• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

A career as a signaller

magillmagic

Member
Joined
27 May 2016
Messages
24
I applied for a Signaller Post on April 10th, I've gone through all of the assessment, interview and medical process, and I start Signal School on 5th Sept.
Just to give you an idea of the length of time from start to finish.
It's a very long process, but hopefully very worthwhile.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

abzrunner

Member
Joined
25 Aug 2016
Messages
5
I applied for a Signaller Post on April 10th, I've gone through all of the assessment, interview and medical process, and I start Signal School on 5th Sept.
Just to give you an idea of the length of time from start to finish.
It's a very long process, but hopefully very worthwhile.
Cheers very helpful indeed. I dont mind it taking too long currently working thru a retention bonus period at work so for me the longer the better!!!

Is it right signal school lasts 12 weeks full time?
Oh and where is signal school?
Thanks
 

TomBoyd

Member
Joined
2 Sep 2013
Messages
438
Is it right signal school lasts 12 weeks full time?
Oh and where is signal school?
Thanks


Depends. Absolute Block school is 12-13 weeks

Track Circuit Block is 8? I think. Depends on the equipment the box uses, and which your LOM wants you to do.

The main school is now in York.
 

Sunset route

Member
Joined
27 Oct 2015
Messages
1,176
Cheers very helpful indeed. I dont mind it taking too long currently working thru a retention bonus period at work so for me the longer the better!!!

Is it right signal school lasts 12 weeks full time?
Oh and where is signal school?
Thanks

5 Wks AB plus 1 Wk TCB conversion at Crewe Web House residential mon to fri (oops that's me reminiscing back to the days of the double arrows lol)

But 12 weeks sounds about right judging by our new intake, signalling schools are at York ROC and Bassingstoke ROC attached training centres for the time being
 

magillmagic

Member
Joined
27 May 2016
Messages
24
I'm going to the new Training Campus in Basingstoke, however there are a few training centres, I know of one in York and another in Peterborough. My understanding is that you simply get sent to the one with a vacancy on the next available course. In my case, Basingstoke is by far the furthest for me to travel, but the soonest in terms of start date.
I have received my joining instructions and it states that I will be away training Monday to Friday, residential for 9 weeks. I believe that there is then quite a long period of on the job training and shadowing for a further 4 to 6 weeks.
So it's a long process but I'm really looking forward to getting started.
 

Sooty123

Member
Joined
8 Aug 2016
Messages
30
Hi
I have recently applied for a signaller post at the Doncaster PSB on a grade 8 role.
The advert states the pay is £41500 maximum.
Will this salery include the unsocial hours payment and any other bonuses that come with the role.

If the enhanced payments are on top of this sum, what would the likely percentage increase be?

Thanks in advance
 

Sunset route

Member
Joined
27 Oct 2015
Messages
1,176
Hi
I have recently applied for a signaller post at the Doncaster PSB on a grade 8 role.
The advert states the pay is £41500 maximum.
Will this salery include the unsocial hours payment and any other bonuses that come with the role.

If the enhanced payments are on top of this sum, what would the likely percentage increase be?

Thanks in advance

That's just the flat clean salary (£41582) and won't include rostered Sunday's and night shift premium at 10% of the hourly rate per shift worked.
 

Sooty123

Member
Joined
8 Aug 2016
Messages
30
That's just the flat clean salary (£41582) and won't include rostered Sunday's and night shift premium at 10% of the hourly rate per shift worked.

So would you say as a rough estimate depending on Rotas it's a ball park figure of 2-3k on top
 

Sunset route

Member
Joined
27 Oct 2015
Messages
1,176
So would you say as a rough estimate depending on Rotas it's a ball park figure of 2-3k on top

Quite easily, more money earned with overtime, but then the work home life balance is not as good, the shift work on its own is bad enough without working extra, but it's still a good job.
 

TRain87

Member
Joined
1 Sep 2016
Messages
311
Location
England
Evening all

Today I applied for a job as a signaller (grade 7). I am currently employed as a technical operator in a manufacturing enviroment, and have done this job for 6 years - doing 12 hour shifts, 4 on 4 off days and nights. I have no experience as a signaller but feel that I need a career change, before it's too late. I understand this job will have a lot of interest, but what is the chances that NR will take someone like me on, when there are others with experience?

After completing the initial test, I felt a bit deflated due to the questions towards the end that I knew nothing about, but they assured me that no experience is required and as long as I tick the boxes for requiremnts (own transport, shift work, can concentrate for long periods etc) then I stand a chance, even if it is small.

Any help would be very much appreciated :)

Cheers
 

TomBoyd

Member
Joined
2 Sep 2013
Messages
438
Evening all

Today I applied for a job as a signaller (grade 7). I am currently employed as a technical operator in a manufacturing enviroment, and have done this job for 6 years - doing 12 hour shifts, 4 on 4 off days and nights. I have no experience as a signaller but feel that I need a career change, before it's too late. I understand this job will have a lot of interest, but what is the chances that NR will take someone like me on, when there are others with experience?

