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A career as a signaller

nom de guerre

Member
Joined
24 Nov 2015
Messages
774
I think we’re basically agreeing with each other in that what you’re calling a ‘technical’ question I’m calling a ‘rules’ question.

Agreed :smile:

My interviewers used the term 'technical'. I was only asked one at each interview and the subject of both was essentially 'slightly obscure local knowledge' rather than rules per se.

My own experience has always been that they focus on a particular rule and I’ve never had any more or any less than two but I think LOMs are given a fair bit of latitude in how they conduct interviews and there must be quite a lot of variation in different areas. I had an internal signaller interview* in the last 6 weeks which took the following format:

- 2x overview questions (“Why do you want this role?” and “Tell us a little about the location you’ve applied for”)
- 8x NTS scenarios (all based on signalling examples as per your post, none of which were particularly challenging and each was obvious what they were looking for)
- 2x safety questions (“Explain the NR safety vision” and “Tell us about a time when you’ve made a safety intervention”)
- 2x rules/technical (“Explain the procedure for signalling a train over a failed AHB crossing under local control with an attendant” and another I can’t remember)

Interviews I’ve had for other roles in NR have been broadly similar but also completely different, if that makes any sense.

*left the grade a few years ago and found the grass isn’t actually greener elsewhere. But hey ho...

Similarly, I was only asked one safety question but I included examples of safety interventions I'd made as part of my answer so perhaps a follow-up wasn't required.

Welcome back, by the way!
 
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Tom Quinne

On Moderation
Joined
8 Jul 2017
Messages
2,225
I think we’re basically agreeing with each other in that what you’re calling a ‘technical’ question I’m calling a ‘rules’ question. My own experience has always been that they focus on a particular rule and I’ve never had any more or any less than two but I think LOMs are given a fair bit of latitude in how they conduct interviews and there must be quite a lot of variation in different areas. I had an internal signaller interview* in the last 6 weeks which took the following format:

- 2x overview questions (“Why do you want this role?” and “Tell us a little about the location you’ve applied for”)
- 8x NTS scenarios (all based on signalling examples as per your post, none of which were particularly challenging and each was obvious what they were looking for)
- 2x safety questions (“Explain the NR safety vision” and “Tell us about a time when you’ve made a safety intervention”)
- 2x rules/technical (“Explain the procedure for signalling a train over a failed AHB crossing under local control with an attendant” and another I can’t remember)

Interviews I’ve had for other roles in NR have been broadly similar but also completely different, if that makes any sense.

*left the grade a few years ago and found the grass isn’t actually greener elsewhere. But hey ho...

Welcome back to the best job on the railway !
 

Jaysub

Member
Joined
7 Feb 2019
Messages
151
Does any1 know who got the petersfield role?if external or internal?

Was unsuccessful but waiting on 2x haslemere
 

Uberbowman

New Member
Joined
3 May 2019
Messages
4
hi just seen a few jobs pop up reasonably local to me but they are all saying fixed term until 2020 which is a bit concerning! its the norwich based jobs why would they all be fixed term for a year?
As Already stated, the lines have been resignalled, so come March all the signal boxes and crossings will be closed down (with exception of some of the swing bridges).
Still worth applying though, as once you are in, you have access to the internally advertised jobs and move on.
The crossing I'm working on has lost three new starters recently. Two went to signalling school and one went to work on the swing bridge at Oulton Broad.
 

High Dyke

Established Member
Joined
1 Jan 2013
Messages
4,267
Location
Yellabelly Country
No need to apologise :). I too found the wording a tad ambiguous at first glance, however I'm afraid it looks like I speaketh facts:

26 July 2019: employees on the HRMS (Oracle) payroll will receive pay reflecting this award.

20 September 2019: employees on the HRMS (Oracle) payroll will receive back pay for the period from 1 January 2019. The Oracle payment system requires manual calculation of back pay, a process which will take two months to complete.
Hmmm! Unbelievable... Yet if the likes of you and I didn't pay someone monies due for a couple of months the bailiffs would soon be knocking on the door.
 

meadows10

Member
Joined
14 Oct 2015
Messages
7
afternoon all - just wondering if anyone had applied and heard back regarding the signaller traffic management posts at tb ? had my interview 5 weeks ago but nothing heard since and my application has not changed either from "invite assessment 2 scheduled"
 

Sunset route

Member
Joined
27 Oct 2015
Messages
1,176
afternoon all - just wondering if anyone had applied and heard back regarding the signaller traffic management posts at tb ? had my interview 5 weeks ago but nothing heard since and my application has not changed either from "invite assessment 2 scheduled"

Well no desks or computers have arrived yet for the positions at TBASC, I can’t speak for the other positions at TBROC.
 

