothing to stop you applying but contract of employment allows you to be held at original location for 52 weeks 'productive'.
This is mainly to stop the tide of staff applying anywhere just to get 'in' then moving straight to location near home location.
A further 14 hour door to door rule also applies for fatigue - so if your prospective location has a 12 hour roster you can (few exceptions) not live more than an hours commute away, worth considering when applying.

This is super important to remember.

 

[signallerscot]

The year-after-passing-out-before-moving rule has always been a thing since BR days, it's just it was not very enthusiastically enforced in some areas until recently.

 

[NuttyDave]

I've applied for a job local to me as a crossing keeper and have passed the online assessment and hopefully will get an interview. Trying to find out some information about the job in regards to hours, shift pattern ect? It does say in the job spec that it would be shift work so is that normally 12 hours on for 4 day's then 3 days off? Plus it says secondment FCT what would this mean?
Thanks for any help given .

 

[LAX54]

You should all be made aware of the' 52 week rule' which came into use at the start of the year -
You apply for position at location 'A', pass assessment and get invited to interview, success at interview then get offered a position at signalling school, do your 8-10 weeks at school then return to location 'A' for training
When and only when you are ' productive' at location 'A' ( so after training complete. you have been 'approved' and 'ruled' then you my not relocate from that location to anywhere else for a 52 week period. Nothing to stop you applying but contract of employment allows you to be held at original location for 52 weeks 'productive'.
This is mainly to stop the tide of staff applying anywhere just to get 'in' then moving straight to location near home location.
A further 14 hour door to door rule also applies for fatigue - so if your prospective location has a 12 hour roster you can (few exceptions) not live more than an hours commute away, worth considering when applying.

That is British Rail ruling, I assume that has never been dispensed with, but not adhered to when running short of staff at some locations.
My first box was a Class A, after being a Signal Lad / Box Boy at a Class C !
had 6 weeks at Signalling School, minimum 12 weeks learning, and then unable to apply for another post for 12 months (inc the 12 weeks)

 

[Llanigraham]

I've applied for a job local to me as a crossing keeper and have passed the online assessment and hopefully will get an interview. Trying to find out some information about the job in regards to hours, shift pattern ect? It does say in the job spec that it would be shift work so is that normally 12 hours on for 4 day's then 3 days off? Plus it says secondment FCT what would this mean?
Thanks for any help given .

Shift patterns depend on where you are, as there do seem to be some regional variations. Perhaps naming the crossing you've applied for would help. From my own experience it will not be 4 on/3 off, but much more complicated and will depend on what period the roster is based on and the hours the crossing is manned. On my line it was a rolling 28 day roster.

 

[Supercoss]

I've applied for a job local to me as a crossing keeper and have passed the online assessment and hopefully will get an interview. Trying to find out some information about the job in regards to hours, shift pattern ect? It does say in the job spec that it would be shift work so is that normally 12 hours on for 4 day's then 3 days off? Plus it says secondment FCT what would this mean?
Thanks for any help given .

FCT more like fixed term contract popular in ares that are being 're controlled', i'd pop down to the xing concerned and hve chat with the keeper, that always looks good at interview that you've shown an interest and visited the location, the roster can also be discussed to see if e/l/n or days/nights 12hrs

 

[Sunset route]

That is British Rail ruling, I assume that has never been dispensed with, but not adhered to when running short of staff at some locations.
My first box was a Class A, after being a Signal Lad / Box Boy at a Class C !
had 6 weeks at Signalling School, minimum 12 weeks learning, and then unable to apply for another post for 12 months (inc the 12 weeks)

I don't wish to be "pedantic" but I will l so but signalman grades back the were Class A-F and reliefs 1-3 we didnt become signaller grades until after signalman restructuring with Railtrack when class A-F become grades 2-7 they added an extra grade 8 at the time and the crossing keeper grade became abolished to become the new grade 1, then after an X amount of years I forget the precise amount the new upper grade 9 was added to the structure.

But how I remember 5 weeks signalling school at Crewe and a one week TCB convertion course at Manchester (Victoria) signalling school for my first class B box that I was expected to pass out within 12 weeks, but I do remember that 12month ban on promotion being around in those days as well. It seamed to get watered down through the the latter Railtrack then NR days as bums on seats became more important.

 

[NuttyDave]

FCT more like fixed term contract popular in ares that are being 're controlled', i'd pop down to the xing concerned and hve chat with the keeper, that always looks good at interview that you've shown an interest and visited the location, the roster can also be discussed to see if e/l/n or days/nights 12hrs

Thanks for the advice, if I get to interview I had thought about going to see the crossing and the box. Would I not need to get permission to speak with the keeper not just turn up? Colthrop is crossing.

 

[Supercoss]

Hiring manager can arrange for you - usually on vacancy sheet detail 'for further info contact so and so' etc always good to get your name/face known and show an interest

 

[NX]

Thanks for the advice, if I get to interview I had thought about going to see the crossing and the box. Would I not need to get permission to speak with the keeper not just turn up? Colthrop is crossing.

8hr Monday to Friday, 12hrs over the weekend.

