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Indeed. I had plenty in years 2 and 3 but its not likely in your first year as I mentioned earlier. It also really depends on the depot. They used to have funny rules about overtime, you got paid no additional for 9 hours, then set sums for up to 10, 15, 20 etc until a capped point. Thankfully...

I work in an s&t faults team currently who are rapid response. Id say its pretty similar night and day for us most the time. We tend to have more urgent faults in the day of course and bigger planned jobs are reserved for nights if we think blocks may be an issue. We also do much more supporting...

Weve not long had a big resignalling through a large portion of our patch. Its reduced our faults somewhat. We are normally within reach of the van to be honest. Additionally when we are assisting the pway we usually have other stuff to do til we get the call. We are fortunate to be in the same...

This is true. I mean we normally get to sit in the van til they are done though. Having said this my -4 night shift was definitely not inside the van. Absolute nightmare of a fault with a mechanical fpl. Then straight onto a fault with a track circuit that lasted the rest of the shift. I...

Used to be 8am til 4pm daytime, i dont think this has changed much. They never used to allow you to stay offsite on a weeknight without special permission. This could have changed. The apprenticeship head now is a chap called Dan who is a lot more in tune with what it is to be an apprentice...

Rosters are area specific though. Anyone on ex amey contracts will have a higher rate of pay (like us here in port talbot) but you have to remember that our pay isnt fully pensionable and thats a pretty big difference as far away as retirement might seem for us. Off track pays the least, s&t...

That sounds likely. We usually get roughly that in applicants. You dont know how many were aiming for your post but it will have been a fair few im sure. I dont think youll cover a large patch there, theres a lot of depots but im not sure how many have OLE staff. I think youre close enough to...

Oh and track is very physical indeed. It has its fun parts such as working in a big group with the banter and camaraderie. However dig a few wet beds in blazing sun, a rail change on a january night (it was -4° in work for me last night!) and youll soon be wishing you chose something else. I...

Exactly. Where are you based? Im in south wales, ours is very competitive but some areas are easier since they have more slots and fewer applicants. For anyone in London and surrounding the apprenticeship is a no brainer because your prospects after completion are fantastic. You are likely to...

Depends on your area and discipline but by me its tricky and very competitive. The only successful external applicants weve had in the s&t lately have come from other heavy engineering roles where theyve done electrical engineering or similar as an apprenticeship. Qualifications alone are...

Again the STAR method is the key. I would strongly advise you look into health and safety as well. Talk about why its important on the railway. What would you do if you saw someone doing something unsafe. Think of an example of when youve challenged someone's safety. Could be as simple as asking...

It depends whos interviewing you. HR love enthusiasts but hiring managers often dont. My colleagues dont usually think highly of enthusiasts. Its much more commonplace and accepted amongst signallers than it is for us on the ground. Additionally be prepared for your passion for rail to die its...

I am the only income in my household and have three stepchildren so I can understand the issue. I really really missed my kids. They kept asking their dad if was coming home and several friends asked if wed split up. I live a long way from coventry and didnt have the funds to travel home. Im not...

Hi guys to clarify on a few issues. 1) the NR apprentice wage is higher than the minimum apprentice wage. Mine worked out to roughly 8 grand in the first year, 12 in the second and 14 in the third. The first year is now 10 (last i checked) which is much higher than most. Its also useful to know...

Depends on the apprenticeship. Some make you do it anyway. I did the NR apprenticeship and they require you to do the qualifications again even if they are literally indentical. With a driver apprenticeship they might have to put you through literacy and numeracy to get funding. It would be...

This is by far the best advice you will get. NR use this style of interview but so do many TOCS. If you happen to be applying for TFW I can almost guarrantee this is how they will do it because its half NR staff over there anyway.

I did the apprenticeship and was in a similar position to yourself M84. I completed last summer and though honestly it was hell I strongly reccimend doing it. Bear in mind you may be entitled to working tax credits or child tax credits in your first and possibly second year. In my first year...

Hi guys, Im currently employed by NR and have been for 3+ years. I work in signal maintenance and completed an apprenticeship to get my technicians post. I volunteer a lot with HR to promote rail careers and run q&a sessions at assessment centres for apprentices. Theres a bit of crossover with...

Hi Andy :) Im a current apprentice on the NR scheme, im the cohort that has just left westwood training. Unfortunately there are literally thousands of applicants for the apprenticeship and the competition as such is pretty fierce. The online tests are something you must be up to scratch on...

On my way to my first day at depot as I type this. Plenty of people on this cohort which was the first westwood lot have relocated a fair distance. They will not ask you to move in beforehand, one lad I know didnt have a definite new home til about a week before we left. They trust that you will...