A career as a signaller

[nom de guerre]

If you're looking at jobs in the south east, I'd recommend the talent pool for the medway valley line, or strood as its advertised. A majority of the signallers who are recruited down there are external applicants and the turnover of staff is reasonably high too as signallers regularly move on up to higher grades elsewhere.

12hr roster, too...

 

[nr_signaller]

@Highlandspring could you expand on the controllef grades please mate?

Grade 1/2/3 etc, I’m looking a train running controller job but I don’t understand the various grades.

Cheers !

Rugby??

 

[f1nch26]

Just after a little favour....could someone who is currently working as a signaller PM me please? I just have a question about applications...

 

[Cavan]

@Highlandspring could you expand on the controllef grades please mate?

Grade 1/2/3 etc, I’m looking a train running controller job but I don’t understand the various grades.

Cheers !

Is it a common move from the signalling to NR control jobs? Train running controller or incident controller? Or do many NR controllers move over from TOC control jobs?

 

[Highlandspring]

Signaller or Shift Manager to Control is a very common career progression. I only know one NR Controller who came directly from a TOC Control and he was specifically headhunted.

 

[Tom Quinne]

Rugby??

Did of a commute for me mate....

 

[Tom Quinne]

Is it a common move from the signalling to NR control jobs? Train running controller or incident controller? Or do many NR controllers move over from TOC control jobs?

Probably towards the end of their career to bump up the pension?
I’m not sure I’m ready give up my red lines for white ones just yet though.

 

[Danc87]

12hr roster, too...

Sounds great thanks I'll check see if I applied for that one

 

[Danc87]

If you're looking at jobs in the south east, I'd recommend the talent pool for the medway valley line, or strood as its advertised. A majority of the signallers who are recruited down there are external applicants and the turnover of staff is reasonably high too as signallers regularly move on up to higher grades elsewhere.

Good luck with your applications, its a great job once you get in.

Brilliant thanks any have a copy of what a 12hour roster looks like please how many days a month roughly and stuff like that as I'd have to stay away or 1 and half hour commute

 

[Saracen_83]

Typical 4 week 12 hour roster as follows:

S M T W T F S
D D D D rd rd rd
rd rd rd rd N N N
N rd rd rd D D D
rd N N N rd rd rd

D - day shift
N - night shift
Rd rest day

As you can see a nice roster where you are off more than you work. Remember sundays are not part of the working week so are paid extra, and also means you can get them off as long as they can find someone to cover the shift (which is more often than not!!!!)

 

[Cavan]

Remember the "traditional" 12hr roster with the week off per four weeks does not apply where areas have recently gone over to the 12hr pattern. Iirc Medway is such an area.

Anyone got any updates on how the current 12hr roster will/won't be altered in respect orr/60hr week stuff?

 

[Danc87]

Typical 4 week 12 hour roster as follows:

S M T W T F S
D D D D rd rd rd
rd rd rd rd N N N
N rd rd rd D D D
rd N N N rd rd rd

D - day shift
N - night shift
Rd rest day

As you can see a nice roster where you are off more than you work. Remember sundays are not part of the working week so are paid extra, and also means you can get them off as long as they can find someone to cover the shift (which is more often than not!!!!)

Brilliant thanks pretty much the same roster that I work now! Couple of questions still how many holiday days on 12 hour roster and if u book a Sunday our a night off do u still get the premium or just base pay

 

[Cavan]

Brilliant thanks pretty much the same roster that I work now! Couple of questions still how many holiday days on 12 hour roster and if u book a Sunday our a night off do u still get the premium or just base pay

Danc87 some members will know for sure but I'm pretty sure Medway work the "new" 12hr roster which loses the split week and has a 5 day long weekend vice the 7 day off.

 

[Tom Quinne]

Typical 4 week 12 hour roster as follows:

S M T W T F S
D D D D rd rd rd
rd rd rd rd N N N
N rd rd rd D D D
rd N N N rd rd rd

D - day shift
N - night shift
Rd rest day

As you can see a nice roster where you are off more than you work. Remember sundays are not part of the working week so are paid extra, and also means you can get them off as long as they can find someone to cover the shift (which is more often than not!!!!)

Pretty much my roster, being a Reliefman I don’t get any Sundays though.

 

[Saracen_83]

Remember the "traditional" 12hr roster with the week off per four weeks does not apply where areas have recently gone over to the 12hr pattern. Iirc Medway is such an area.

Anyone got any updates on how the current 12hr roster will/won't be altered in respect orr/60hr week stuff?

Strangely there 2 places I know of that have either just moved or moving to 12 hour roster that are on traditional 12s not the new roster.

 

[Saracen_83]

Brilliant thanks pretty much the same roster that I work now! Couple of questions still how many holiday days on 12 hour roster and if u book a Sunday our a night off do u still get the premium or just base pay

Holidays = 16/17

If you book a Sunday off, you won’t get paid for the Sunday......

