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A career as a signaller

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Defenestrate

Member
Joined
6 Aug 2019
Messages
130
2 years trying
10 applications at 5 different boxes
5 interviews (6th offered but won’t be going and came 2nd on three occasions)
Finally I’ve been offered a Signaller role!

And the best thing it’s at my first choice box which also happens to be the closest to home :)

No idea as to start date yet have to wait for the HR machine to kick in but hopefully signalling school early next year.

To say I’m happy is an understatement ! Reading these forums, people’s advice and experience definitely helped. So thank you to everyone who’s contributed.

Congratulations, well done - I know how you feel - perseverance does pay off!
 

Catchpole1

Member
Joined
16 Aug 2019
Messages
9
Location
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Hi, just had an email regards crag hall stating my application had been unsuccessful due to the role being withdrawn! I have however noticed the role has been readvertised!! Any ideas why this would be??

cheers.
 

Chumba

Member
Joined
13 May 2019
Messages
164
Hi, just had an email regards crag hall stating my application had been unsuccessful due to the role being withdrawn! I have however noticed the role has been readvertised!! Any ideas why this would be??

cheers.

Check your jobs account, I had this once and it was an administrative error, HR automatically reallocated my original application to the new IRC number. If they haven’t gave them a ring. It’s probably an admin error.
 

Catchpole1

Member
Joined
16 Aug 2019
Messages
9
Location
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Check your jobs account, I had this once and it was an administrative error, HR automatically reallocated my original application to the new IRC number. If they haven’t gave them a ring. It’s probably an admin error.
Lol I have reapplied now. I had my original application saved along with my CV so I went through it again. Made a few changes to hopefully improve it. Fingers crossed.
 
Joined
12 Aug 2019
Messages
54
Thanks for your replies nom de guerre and Tom, it’s been helpful. I did get some feedback from my last interview, and obvious as it sounds, I hadn’t really brushed up on the rules relevant to that area. All the interviews I’ve had since becoming a signaller have been locally so I’d been so focussed on being word perfect on rules I’d been asked previously, it honestly hadn’t occurred that the questions would be so different in each area, AB/TCB differences aside.

With regards to spending time in higher grade boxes, I’ve been to a couple locally, but as I’m having to move completely out of area and signal boxes vary around the country so much, it’s hard to know what to expect. Again this makes it hard to know what rules to read up on pre-interview as I’m a good six hours away from where I’m looking to move to (Manchester/Cheshire way) so box visits are really only possible the day of or day before the actual interview. In terms of securing another position, I’m able to get time off for interviews, subject to cover, but there’s no guarantee whatsoever of a permanent position. It’s quite stressful, which really doesn’t help ease the pressure at interview!

Ideally I’d wait for the ‘perfect’ vacancy to come up, something grade 3-5 maybe but given the very real possibility of unemployment by February I feel like I need to apply for whatever I can.

I’m considering applying for a grade 6 at Heaton Norris and a grade 7 at Crewe PSB so if anyone has any experience of working these boxes, your help would be appreciated!
If you picked up absolute block easily then track circuit block will be a dawdle. You will be busy and will have some horrific shifts but they make you a better signalller .Yes it’s very daunting going into a big box for the first time and seeing all the tracks and equipment. But you probably thought the same going into a manual box for the first time . I remember walking into my signalling centre for the first time and thinking f.... me I’ll never learn this lol . After a year or two it becomes second nature .
Now after 26 years in the same box and working an NX panel I now need to learn a completely new system and again at first you think jeez o here we go again lol .
So get in for the high grades :D
 
Joined
12 Aug 2019
Messages
54
Question for any current signaller or nr employees.
What should I wear on my first day? Theres no mention of anything other than to report to the signal box
Suit shirt and tie your a signaller now ... only kidding lol . Smart causal and comfortable.. ull see all sorts in signalling centres lol .. In Scotland no football colours are allowed though !!!
 

Habitat

Member
Joined
17 Nov 2016
Messages
88
Does anyone have the current Grade 1 salary and also what it'll be after the rise in January please?
 

nom de guerre

Member
Joined
24 Nov 2015
Messages
774
Grade 1 basic is £25,912.

Next year’s pay rise is based on the November 2019 RPI figures (which are published in December).
 

