A career as a signaller

[Wanderer84]

Hey guys.
Swindon Panel Society have just put up an excellent live video on how their panel works. It's worth a look, for those who are new to the signaller job hunt. (although, if you're reading this in future, it may take some searching for the video).

Swindon Panel Society | Didcot

Swindon Panel Society, Didcot, Oxfordshire. 1,329 likes · 204 were here. The Society has preserved Swindon Panel, an original Western Region "turn push" type panel from 1968.

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[godfreycomplex]

Does Liverpool Street have IECC Scaleable equipment?
Oh how I miss that lol

I think some of the desks do.
We’ve got it where I am and it’s delightful.

 

[Tom Quinne]

Definitely is an excellent system to work, such a shame it isn’t more widely used.

 

[godfreycomplex]

Definitely is an excellent system to work, such a shame it isn’t more widely used.

I’ve never worked with any other system on the computer side but I’ve looked at a few other systems and compared to some of them out there the space invaders machine in the skip at the back of my local BRSA looked more advanced and user friendly.

 

[iamdavid]

Had an interview today for a signaller role, just wondering what the opinion is on sending a follow up thank you email to the interviewers? I know it probably won’t sway an opinion either way but there are several people I know who interview for their companies and have said they appreciate it when they get one. Or does it just seem a bit desperate?

 

[Tom Quinne]

I’ve never worked with any other system on the computer side but I’ve looked at a few other systems and compared to some of them out there the space invaders machine in the skip at the back of my local BRSA looked more advanced and user friendly.

LOL !

Ive the pleasure of Scaleable, headache of forgetting the prefix codes on WestCad and pure crap drawing of the area on MCS!

So to work a NX and lever frame a weeks ago was heaven!

 

[LOM]

Had an interview today for a signaller role, just wondering what the opinion is on sending a follow up thank you email to the interviewers? I know it probably won’t sway an opinion either way but there are several people I know who interview for their companies and have said they appreciate it when they get one. Or does it just seem a bit desperate?

It will not influence the decision either way. I have never received one and if I did to be honest I would think it was a bit odd. A smile and thanks at the end of the interview (with handshake when we are allowed to again) is all that is needed.

 

[Trackboy]

Grade 9 link
Liverpool Street W/S
Liverpool Street station to Cambridge Heath/Mile End
Stratford W/S
Mile End to Forest Gate inclusive of various bits
Ilford W/S
Forest Gate to Harold Wood (incl Romford-Upminster)
Shenfield W/S
Harold Wood to Mountnessing (between Shenfield and Ingatestone)/Southend Victoria/Southminster
Witham W/S
Mountnessing to Chitts Hill (between Marks Tey and Colchester, fringe to Colchester PSB), including Witham to Braintree & Marks Tey to Sudbury
For the sake of completeness
Grade 8 link
Hackney W/S
Cambridge Heath to Rectory Road/Chingford (including to Coppermill Junction excl, between Clapton and Tottenham Hale)
Brimsdown W/S
Rectory Road/Lea Bridge to Enfield Town/Cadmore Lane (between Cheshunt and Broxbourne)
Harlow W/S
Cadmore Lane to Fullers End (just south of Elsenham, fringe to Cambridge PSB), including Hertford East and Stansted Airport

Thanks for detailed information. Appreciate it.

 

[danners430]

Applied for the relief roles in Inverness SC... Annoyingly timed, two weeks before my parents move away from Inverness, but hey ho

Does anyone know what the shift patterns are like? I do know one of the signallers, but would prefer to wait until I know if or otherwise I'm getting an interview before I chat with him! Also, I presume the Inverness relief only covers the Inverness box, or does it cover some of the manual boxes to the east too?

 

[Jaysub]

That is how Recruitment want it to happen, yes. But timescales can slip depending on what is happening operationally and things have been a bit up in the air with the current crisis anyway.

Hi,a job i applied for closed 3 weeks ago and someone got an interview email on Monday Just gone.
my status is still test completed.does that mean im Unsuccessful as others have heard something and i havent?

 

[iamdavid]

It will not influence the decision either way. I have never received one and if I did to be honest I would think it was a bit odd. A smile and thanks at the end of the interview (with handshake when we are allowed to again) is all that is needed.

thank you for that, I won’t bother, don’t wanna come across as an odd brown noser!

 

[Allaboard78]

I'm thinking maybe trying for a crossing keeper might be a good idea to get into the business? Would this be a good stepping stone?

 

[iamdavid]

I'm thinking maybe trying for a crossing keeper might be a good idea to get into the business? Would this be a good stepping stone?

Both of the kind chaps who interviewed me got into the business that way so worth a shout surely.

 

[Rockhopper]

It'll give you access to the internal vacancies list certainly but the standard they'd expect from you at interview would be higher (for an internal post).

