A career as a signaller

[Rigchick]

I read that as they are saying your application is still under consideration for the phase two tests. So you did the sixty questions bit?

Did the 69 questions, it then turned to Application under consideration and then Invited to test at 1830 last night but no link to be able to carry out the SJT. My worry is that I'm losing time off the 5 days available to do the test.

 

[Rockhopper]

Got you, it changed on the web site to invited to test? Your five days won’t start till they send you the email with the tests.
Just make sure it hasn’t gone into your junk folder.

 

[Rigchick]

Got you, it changed on the web site to invited to test? Your five days won’t start till they send you the email with the tests.
Just make sure it hasn’t gone into your junk folder.

Panic over! It's just landed in my inbox. Now to get my head down and do my best on the tests. any advice?

 

[Rockhopper]

Try the sample questions first. You can use a calculator, have some scrap paper and pen handy. I don’t find tests like that easy, especially the maths ones (mostly percentages) but I managed to pass!

 

[srm94]

Panic over! It's just landed in my inbox. Now to get my head down and do my best on the tests. any advice?

I did the practice tests they sent, was sent into a fit of despair over the numerical reasoning test, convinced my dream of being a signaller would die (not to be melodramatic or anything...). So I went and did some research about these tests and relearnt the maths required for them using sites such as Khan Academy (if memory serves me correctly a lot of those tests involve ratios, percentages and fractions). Then I did a load more online practice tests before attempting the real thing, which turned out to be a fair bit easier than I thought. However, had I not gone back and relearnt that maths, I'm certain I would have failed. Luckily, I passed, and now two months on I'm still waiting to hear if I've been selected for interview or not! Wishing you the best of luck with the application!

 

[Rockhopper]

Do you know what the closing date was for the job you applied for? Mine is today so I’m waiting!

 

[Rigchick]

Do you know what the closing date was for the job you applied for? Mine is today so I’m waiting!

The job I'm trying for doesn't close until next Monday but it is a bit of a remote location, so not sure if they will have had much interest for it. It's 300m from by back door so would be perfect for me!

Fingers crossed for you!

 

[Rockhopper]

I just emailed HR, they have been very helpful to be fair. They can't give an indication of timescales but my application is still live which i think is a good sign!

 

[Highlandspring]

Now to get my head down and do my best on the tests. any advice?

The maths sample test is harder than the actual test so don't panic.

 

[Rigchick]

The maths sample test is harder than the actual test so don't panic.

Thanks for that, as that is the one test that actually scares me, especially as I'm terrible at written maths questions! I'll just give it my best and hope it's good enough

 

[nom de guerre]

Is that grade 3.. Job description has 2 salary in their. One is 41K+ and one is grade 3 pay. Do you know aanything about that?

Haslemere is a Grade 3.

 

[Tom Quinne]

Shed load of grade 2 to 9 jobs in Scotland on the external website now.

 

[Highlandspring]

Shed load of grade 2 to 9 jobs in Scotland on the external website now.

The latest wheeze to reduce the overtime bill. Anecdotally there's been considerable interest internally in the high graded jobs (relatively, for Scotland) so I'm surprised they've gone external...

 

[Tom Quinne]

They’ll never get RDW within budget, even with the new guys all passed out.

Got to get your annual sick leave in somehow!

 

[Jaysub]

Hey mate, just a heads up that Haslemere is up again, closing 21/5

Cheers buddy,already applied this mirning...

Feeling positive bout this

 

[Trackboy]

Haslemere is a Grade 3.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Rockhopper]

in a single manned box what happens if you can’t get to work because of snow for example? Is there redundancy in the system to allow the box to be operated from elsewhere?

 

[67016]

in a single manned box what happens if you can’t get to work because of snow for example? Is there redundancy in the system to allow the box to be operated from elsewhere?

No, the box will probably be closed if no one can get there. I know when it snowed last here in the west a class 70 was used as a staff taxi, getting people to/from work when the roads where to bad. If there are other reasons why you can't get in, e.g. Sickness, family emergency, etc.. Other staff are called to see if they are available to cover or spare relief staff are dispatched. Sometimes boxes that can be switched out are switched out and staff from that box covers the gap, subject to signing the box.

 

[BOULDER]

Job Title Signaller - Dinting SB

Grade: Signaller Grade 3

Salary: £31,169

Location: Dinting SB

 

[Rockhopper]

Thanks for that, as that is the one test that actually scares me, especially as I'm terrible at written maths questions! I'll just give it my best and hope it's good enough

How did you get on?

 

[MidlandsChap]

No, the box will probably be closed if no one can get there. I know when it snowed last here in the west a class 70 was used as a staff taxi, getting people to/from work when the roads where to bad. If there are other reasons why you can't get in, e.g. Sickness, family emergency, etc.. Other staff are called to see if they are available to cover or spare relief staff are dispatched. Sometimes boxes that can be switched out are switched out and staff from that box covers the gap, subject to signing the box.

Interesting.
What happens on the line then if the box closed? How is that area of track controlled/regulated?

 

[Highlandspring]

Interesting.
What happens on the line then if the box closed? How is that area of track controlled/regulated?

If a box is closed (rather than switched out, where that facility exists) then trains can’t run. End of story.

 

[Tom Quinne]

Unfortunately and fortunately we have a few boxes down here that can be switched out to create really really long block sections, and only a few weeks ago a whole region was cut off as a SB had to be closed for a whole day due to staff shortages.

No Signaller, no trains.

 

[nom de guerre]

... Unless - as has regularly happened on one of our neighbouring branch lines - a long-suffering MOM or LOM gets roped in. Again.

 

[Rigchick]

How did you get on?

Still practising! I really want to give my best shot so having a good go at the practise tests first. Think I'll sit down at home tomorrow if I can get rid of the dog and husband for a couple of hours I'm just hoping that there aren't many applicants for the job so I end up with a high score by default

 

[JMH77]

Still practising! I really want to give my best shot so having a good go at the practise tests first. Think I'll sit down at home tomorrow if I can get rid of the dog and husband for a couple of hours I'm just hoping that there aren't many applicants for the job so I end up with a high score by default

Best advice I can give is make sure you have no risk of distractions, mobile phone etc, don't rush but don't dwell too long on the timed tests if you're struggling with a question. For the numerical reasoning one make sure you have a calculator which you can easily calculate percentages etc with, that might sound trivial but is something I overlooked the first time with whatever device I used and it made the calculations far more complicated.

Good luck.

 

[Rigchick]

Best advice I can give is make sure you have no risk of distractions, mobile phone etc, don't rush but don't dwell too long on the timed tests if you're struggling with a question. For the numerical reasoning one make sure you have a calculator which you can easily calculate percentages etc with, that might sound trivial but is something I overlooked the first time with whatever device I used and it made the calculations far more complicated.

Good luck.

Thanks for the words of advice.

 

[Tom Quinne]

I’m hearing more talk about minimum relief premium increasing to 10% from 4%, is it just ops floor talk or is there real discussion on the matter ?

It does seem a rough deal 4% to not know what your working from one week to the next, working multiple panels in our location, no booked Sunday turns etc.

 

[Highlandspring]

That would be a welcome development.

 

[Tom Quinne]

That would be a welcome development.

Being a hard done by 4% Relief it would be yes ! lol