A career as a signaller

[Casey_Jones]

I've just received an email saying I've been put on the reserve list for one of the recent Scotland roles. Anyone had any experience of this? Should I feel hopeful or is it unlikely?

"
Thank you for taking the time to apply to apply for Signaller Grade 2-5 - Scotland (multiple locations). The competition for this role was high and you were within the pool of top scoring candidates. It was a tough decision to make as your skills and experience make you a good fit for the role. However, after much consideration, we’re not going to be able to offer you a position for this cohort.

We’ve been really impressed by your overall performance, so we’d really like to add your details to our reserve list in case a position does become available. This means that if a place on this campaign becomes available, (for example, if someone withdraws their application), we will contact you again to make an offer to you.

If you don’t want a place on the reserve list for this route, just let us know by e-mailing us at: "

I had the exact same email after interview, and was then offered a position out of the blue 6 months later. Throughout the life of this thread plenty of others have got into the grade through reserve lists too, so don't despair, you may get a nice phone call somewhere down the line, but do keep applying for any other positions you come across in the meantime.

 

[endofthetunnel]

First time poster here.

I have just been invited to the Signaller Scenario Assessment and interview for a Grade 2 posting for Sheffield, Worksop and Ferrybridge areas. I was just wondering if anyone knew if those boxes are 8 or 12 hour shifts? And also as the position is a Fixed Term, how often permanent positions come up for this area, ideally in Sheffield.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance!

Box vacancies come up all the time, especially lower grade ones. There’s no boxes in Sheffield itself but places like Kiveton and Totley Tunnel aren’t far away. There’s a lot of boxes in ‘Sheffield, Worksop and Ferrybridge’ so some are 12s, some 8s and some don’t work 24hr so are neither.

Honestly like everyone else has been told in this thread- if you get through IST you will find a job - places like Woolley and Cutsyke are regular starter boxes in the area - and they won’t let your contract just expire, it’s too expensive to train you.

The short term pain of a commute you don’t want and a FTC rather than permanent contract won’t last too long and should be worth it in the end!

 

[CoachB]

Central belt area. Yourself?

Yeah, using football as an analogy, it would appear we've hit the crossbar...

I applied for the roles in Dumfries so south west Scotland.

Tbh hitting the crossbar on your first attempt isn't bad by the sounds of it. Looking in here there's been people that have taken several attempts to get a role.

I honestly surprised myself with how well I done as I've not done an interview in years so it's been a good learning experience all round.

Hopefully there's a call down the line.

 

[Stuarty117]

I also received the reserve list email today for Scotland, seems there's a few of us.

 

[CoachB]

I also received the reserve list email today for Scotland, seems there's a few of us.

Must of been the day in dealing with a lot of the Scottish jobs that had been up recently.

 

[vinoboxer]

I applied for the roles in Dumfries so south west Scotland.

Tbh hitting the crossbar on your first attempt isn't bad by the sounds of it. Looking in here there's been people that have taken several attempts to get a role.

I honestly surprised myself with how well I done as I've not done an interview in years so it's been a good learning experience all round.

Hopefully there's a call down the line.

Well done you mate. I'm the same actually. First interview in 6 years (since I interviewed for my current position) so to get good feedback and stuff is excellent.

 

[Canonite]

Box vacancies come up all the time, especially lower grade ones. There’s no boxes in Sheffield itself but places like Kiveton and Totley Tunnel aren’t far away. There’s a lot of boxes in ‘Sheffield, Worksop and Ferrybridge’ so some are 12s, some 8s and some don’t work 24hr so are neither.

Honestly like everyone else has been told in this thread- if you get through IST you will find a job - places like Woolley and Cutsyke are regular starter boxes in the area - and they won’t let your contract just expire, it’s too expensive to train you.

The short term pain of a commute you don’t want and a FTC rather than permanent contract won’t last too long and should be worth it in the end!

I’ve also been invited to complete the Scenario tests too for this. If I remember correctly the job listing stated 12 candidates. I’ve printed off the documents to prepare so I’m just looking for a bit more info before I complete them.
Are you a Signaller in Wakefield? I’m from there originally. Now not too far from Kiveton Park / Worksop so these would be ideal.

Does anyone know what a rota plan looks like? Do you do a four day stretch of 8s then have 3 days off, then do three 12s and have 4 days off?

 

[NewtoNR]

Thanks for that was hoping someone would say 12 hours but all goods

They were 12s until about 2 weeks ago!

 

[endofthetunnel]

Does anyone know what a rota plan looks like? Do you do a four day stretch of 8s then have 3 days off, then do three 12s and have 4 days off?

So your roster is either 8 hours or 12 hours, and they slightly vary by area and by box what order they do the shifts in, but they’re all similar.
12s tend to be 3 or 4 days, a few off, then the other 3 or 4 days, a couple off, and then the same for nights. There tends to be a long group of rest days together in exchange for more frequent shorter days off.

8 hours is more tricky, almost all the shifts are in a row and then a full week off at the end

 

[Emz86]

Does anyone know what take home pay is for G3....with just sundays and normal nights no OT?!

 

[ChrisRS]

Does anyone know what take home pay is for G3....with just sundays and normal nights no OT?!

£2200 every 4 weeks on a 12hr roster.

 

[Emz86]

£2200 every 4 weeks on a 12hr roster.