Sabs5296

Member
Joined
6 Nov 2016
Messages
48
I heard they are still interviewing people for the traffic management positions, so I’m guessing it’s going to be a while before anyone hears anything
 

SiggerSigAh

Member
Joined
21 May 2019
Messages
26
Hmmm! Unbelievable... Yet if the likes of you and I didn't pay someone monies due for a couple of months the bailiffs would soon be knocking on the door.

Very true. From the deal being agreed mid-May to not getting the money due till mid-Sept does seem a particularly long wait. I suppose the only silver lining is that when it does finally drop it should make for a decent little bump :)
 

Cavan

Member
Joined
7 Jan 2017
Messages
278
Anyone know anything about the six G8 "London Great Suffolk St" signaller vacancies advertised at the moment - I presume these are at Crawley ROC but location give as both London and Crawley at various parts of the advert!
 

Devonish

Member
Joined
14 Dec 2018
Messages
35
Wondering if anyone can help? What is the shift pattern in a signal box that closes out overnight? I have read somewhere it works out a 7 early shifts then 2/3 day off, followed by 7 late shifts then 2/3 off. Or is it more complicated than this?
 

Highlandspring

Established Member
Joined
14 Oct 2017
Messages
2,778
It depends entirely on local arrangements. Rosters are negotiated locally and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.
 

Synders

Member
Joined
8 Mar 2019
Messages
10
Does any one know how many courses are held per year and how they fall? Are they regular or held once enough students are ready to make it cost effective.
 

SiggerSigAh

Member
Joined
21 May 2019
Messages
26
Does any one know how many courses are held per year and how they fall? Are they regular or held once enough students are ready to make it cost effective.

I can only speak for York, where I attended school, but I would imagine all training centres follow a similar structure (for AB - not sure how training works for other methods).

Basically, at capacity they can have four classes running at any one time (there are only four classrooms equipped with a sim). When one class has totally finished their training (including coming back in pairs for their final observations) that classroom is then utilised as quickly as possible, namely the quicker a new mob can start the better. It's my understanding that at the moment the number of candidates far exceeds the number of available places at signalling school, so new recruits are facing a bit of a wait.
 

srm94

Member
Joined
5 Mar 2019
Messages
5
afternoon all - just wondering if anyone had applied and heard back regarding the signaller traffic management posts at tb ? had my interview 5 weeks ago but nothing heard since and my application has not changed either from "invite assessment 2 scheduled"
My application for that one is still under consideration for assessment two! I haven't heard anything about an interview yet.
 

meadows10

Member
Joined
14 Oct 2015
Messages
7
I'm sure you will hear soon for an interview as well then.. I know things can take a while but like most people it's very frustrating . Interview was over 6 weeks ago and not a bean since !
 

Southernsig

Member
Joined
9 May 2017
Messages
102
Anyone know anything about the six G8 "London Great Suffolk St" signaller vacancies advertised at the moment - I presume these are at Crawley ROC but location give as both London and Crawley at various parts of the advert!
Tbroc
 

Rockhopper

Member
Joined
29 Apr 2019
Messages
736
Not yet mate, I still have an Edale one from last year that is "under consideration"

Oh dear. I’ve got one in at the moment which just says “application accepted”, in the advert it says that interviews are on the 12th of June.
 

Rockhopper

Member
Joined
29 Apr 2019
Messages
736
I don’t know! As I’d already done the seventy questions for a previous application I didn’t need to do it again
 

P200E

Member
Joined
16 Apr 2019
Messages
42
I don’t know! As I’d already done the seventy questions for a previous application I didn’t need to do it again
me too and i normally have to do the 69, this is the first crossing keeper i applied for and it just asked me about shifts and medical status
 

Sture

New Member
Joined
29 May 2019
Messages
3
Hello,

First off thanks to everybody for all the information in this thread, has been very helpful. I applied for the now closed Aberdeen signallers position and completed and passed the online tests, I understand there will now be some wait. Looking at other jobs on the site it appears that they state the specific location of the box you would be working at, In the job listing for Aberdeen it did not, does anybody know would that mean if its a relief for a few box's or just that the listing was being vague.

Thanks
 

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