A career as a signaller

[Defenestrate]

Hi all,

So my contract begins on January 31st - exciting! However, I do not begin signaller school until (what is believed to be) February 14th. Does this mean I am going to be paid for the two weeks between?

Yes

 

[WoollyMammoth]

Yes

Nailed it!

@NapoleoNik might be worth touching base with your LOM. You may wish to do a box visit during this period or alternatively you may end up staying at home due covid restrictions. There might be some e-learning around manual handling/ other classic induction things you could complete. Whatever happens, enjoy those two weeks and the rest of your career!

 

[NapoleoNik]

Nailed it!

@NapoleoNik might be worth touching base with your LOM. You may wish to do a box visit during this period or alternatively you may end up staying at home due covid restrictions. There might be some e-learning around manual handling/ other classic induction things you could complete. Whatever happens, enjoy those two weeks and the rest of your career!

Thank you both for the swift answers! Wales goes to Level Zero this week, I believe, so I might try to get a box visit arranged, so I don’t feel like too much of a freeloader. Thanks again!

 

[WoollyMammoth]

Thank you both for the swift answers! Wales goes to Level Zero this week, I believe, so I might try to get a box visit arranged, so I don’t feel like too much of a freeloader. Thanks again!

A sensible choice IMHO!

 

[HcCupcake]

Hello all so I applied for grade 9 signaller at Didcot. I don't know loads about rail but am interested to learn.
I understand its a more stressful role due to the grade but what is it like?
I applied last week and completed the tests and been now invited to a live virtual interview. Is that normal? I see people saying they did a scenario based test first?

 

[HamSandwich]

Thank you both for the swift answers! Wales goes to Level Zero this week, I believe, so I might try to get a box visit arranged, so I don’t feel like too much of a freeloader. Thanks again!

One thing that I found really useful and would highly recommend, is if you know which box you're going to, visiting the boxes either side (probably makes more sense to do this after signalling school though). Really helpful to see what their areas of control are, their workload, and to meet the person you'll be working alongside rather than being just a voice on the phone.

 

[Lewis Williams]

Hi all,

So my contract begins on January 31st - exciting! However, I do not begin signaller school until (what is believed to be) February 14th. Does this mean I am going to be paid for the two weeks between?

You going to Bristol school mate? If so, looks like you might be on the same course as me, I'm from the Hereford area.

 

[NapoleoNik]

You going to Bristol school mate? If so, looks like you might be on the same course as me, I'm from the Hereford area.

Oh that’s excellent! I’m from North Wales, so it is quite a trek for me every Friday and Sunday haha. Worth it though!

 

[phil83.martin@]

Hi all,

So my contract begins on January 31st - exciting! However, I do not begin signaller school until (what is believed to be) February 14th. Does this mean I am going to be paid for the two weeks between?

Hi @NapoleoNik,

My contract starts on the 14th March and school isn't until 28th March. My LOM called and said the 2 weeks were for completing mandatory NR courses at the work location as well as any required reading.

 

[Mi&Li]

Has anyone here applied for the grade 2 signalling opportunities in Immingham, Selby, Hull, Middlesbrough? Have you heard anything since doing the tests?

 

[Jamie41]

Hi all, I have just been offered a grade 2 signaller role on the cheshire line. I must admit I don’t know a huge amount about railway. Does anyway know any details of the Cheshire line signallers will be moved into Manchester ROC or is there a chance of a smaller ROC being built near chester? Thinking if there is a chance of redundancy’s. Thanks

 

[sw1ller]

There’s obviously Chester Power Signal Box but the plan is to get everything on to either Manchester ROC or Cardiff ROC eventually. There’s no date set yet so I’d like to think you were safe for a fair few years yet.

 

[cowboysfan]

Has anyone here applied for the grade 2 signalling opportunities in Immingham, Selby, Hull, Middlesbrough? Have you heard anything since doing the tests?

This didn't close internally untill today. So I assume you may hear someting next week if recruitment are quick about it.

 

[Jamie41]

Anyone applied for Liverpool and Warrington? Level 2? Anyone had an interview yet?

Hi, I applied for Liverpool Warrington and Chester role(Chester preferred) Had a interview and job offer laster week

 

[Simotrfc]

The two signalling schools I see mostly mentioned on here is York and Bristol. Are there others?

 

[MostlyHarmless]

The two signalling schools I see mostly mentioned on here is York and Bristol. Are there others?

Basingstoke is used a lot and they were doing training in Milton Keynes although not sure if that is still the case. There is also a training establishment in the Midlands but the name escapes me atm

 

[SignalShez]

The two signalling schools I see mostly mentioned on here is York and Bristol. Are there others?