Super thank u x

 

[AH23]

Hi all
Just wondered if anyone has heard anything in regards to the recent Woking/Farncombe/Haslemere and Feltham and Guildford roles?
I interviewed about three weeks ago and haven’t had a e mail back at all, have chased it up a few times but still yet to hear.
Thanks all

 

[Tapples92]

Hi all
Just wondered if anyone has heard anything in regards to the recent Woking/Farncombe/Haslemere and Feltham and Guildford roles?
I interviewed about three weeks ago and haven’t had a e mail back at all, have chased it up a few times but still yet to hear.
Thanks all

I still haven't heard anything too! The last email I got from recruitment, they said we should know within this week.

 

[HcCupcake]

Hi all
Just wondered if anyone has heard anything in regards to the recent Woking/Farncombe/Haslemere and Feltham and Guildford roles?
I interviewed about three weeks ago and haven’t had a e mail back at all, have chased it up a few times but still yet to hear.
Thanks all

Someone got a rejection email earlier this week but that's all I've heard I'm still waiting too

 

[Canonite]

So your roster is either 8 hours or 12 hours, and they slightly vary by area and by box what order they do the shifts in, but they’re all similar.
12s tend to be 3 or 4 days, a few off, then the other 3 or 4 days, a couple off, and then the same for nights. There tends to be a long group of rest days together in exchange for more frequent shorter days off.

8 hours is more tricky, almost all the shifts are in a row and then a full week off at the end

Thank you for that. I was out today watching a Class 37 growl past on its way to Worksop, and I was talking to a retired Signalman.
He had done 43yrs in the job and didn’t look much older than 55.
I spent 5yrs in retail management and aged 20yrs

 

[vinoboxer]

I guess them telling me was at least something. This was my third time of being a reserve, the other 2 had their statuses changed to unsuccessful without warning!

Random question. If you've been placed on a reserve list following a signaller application but, as this poster states, you notice you're application status now says unsuccessful, should that be concerning?

 

[SalzH]

Random question. If you've been placed on a reserve list following a signaller application but, as this poster states, you notice you're application status now says unsuccessful, should that be concerning?

I know someone who was put on the reserve list, then a week later got offered a position.

A few days after the offer their original application changed to unsuccessful, he went into panic and contacted recruitment, long story short they said not to worry about it.

 

[vinoboxer]

I know someone who was put on the reserve list, then a week later got offered a position.

A few days after the offer their original application changed to unsuccessful, he went into panic and contacted recruitment, long story short they said not to worry about it.

Thank you.

 

[Norfolklad]

Is anyone starting IST at York on Monday?

 

[Amberk]

Is anyone starting IST at York on Monday?

No but I'm there at the moment. I guess a new class is starting.. AB or tcb?

 

[Norfolklad]

No but I'm there at the moment. I guess a new class is starting.. AB or tcb?

Yeah, looking forward to it, it’s AB. Ive been on the railway for 20+years but wanted to change to ops, as Ive always been part of maintenance till now.

Where you staying? How long you got left?

 

[Woody27]

Hi all, so I have applications in for Woking etc, and Worcester, I know from reading this thread that interviews have taken place for both, both applications are sat at assessment on the hub, realistically, am I just waiting for them to change to unsuccessful?

 

[Leeward]

Hi all, so I have applications in for Woking etc, and Worcester, I know from reading this thread that interviews have taken place for both, both applications are sat at assessment on the hub, realistically, am I just waiting for them to change to unsuccessful?

My interview for Worcester isn't until Aug 16th.

 

[Woody27]

My interview for Worcester isn't until Aug 16th.

Hi mate, good luck with your interview, I’ll just keep my fingers crossed

 

[PTGRail]

If you’re given a start date two weeks before your IST date, what are you expected to do during those two weeks? In my case the start date is right before Christmas, with IST due to begin on the 3rd January. I emailed NR recruitment to ask them, but their reply didn’t make it clear what I’d be expected to do during those two weeks.

 

[Tapples92]

Hello all, I received an offer for signaller at Feltham. There's not enough words in the dictionary to describe just how happy and grateful I am... Especially for all the helpful advice here.

I know there are others still waiting for their results but just wanted to encourage everyone here to stay positive and keep trying.

It was several applications before I was successful and the best piece of advice I can give is read "all" the content on this forum and don't be afraid to ask for advice.

Don't suppose anyone here has rough idea of what the rosters are like at Feltham please?

 

[HcCupcake]

Hello all, I received an offer for signaller at Feltham. There's not enough words in the dictionary to describe just how happy and grateful I am... Especially for all the helpful advice here.

I know there are others still waiting for their results but just wanted to encourage everyone here to stay positive and keep trying.

It was several applications before I was successful and the best piece of advice I can give is read "all" the content on this forum and don't be afraid to ask for advice.

Don't suppose anyone here has rough idea of what the rosters are like at Feltham please?

Did you just get the confirmation this morning?

 

[Kraken]

If you’re given a start date two weeks before your IST date, what are you expected to do during those two weeks? In my case the start date is right before Christmas, with IST due to begin on the 3rd January. I emailed NR recruitment to ask them, but their reply didn’t make it clear what I’d be expected to do during those two weeks.

Your LOM will let you know when you start. Given that it’s Christmas you might just get to have a few days at home but you’ll also likely need to get all your admin sorted for a couple of days, horrific e-learning marathon for a day or two, spend a few days in your box having a look at how it all works. Killing time!

 

[Tapples92]

Did you just get the confirmation this morning?

Last week