Thanks mate that's given me a bit of reassurance.
I'm still in corporate security now, I've been in the industry for 16 years off and on including a spell in management, so I've worked every shift pattern imaginable and done everything from days, nights, earlies, lates, weekends, bank holidays and started and finished shifts at some ridiculous times, so the railway shift system shouldn't be a culture shock to me.
As I've mentioned I dont see a future for myself in security, I'm very jaded with the industry and get no satisfaction from my current job, but the one advantage I do have is I currently work 4 on 4 off day shifts only which is why I'm a little reluctant to go back to a more varied pattern where I'm bouncing from earlies to lates and back constantly. I've also got used to coming home to my family each evening which is obviously something that will change with SWR with the regular late finishes.
All that said it's very much a pros and cons situation, I realise that SWR can provide me a much better future in terms of financial stability/standard of living as well as career prospects, also the SWR link system is said to average 42 hours per week which is the same as what I average on my 4 on 4 off security pattern so over a month I wont be working any more hours, I will be working more days but on working days I'll get more time at home than I currently do working 12 hour shifts.
The SWR holiday entitlement is much more generous as well, I currently only accrue 20 days per year on my basic hours.
So all in all I know moving to the railways is the right decision it'll just take some adjustment. I wouldn't be against the shift pattern at all if there was more of a balance, say working 2 earlies, 2 middle shifts, 2 lates then 2/3 off or something similar, it just looks pretty brutal when you have a stretch of 7 lates then 2 off then up at daft o clock for a early.