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A career as a signaller

High Dyke

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1 Jan 2013
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4,267
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Yellabelly Country
Generally yes, if you keep out of the politics which is tricky at times as it effects you doing your job.

Once your in the grade, you’ll stay generally for your career.
Aye, spot on. Though I try to avoid the "politics" of the job. I started as a Grade 1 and am currently a Grade 3 Relief. The job's served me well for the last 20 years.
 
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Tom Quinne

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8 Jul 2017
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Good afternoon

I have been reading this thread for a few months with a view to applying for signaller vacancies. I have a question about relief roles, from what I have read 4% is for a relief in a single location with 32% applying to relief covering multiple locations? What would a relief role with 24% require as it falls between the two relief percentages I have discovered so far? Additionally are there any other relief roles and rates I have not yet encountered?

Thanks

4% is typically a large panel or ROC relief.

You’ve 12%, 18%, 23% and 32% reliefs I think they cover more or wider afield locations.

There are a few 32% grade 5 or 6 jobs out there.
 

High Dyke

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1 Jan 2013
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4,267
Location
Yellabelly Country
Good afternoon

I have been reading this thread for a few months with a view to applying for signaller vacancies. I have a question about relief roles, from what I have read 4% is for a relief in a single location with 32% applying to relief covering multiple locations? What would a relief role with 24% require as it falls between the two relief percentages I have discovered so far? Additionally are there any other relief roles and rates I have not yet encountered?

Thanks
The percentage bands reflect the different mileages that a relief will cover, and also whether they have so many base rostered turns - A Rest Day Relief will have these rather than a General Purpose Relief. The screenshot is taken from the 2001 Signallers Pay & Restructuring agreement.
 

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LOM

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26 Dec 2019
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Been and gone.
Indeed, but the point in which the effort required to undertake your role and the financial reward cross is pretty quick once you leave the upper signalling grades.

Where is the financial reward for grade 7/8/9 signaller to step into the LOM role or even go into the SSM grade?

Book on, do your job, book off - Signaller.

Your always on call or expected to undertake tasks as a LOM for very little if any extra money?

Yes agreed at the moment there is no financial incentive to leave a higher graded box and that is a real problem in terms of finding suitable candidates for operational managerial roles. There is a project under way just now to examine the workload and duties of the LOM and OM roles and part of that is looking at the pay structure.

I do 1 week in 9 on call (second line so relatively few calls) and get 15% on call allowance. The workload as a LOM is taxing and I do work more than my booked hours every week. Unlike many I do not take my laptop home. Unless I am on call I turn my phone off when I leave work in the evening and do not switch it on again until I am back in the office the next day. There are good points and bad points to the job but overall I enjoy it and I have a very good team of signallers and MOMs working for me.

The point I am trying to make is unless you want to you absolutely do not have to stay as a signaller until you retire. Signalling gives you lots of operational experience that is valued and highly sought after by other parts of the business.
 
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Tom Quinne

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Yes agreed at the moment there is no financial incentive to leave a higher graded box and that is a real problem in terms of finding suitable candidates for operational managerial roles. There is a project under way just now to examine the workload and duties of the LOM and OM roles and part of that is looking at the pay structure.

I do 1 week in 9 on call (second line so relatively few calls) and get 15% on call allowance. The workload as a LOM is taxing and I do work more than my booked hours every week. Unlike many I do not take my laptop home. Unless I am on call I turn my phone off when I leave work in the evening and do not switch it on again until I am back in the office the next day. There are good points and bad points to the job but overall I enjoy it and I have a very good team of signallers and MOMs working for me.

The point I am trying to make is unless you want to you absolutely do not have to stay as a signaller until you retire. Signalling gives you lots of operational experience that is valued and highly sought after by other parts of the business.

I quite fancy a train running or incident controller job in years to come, but it seems very a closed shop in terms of grad scheme candidates taking the jobs.

But then I’d only be after the role for bump up my pension pot towards the end of my time - not the right reason to do the job I think.
 

Moon

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12 Jan 2020
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8
Location
Scotland
Well that's me out of the running for Greenloaning - more suitable candidate identified.