Edriver

Member
Joined
18 Sep 2012
Messages
13
Location
London
Yes...what's up?

I haven't sourced this info out from the forum and I imagine its probably on here in some capacity but what is clear is how competitive and sought after becoming a MOM is - which concerns me a bit because I would be an external applicant. The info I've come across, albeit very useful has been more aimed towards the application process. Could you dig into the 7 week training a little bit and how thorough the signalling training will be seeing that the primary remit of the role will be incident response...?
 
Last edited:
Joined
1 Mar 2018
Messages
988
Yes...what's up?

Sorry to hijack this, but do they take in applicants 'off the street' as it were, or is it usually signallers that want a change in direction? I'm quite interested in the role and one has come up close by but closes very soon!
 

Defenestrate

Member
Joined
6 Aug 2019
Messages
130
Sorry to hijack this, but do they take in applicants 'off the street' as it were, or is it usually signallers that want a change in direction? I'm quite interested in the role and one has come up close by but closes very soon!

Yes, non-signallers and others can and do apply and be successful...go for it!
 
Joined
1 Mar 2018
Messages
988
Yes, non-signallers and others can and do apply and be successful...go for it!

Thanks for the positive reply - I think I probably will as the worst that can happen is that they turn my application down. My only concern is that the job spec says this

Essential Criteria

· Rail Incident Officer and Personal Track Safety training

Which seems to indicate you must possess these to be able to apply, although it also says you may be required to take on the role of Rail Incident Officer and then goes on to explain what that involves - which implies you may be trained for it!
 

Stigy

Established Member
Joined
6 Nov 2009
Messages
4,879
Thanks for the positive reply - I think I probably will as the worst that can happen is that they turn my application down. My only concern is that the job spec says this

Essential Criteria

· Rail Incident Officer and Personal Track Safety training

Which seems to indicate you must possess these to be able to apply, although it also says you may be required to take on the role of Rail Incident Officer and then goes on to explain what that involves - which implies you may be trained for it!
I can’t see the original post you’re referring to, but assuming this is a MOM role, I believe being trained as an RIO is something that you tend not to be competent in until you become a MOM and thus are trained for it when you’re in post?
 
Joined
1 Mar 2018
Messages
988
I can’t see the original post you’re referring to, but assuming this is a MOM role, I believe being trained as an RIO is something that you tend not to be competent in until you become a MOM and thus are trained for it when you’re in post?

I've been told that this is the case so I'll get my application in!
 
Joined
12 Aug 2019
Messages
54
Hello, I found out back in early May so not too long a wait before training was sorted out in Glasgow. I'll be working on the G&SW



Yeah there were a few of us wandering about with the LOM and OM, what panel do you work?
I was downstairs testing a new work station . Good luck8-)
 

MOM67

Member
Joined
6 Mar 2019
Messages
31
My only concern is that the job spec says this

Essential Criteria

· Rail Incident Officer and Personal Track Safety training

Which seems to indicate you must possess these to be able to apply


Don't be overly concerned; these are both competencies you will gain when you attend the MOM course. Most signallers nowadays do not hold PTS competence as it was taken away some years ago. Some MOMs are Rules Competent (supervise Signal Boxes) whilst others are purely Incident Response (eg covering an IECC area as IECCs have there own supervisors).

Best of Luck!
 
Joined
1 Mar 2018
Messages
988
My only concern is that the job spec says this

Essential Criteria

· Rail Incident Officer and Personal Track Safety training

Which seems to indicate you must possess these to be able to apply


Don't be overly concerned; these are both competencies you will gain when you attend the MOM course. Most signallers nowadays do not hold PTS competence as it was taken away some years ago. Some MOMs are Rules Competent (supervise Signal Boxes) whilst others are purely Incident Response (eg covering an IECC area as IECCs have there own supervisors).

Best of Luck!

Thank you!
 

Chumba

Member
Joined
13 May 2019
Messages
164
Thank you!

There were two recent MOM adverts, one for Woking and one for Eastleigh.

The Woking one said

Essential Criteria

· Rail Incident Officer and Personal Track Safety training

The Eastleigh one didn't have that as an essential criteria.

So go for it, I'm sure it'll be part of the training if you get the job.
 

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