 

[signallerscot]

Thanks for the advice, if I get to interview I had thought about going to see the crossing and the box. Would I not need to get permission to speak with the keeper not just turn up? Colthrop is crossing.

You will need permission, don't just turn up on spec as you'll put the crossing keeper in a very awkward position if management find out. There's some pretty crap advice dished out here at times.

 

[NuttyDave]

You will need permission, don't just turn up on spec as you'll put the crossing keeper in a very awkward position if management find out. There's some pretty crap advice dished out here at times.

Thanks I thought I should ask first

 

[NuttyDave]

8hr Monday to Friday, 12hrs over the weekend.

That's great thanks as I live over an hour away I was not looking forward to doing 12 hour shifts then possibly over an hour drive home afterwards

 

[KneeOn]

You should all be made aware of the' 52 week rule' which came into use at the start of the year -
You apply for position at location 'A', pass assessment and get invited to interview, success at interview then get offered a position at signalling school, do your 8-10 weeks at school then return to location 'A' for training
When and only when you are ' productive' at location 'A' ( so after training complete. you have been 'approved' and 'ruled' then you my not relocate from that location to anywhere else for a 52 week period. Nothing to stop you applying but contract of employment allows you to be held at original location for 52 weeks 'productive'.
This is mainly to stop the tide of staff applying anywhere just to get 'in' then moving straight to location near home location.
A further 14 hour door to door rule also applies for fatigue - so if your prospective location has a 12 hour roster you can (few exceptions) not live more than an hours commute away, worth considering when applying.

What if you are on a fixed term contract, get a job elsewhere that starts after your FTC ends?

 

[NX]

That's great thanks as I live over an hour away I was not looking forward to doing 12 hour shifts then possibly over an hour drive home afterwards

The previous keeper has moved to TVSC as a Signaller so you might well be able to go down the same road if you wanted.

 

[NuttyDave]

The previous keeper has moved to TVSC as a Signaller so you might well be able to go down the same road if you wanted.

Thanks for the info it's good to know i can move on if I wanted to. But first I got to get this one

 

[TRain87]

Currently 2 days into the signalling course....for those applying - prepare to work! Wouldn't change it for the world and enjoying it, but do not take it lightly

 

[Sanatogen]

I don't wish to be "pedantic" but I will l so but signalman grades back the were Class A-F and reliefs 1-3 we didnt become signaller grades until after signalman restructuring with Railtrack when class A-F become grades 2-7 they added an extra grade 8 at the time and the crossing keeper grade became abolished to become the new grade 1, then after an X amount of years I forget the precise amount the new upper grade 9 was added to the structure.

But how I remember 5 weeks signalling school at Crewe and a one week TCB convertion course at Manchester (Victoria) signalling school for my first class B box that I was expected to pass out within 12 weeks, but I do remember that 12month ban on promotion being around in those days as well. It seamed to get watered down through the the latter Railtrack then NR days as bums on seats became more important.

Webb House?, did my 5 weeks there and loved every minute of it, great food, subsidised bar then pub quiz up the road and a bit of rules in between [emoji3]

 

[NX]

I'm currently midweek Week 5, passed my first two written examinations.

It's tough going at times, be prepared to feel like you've made the bigges mistake of your life, and your totally out of your depth !

However, the course is great and you won't regret it - in truth I'm loving the course and I'm really enjoying it.

It's just bloody tough.

 

[Sunset route]

Webb House?, did my 5 weeks there and loved every minute of it, great food, subsidised bar then pub quiz up the road and a bit of rules in between [emoji3]

Yep the very same place.

 

[Lasbrisas]

Currently 2 days into the signalling course....for those applying - prepare to work! Wouldn't change it for the world and enjoying it, but do not take it lightly

Can I ask where the course is held as it looks like I'm not too far from you. So I have applied online and the system says "Invited to Test", should I be getting an email or something as nothing has arrived yet, I believe they give you practice material.

 

[TRain87]

Can I ask where the course is held as it looks like I'm not too far from you. So I have applied online and the system says "Invited to Test", should I be getting an email or something as nothing has arrived yet, I believe they give you practice material.

You will get an email inviting you to take tests. The school I'm in is in Basingstoke.....the other one was York!

 

[Lasbrisas]

You will get an email inviting you to take tests. The school I'm in is in Basingstoke.....the other one was York!

Yep just received the email now, so to confirm I only need to do it once, I am used to doing tests but do you have any tips or things to swat up on. Interesting about Basingstoke, is that the same place that trainee train drivers go to study as I have a friend there right now.

 

[Spectroscopic]

What is the difference if any of an application being listed as ''unsuccessful'' Vs ''application unsuccessful'' in the NR recruitment portal?

 

[SmokeAndJoe]

What is the difference if any of an application being listed as ''unsuccessful'' Vs ''application unsuccessful'' in the NR recruitment portal?

None I would say.

 

[Lasbrisas]

OMG I have just done the 3 online tests, I do not like those SHL tests and have done that kind at work before, many have said in the past they don't feel confident on the results and I am one of them, let's wait and see what happens.