Certainly disappointed but consoling myself with the thought that the commute wasn't insignificant. And it's nice to hear back, so many places never even bother with an email saying thanks but no thanks.

Settling in now for a few years of trying to wedge a foot in the door. Next attempt will have sharper responses to the 69 questions.

Good luck to those still under consideration!
 

Mart1n888

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Joined
9 Jan 2020
Messages
11
Location
France
Same for me! :( Nevermind need to look elsewhere now. Good luck to anyone still in the running


Well that's me out of the running for Greenloaning - more suitable candidate identified.

Certainly disappointed but consoling myself with the thought that the commute wasn't insignificant. And it's nice to hear back, so many places never even bother with an email saying thanks but no thanks.

Settling in now for a few years of trying to wedge a foot in the door. Next attempt will have sharper responses to the 69 questions.

Good luck to those still under consideration!
 

Wanderer84

Member
Joined
8 Apr 2017
Messages
32
Location
Fareham
Quick question. I've just recieved an email from an application for NW and Central positions, askimg for my preferred location, but I can't sign into the form.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
 

Moon

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12 Jan 2020
Messages
8
Location
Scotland
Sadly you’ll have to wait for six months before you can change those answers.

Are you certain? I thought those had to be inputted to each application.

In any case it might be six months before another position near me is advertised anyway, so no panic.
 

SiggysigAah

Member
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14 Feb 2020
Messages
75
Location
Lancashire
Quick question. I've just recieved an email from an application for NW and Central positions, askimg for my preferred location, but I can't sign into the form.

Does anyone have any suggestions?
I am in the same boat. Going to try opening the email on the other half’s work laptop when she gets home. Failing that I will try and ring the lady who emailed me tomorrow morning.
 
Joined
1 Mar 2018
Messages
988
Quick question. I've just recieved an email from an application for NW and Central positions, askimg for my preferred location, but I can't sign into the form.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

If its the NR Recruitment portal then try clearing cookies on your browser or use an Incognito window on Chrome
 

Saracen_83

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Joined
22 Oct 2017
Messages
475
Sadly you’ll have to wait for six months before you can change those answers.


Are you certain? I thought those had to be inputted to each application.

In any case it might be six months before another position near me is advertised anyway, so no panic.

you change your answers to the 69 questions for each application,
So these can be improved upon no worries...

however your answers to the the three online tests you sat cannot be changed for a minimum of 6 months.

keep applying and don’t give up!!!

good luck!
 

SiggysigAah

Member
Joined
14 Feb 2020
Messages
75
Location
Lancashire
The email I have contains a link to forms.office.com when I try to open it with my personal account I get the error message

You can’t sign in here with a personal account. Use your work or school account instead.

Unfortunately I am far too old for school and the IT at my current employer is 20 years behind.
 

Moon

Member
Joined
12 Jan 2020
Messages
8
Location
Scotland
Thanks for the encouragement Saracen_83!

Definitely not giving up, just need to adopt a realistic attitude as this looks like a tough nut to crack.
 

Wanderer84

Member
Joined
8 Apr 2017
Messages
32
Location
Fareham
Thanks for the encouragement Saracen_83!

Definitely not giving up, just need to adopt a realistic attitude as this looks like a tough nut to crack.

I'd also look at your CV, I put up a link for a NR document (I think it's on the previous page of posts), providing info on what they're looking for with a cv.
 

qwertyberty

Member
Joined
12 Feb 2020
Messages
18
Location
London
Hi All, I recall reading somewhere on here that there was a fairly high turnover of signallers at TVSC in Didcot due to steep housing/living costs in that area but there never seem to be jobs posted in the South East ROC locations like Didcot/Basingstoke. Is this because jobs do not come up very often at these locations or they are filled internally so never reach the external eye?
 

7Paul7

Member
Joined
10 Feb 2020
Messages
96
Location
Billingham
Has anyone else, with an offer for York future opportunities had a box added to their careers page that they haven't interview for with an offer sent status?
 

Midlands_lad

Member
Joined
15 Jan 2020
Messages
98
Location
Staffordshire
Could anyone tell me roughly how long after an interview that they have been informed if they have been successful or not? I had an interview nearly 4 weeks ago and have not heard anything, is this about the norm, many thanks?!
 

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