 

[HelixUK]

Typical 4 week 12 hour roster as follows:

S M T W T F S
D D D D rd rd rd
rd rd rd rd N N N
N rd rd rd D D D
rd N N N rd rd rd

D - day shift
N - night shift
Rd rest day

As you can see a nice roster where you are off more than you work. Remember sundays are not part of the working week so are paid extra, and also means you can get them off as long as they can find someone to cover the shift (which is more often than not!!!!)

So in that 4 week/28 day period you'll work 14 12 hour shifts for example?

There are 13 4 week periods in a year so that pattern works out as 42 hours per week average.

Does the following months roster change slightly to give more time off to make the average 35 hours per week? If a signaller worked the above example what would the following 4 week period look like? Would the days and nights be rotated so you'd start with nights as opposed to days in the above example?

Cheers

 

[Saracen_83]

Yes 14 shifts if you work your booked sundays. 12 if not. Obviously you can opt to work your rest days and increase your pay packet!!

That roster pretty much stays the same. A normal roster is based over 16 weeks, and there are a few changes in last few weeks where GPR shifts are added. These are shifts where you know what day your on but not the shift until the Thursday before.

So my gpr period (weeks 12-16 of the roster) week looks as follows:

As for the 35 hour week, this is based on Monday - Saturday. (So effectively 3 x 12 hour shifts = 36. At our place we have a rule that allows one of our panel to leave an hour early on one of the days to effectively make it a 35 hour week)

As mentioned sundays are not part of the week, so effectively booked overtime. You can ask to not work these and if they can find cover for it you have it off, if they cannot find cover, then you have work it.

 

[nom de guerre]

I'm pretty sure Medway work the "new" 12hr roster which loses the split week and has a 5 day long weekend vice the 7 day off.

Correct.

Strangely there 2 places I know of that have either just moved or moving to 12 hour roster that are on traditional 12s not the new roster.

Interesting. Single-manned, or larger boxes?

Holidays = 16/17

Depends on local agreements. We’re 17/18.

Does the following months roster change slightly to give more time off to make the average 35 hours per week?

We receive a few extra rest days (‘35hr days’) each year. At my place, they’re usually tacked onto our long weekend, which becomes 8 days off, vice 7.

 

[Mothball]

I applied for Norbury Hollow Crossing Keeper about 2 months ago, applications still sat at Test Completed and not heard anything since, having driven past about 2 am it's not a 24 hour box, but looking at train times there's just over 18 hours worth of trains during the day, what would the shifts be looking like for that?

 

[Llanigraham]

Yes 14 shifts if you work your booked sundays. 12 if not. Obviously you can opt to work your rest days and increase your pay packet!!

As for the 35 hour week, this is based on Monday - Saturday. (So effectively 3 x 12 hour shifts = 36. At our place we have a rule that allows one of our panel to leave an hour early on one of the days to effectively make it a 35 hour week)

As mentioned sundays are not part of the week, so effectively booked overtime. You can ask to not work these and if they can find cover for it you have it off, if they cannot find cover, then you have work it.

In our area you got an extra day off every 12 weeks, at the start of the last Days section of the roster.

 

[Jaysub]

Can anyone tell me about the hearing test in the medical?

 

[Highlandspring]

Can anyone tell me about the hearing test in the medical?

Pardon?

...sorry.

You go into a ‘soundproof’ cupboard and put on a pair of headphones. You’re played a series of descending and ascending tones at irregular intervals in each ear individually and you click a button (like weather presenters used to use) each time you hear a tone. If you’re lucky then no one will be moving furniture on the floor directly above or using a chainsaw just outside.

 

[Jaysub]

Does
Anybody have any info on the chichester box?
Job just came up...

Is it 1 manned?

 

[Jaysub]

Pardon?

...sorry.

You go into a ‘soundproof’ cupboard and put on a pair of headphones. You’re played a series of descending and ascending tones at irregular intervals in each ear individually and you click a button (like weather presenters used to used) each time you hear a tone. If you’re lucky then no one will be moving furniture on the floor directly above or using a chainsaw just outside.

Lol...

Thanks for
The info...i have had this kind of test before so thats good!

 

[Sunset route]

Does
Anybody have any info on the chichester box?
Job just came up...

Is it 1 manned?

Single person box 8hr roster, that rotates through a 4 weekly period over a 16 week cycle to get the extra rest days in to comply with the 35hr working week.

 

[Jaysub]

Single person box 8hr roster, that rotates through a 4 weekly period over a 16 week cycle to get the extra rest days in to comply with the 35hr working week.

Ok thanks for the reply...

Isit a good box do you know?

 

[Jaysub]

Does anyone know also how many miles of track haslemere has ??

 

[Sunset route]

Ok thanks for the reply...

Isit a good box do you know?

Only visited the place once (I’m a ex coasteay east signaller), but the colleagues that I currently work with that were ex coastway west signallers didn’t have many complaints about it.

 

[Tom Quinne]

Can anyone tell me about the hearing test in the medical?

You attend a NWR compound, climb into a converted transit van, then enter a “sound proof” box and put on some huge ear phones.

A series of low and high tones will be played at you, you have to press the button they give you when you hear a tone for as long a you hear the tone keep the button pressed.

If your really lucky you might hear them, if your not all your hear is your heart pounding !