You can find them here;

Network Rail Training

About Network Rail Training Centres and Our Training Courses

www.networkrail-training.co.uk

 

[headshot119]

You can find them here;

Network Rail Training

About Network Rail Training Centres and Our Training Courses

www.networkrail-training.co.uk

While some of those are signaling schools, there are signaling schools which aren't on that list.

 

[Trothy]

Hi all, I have just been offered a grade 2 signaller role on the cheshire line. I must admit I don’t know a huge amount about railway. Does anyway know any details of the Cheshire line signallers will be moved into Manchester ROC or is there a chance of a smaller ROC being built near chester? Thinking if there is a chance of redundancy’s. Thanks

If it's Mobberley or Plumley I think you'd be looking at another 10 years before they'd end up in a ROC.

(Speaking as a former Signaller from Plumley who now works in Manchester ROC)

 

[RailNoob]

Hi, I applied for Liverpool Warrington and Chester role(Chester preferred) Had a interview and job offer laster week

Congratulations & welcome to the team feel free to drop me a message if you've got any questions as ive been through the recruitment and training process in the last 12 months on the same patch !

 

[Frothy_B]

Has anyone heard anything either positive or negative regarding the Peterborough roles?

I know things can take a while but with it being a fixed term position I thought things might move a bit faster.

 

[Jamie41]

Congratulations & welcome to the team feel free to drop me a message if you've got any questions as ive been through the recruitment and training process in the last 12 months on the same patch !

Thank you, think I have a million questions. Very nervous but excited at the same time. Just worried my lack of knowledge of the railway will hinder me. See so many acronyms on here that confuse the life out of me lol. Could you message me privately so can ask a couple of questions it won’t let me message you for some reason. Cheers

 

[Yorks1179]

Thank you, think I have a million questions. Very nervous but excited at the same time. Just worried my lack of knowledge of the railway will hinder me. See so many acronyms on here that confuse the life out of me lol. Could you message me privately so can ask a couple of questions it won’t let me message you for some reason. Cheers

Don't worry about not having any railway knowledge. While there are many who become signallers from other parts of the railways, there are just as many, if not more start from totally different backgrounds (myself included). The course is designed to give you all the knowledge you will need starting from scratch.



I think you can’t PM until you’ve clocked up a certain number of posts (don’t know how many).

 

[AntoniC]

Thank you, think I have a million questions. Very nervous but excited at the same time. Just worried my lack of knowledge of the railway will hinder me. See so many acronyms on here that confuse the life out of me lol. Could you message me privately so can ask a couple of questions it won’t let me message you for some reason. Cheers

Don't worry about not having any railway knowledge. While there are many who become signallers from other parts of the railways, there are just as many, if not more start from totally different backgrounds (myself included). The course is designed to give you all the knowledge you will need starting from scratch.



I think you can’t PM until you’ve clocked up a certain number of posts (don’t know how many)

Once you have posted 5 times you can PM other members

 

[Defenestrate]

Has anyone heard anything either positive or negative regarding the Peterborough roles?

I know things can take a while but with it being a fixed term position I thought things might move a bit faster.

Think the Peterborough panels are moving to York within a couple of years - or at least that's the plan.
Unsure if that helps!

 

[Jamie41]

Once you have posted 5 times you can PM other members

Thanks mate wondered why

 

[Fishplate22]

Has anyone here applied for the grade 2 signalling opportunities in Immingham, Selby, Hull, Middlesbrough? Have you heard anything since doing the tests?

I found out today I have an interview for the above

 

[Kraken]

Thank you, think I have a million questions. Very nervous but excited at the same time. Just worried my lack of knowledge of the railway will hinder me. See so many acronyms on here that confuse the life out of me lol. Could you message me privately so can ask a couple of questions it won’t let me message you for some reason. Cheers

You will be completely fine, 9/10 on my signalling course (including me) came from elsewhere and had zero railway knowledge - it’s almost better that way to be honest. You’ll be taught absolutely everything you need to know, including how to tell the front of a train from the back! Just learn the phonetic alphabet before you go if you don’t already know it and you’ll be golden.

 

[Jamie41]

You will be completely fine, 9/10 on my signalling course (including me) came from elsewhere and had zero railway knowledge - it’s almost better that way to be honest. You’ll be taught absolutely everything you need to know, including how to tell the front of a train from the back! Just learn the phonetic alphabet before you go if you don’t already know it and you’ll be golden.

Thank you for your reply. Everyone who’s messages has calmed my nerves around it. I’ve come from fire service background so already know the phonetic alphabet so that’s one thing off my list haha.

 

[Mi&Li]

I found out today I have an interview for the above

Great news, me too!