 

[Mi&Li]

Will Network Rail always ask for a reference and what do they ask?
I ask because we have so many levels of management and I have a lot of people I report to I’m unsure who would be best to select if they do

 

[Rockhopper]

HR i would have thought. If its a big company they will have strict guidelines about what people can and cannot say on a reference.

 

[amanda08]

Will Network Rail always ask for a reference and what do they ask?
I ask because we have so many levels of management and I have a lot of people I report to I’m unsure who would be best to select if they do

I’ve just gone through pre employment checks. All I had to do was provide my paye tax records. (they sent me a link to do this on hmrc) They did not contact my employer and believe only do this if you can’t prove your employment with tax records (or at least that’s how I understood the email I received)

 

[Tom Quinne]

I'm thinking maybe trying for a crossing keeper might be a good idea to get into the business? Would this be a good stepping stone?

Being a crossing keeper is pretty much the default way into a signaller job here.

 

[Mi&Li]

I’ve just gone through pre employment checks. All I had to do was provide my paye tax records. (they sent me a link to do this on hmrc) They did not contact my employer and believe only do this if you can’t prove your employment with tax records (or at least that’s how I understood the email I received)

Ah well that settles that then. Great thanks!

 

[89jordanbj]

I have noticed the TVSC Didcot crossing keeper position has gone off the external list even though the closing date was stated as 11th June. Is this likely to be due to a high number of applicants?

 

[LOM]

I have noticed the TVSC Didcot crossing keeper position has gone off the external list even though the closing date was stated as 11th June. Is this likely to be due to a high number of applicants?

Almost certainly yes.

 

[Tom Quinne]

I have noticed the TVSC Didcot crossing keeper position has gone off the external list even though the closing date was stated as 11th June. Is this likely to be due to a high number of applicants?

Times are tough in the real world, the railway suddenly isn’t as bad as they all thought.....

 

[89jordanbj]

Almost certainly yes.

From experience, would you say the application volumes are higher for signaller roles or crossing keepers?

 

[LOM]

From experience, would you say the application volumes are higher for signaller roles or crossing keepers?

I do not have any keeper worked crossings in my patch so I have never recruited for one. Applications generally are up massively at the moment, I guess due to the corona crisis and furlough scheme etc.. Like Tom says it is tough times out there in the job market.

 

[Midlands_lad]

Can somebody clarify the handover period at shift change please. Are you expected to get to your place of work early so the signaller can finish on time. If it is anything like my current job staff stroll in right on shift change time making it difficult at times to get off?

 

[Saracen_83]

Depends on your link and how they work... if official change over is 0700-1900-0700... with a mutual agreement that hand over is to have taken place by 0630 or 1830. most (90%) get in for between 0600-0610 for example and shift hand over is then.... So your away “early”.

however there are also a few that stick to 0625-0630 and 1825-1830 and refuse to get in any earlier!! Technically not doing anything wrong, but when everyone else is getting in at 0600, not nice.
You actively check who is relieving you, and if you see it is one of them, you dread it as you know your in for a long wait!!!

then it becomes a “game” and Some people will see who is on panel and relieve then off panel at the same time they decided to turn up for work!

all fun and games!

 

[Tom Quinne]

Can somebody clarify the handover period at shift change please. Are you expected to get to your place of work early so the signaller can finish on time. If it is anything like my current job staff stroll in right on shift change time making it difficult at times to get off?

We officially switch shifts at 0700 & 1900, but it’s very very bad form to stroll in after 0630 or 1830.

Usually it’ll be anytime from 0615-0625 or 1815-1825 - especially if the person your reliving is taking you off in 12hrs !

Handover depending on what is going on can be a minute or five

 

[Tom Quinne]

Handover can be anything from a minute to five if you’ve multiple T3s as is the norm on Sunday mornings.

 

[Midlands_lad]

Depends on your link and how they work... if official change over is 0700-1900-0700... with a mutual agreement that hand over is to have taken place by 0630 or 1830. most (90%) get in for between 0600-0610 for example and shift hand over is then.... So your away “early”.

however there are also a few that stick to 0625-0630 and 1825-1830 and refuse to get in any earlier!! Technically not doing anything wrong, but when everyone else is getting in at 0600, not nice.
You actively check who is relieving you, and if you see it is one of them, you dread it as you know your in for a long wait!!!

then it becomes a “game” and Some people will see who is on panel and relieve then off panel at the same time they decided to turn up for work!

all fun and games!

Sounds exactly like my current job!!

 

[LOM]

Changeovers and domestic hours are yet another very common source of conflict. The answer from a management point of view is to strictly enforce booked hours but this is a last resort.

Come and go, give and take.