After completing the initial test, I felt a bit deflated due to the questions towards the end that I knew nothing about, but they assured me that no experience is required and as long as I tick the boxes for requiremnts (own transport, shift work, can concentrate for long periods etc) then I stand a chance, even if it is small.

Any help would be very much appreciated :)

Cheers

If the job was advertised externally, it means there were no internal applicants. You are not competing with anyone with experience.

They absolutely take people "off the street" all the time. If you have the right attitude and aptitude, youll be fine.
 

TRain87

Member
Joined
1 Sep 2016
Messages
311
Location
England
If the job was advertised externally, it means there were no internal applicants. You are not competing with anyone with experience.

They absolutely take people "off the street" all the time. If you have the right attitude and aptitude, youll be fine.

OK, makes me feel a little better. Just a waiting game now! Thanks for getting back to me
 

Termy

Member
Joined
29 May 2013
Messages
226
OK, makes me feel a little better. Just a waiting game now! Thanks for getting back to me

The best of luck with your change of career!
The waiting is the hard part. I've been waiting for a while to hear back about the online assessment for about two, three weeks now. Tenderhooks!
 

TRain87

Member
Joined
1 Sep 2016
Messages
311
Location
England
The best of luck with your change of career!
The waiting is the hard part. I've been waiting for a while to hear back about the online assessment for about two, three weeks now. Tenderhooks!

It definitely is......I only applied yesterday, received an email today to say application accepted and now it will go for review, a good sign of things to come I'm hoping, but I know it's a very long process! But i know this is the career i want to do, so will apply for any signalling jobs that come up. Best of luck to you mate! Let us know how you get on
 

Saltire

Member
Joined
23 Mar 2014
Messages
120
Hi folks - just wondering how many people have active applications for signaller positions at the moment and where you are in the process?

I'm external and have 1 application under consideration for grade 4 signaller at Tweedmouth.

Hopefully we can help each other along
 

TRain87

Member
Joined
1 Sep 2016
Messages
311
Location
England
Hi folks - just wondering how many people have active applications for signaller positions at the moment and where you are in the process?

I'm external and have 1 application under consideration for grade 4 signaller at Tweedmouth.

Hopefully we can help each other along

Hey

Have applied for one, going to apply for another tonight, or maybe see if first is accepted, if it's not then I can change my answers lol. Waiting period is killing me, can imagine this is going to be a LOOOOONG journey, but good things come to those who wait
 

Sooty123

Member
Joined
8 Aug 2016
Messages
30
Hi

External candidate as well.

Just received confirmation for assessment centre at the end of September.
Applied for a grade 8 at Doncaster .
 

john.ump

Member
Joined
15 Jun 2016
Messages
31
Nervously waiting to attend my assessment next week. I've done preparation based on the document provided and some other tasks that will hopefully aide me on the day.

Does anybody know how long the whole assessment usually takes? 4hrs is what is given on the documents so I assume this is the average
 

TRain87

Member
Joined
1 Sep 2016
Messages
311
Location
England
And to you!

Where have you applied for ?

Eastleigh, it's 5 minutes drive from my house :)

Have also applied for Woking, it's an hour away but it's a foot in the door, can look to move closer to home once fully trained and competent
 

contrad!ction

Member
Joined
25 Apr 2016
Messages
103
Does anybody know how long the whole assessment usually takes? 4hrs is what is given on the documents so I assume this is the average

Mine was around 4-5 hours if I remember correctly (with 2 15-20 min breaks), so that sounds about right.

I have no experience as a signaller but feel that I need a career change, before it's too late. I understand this job will have a lot of interest, but what is the chances that NR will take someone like me on, when there are others with experience?

Doesn't matter in the slightest. I went straight into a high grade (8+) role off the street and although there's a lot to learn it's perfectly doable if you've got the right stuff.
 
Last edited:

magillmagic

Member
Joined
27 May 2016
Messages
24
My assessment day was about 4 hours long in Manchester.
I start Training school tomorrow after a very lengthy process after initially applying in April.
I have joined after 10 years in the Prison Service as I wanted a complete change of career direction. I think there's slightly less chance of being abused and assaulted on a weekly basis with Network rail.
I have no previous Rail or Signal experience. It seems to come down to your suitability to the job rather than what you have previously done.
Don't be put off, as long as you prep properly for the assessment, you'll be fine.
 

nom de guerre

Member
Joined
24 Nov 2015
Messages
774
I have joined after 10 years in the Prison Service as I wanted a complete change of career direction. I think there's slightly less chance of being abused and assaulted on a weekly basis with Network rail.

Well done and welcome.

We have a few ex-Prison Service blokes at our place. Despite their incessant moaning (:lol:) if you ply them with enough jaffa cakes they will grudgingly admit that they have traded up.
 

carriageline

Established Member
Joined
11 Jan 2012
Messages
1,897
Well done and welcome.



We have a few ex-Prison Service blokes at our place. Despite their incessant moaning (:lol:) if you ply them with enough jaffa cakes they will grudgingly admit that they have traded up.



Where abouts do you work if you don't mind me asking? We've got a few at our place too!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Top