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A career as a signaller

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R

RailUK Forums

Joined
12 Aug 2019
Messages
54
There is 8 NTS you need to know, a quick search of this thread brings them up
Shows you how much the railway has changed over the years . I couldn’t tell you 1 NTS or any the live saving rules . Simply because they don’t help me to become a better signaller so I never payed any attention to them . New entrants really have got a tough job getting in . But good luck to every last one that tries .. it’s a great job and for life .
 

ScotWestern

Member
Joined
13 Aug 2019
Messages
14
Hey guys quick question, I am now booked in for my medical and drug/alcohol test. Just wondering when I should expect to hear that I've passed/been given the all clear with this? I'm off on holiday the day after the medical and I just know I'll be checking my emails daily waiting to hear everything is set in stone for my employment. Thanks.
 

Leo_724677

Member
Joined
30 Apr 2019
Messages
14
Location
Wales
Hey guys quick question, I am now booked in for my medical and drug/alcohol test. Just wondering when I should expect to hear that I've passed/been given the all clear with this? I'm off on holiday the day after the medical and I just know I'll be checking my emails daily waiting to hear everything is set in stone for my employment. Thanks.

I found out on the day that I passed the medical pending the results of the drug test which had to be sent away. Approx two weeks later I then received an email from Onboarding stating that all my pre employment checks had now been completed and that I am in a position for my start date to be agreed. I don’t think they actually email you to state you’ve passed the medical but I imagine if there was a problem with your medical then they would make contact
 

gareth386

Member
Joined
20 Nov 2017
Messages
92
Hey guys quick question, I am now booked in for my medical and drug/alcohol test. Just wondering when I should expect to hear that I've passed/been given the all clear with this? I'm off on holiday the day after the medical and I just know I'll be checking my emails daily waiting to hear everything is set in stone for my employment. Thanks.
Go away and enjoy your holiday, no point checking everyday as guaranteed, if you do, that you wont hear 'til you get back.
 

Neanderthal

New Member
Joined
20 Aug 2019
Messages
4
Location
London
Hi, just depends on what your LLC as drawn up . Mines for example is ... am off for 8 this week then I start on Sunday night for 3 then off till Sunday where I’ll do 4 day shifts then off for 7 then start back for 4 nights .
The worst part if you can call it that is when I do 3 days thurs fri sat then back out sun night for 3 . It’s a great roster with mega time off .
Thankyou for replying back. Much appreciated. It seems each signal box may have a different variety of shift patterns even on 12h hours. But looking at your roster, what's not to like?
 

Neanderthal

New Member
Joined
20 Aug 2019
Messages
4
Location
London
Mine starting sunday is as follows...

DDDDooo
ooooNNN
NoooDDD
oNNNooo

D=day
N=Night
o=Off

This pattern basically repeats itself every 4 weeks. Sundays can be given up if you wish and there someone willing to cover them.

Thankyou for posting this information. Valuable information.
So I take it is Sunday working voluntary and not included in your basic salary? And also if you cannot get someone to cover, then are you obliged to work it?
 

Sunset route

Member
Joined
27 Oct 2015
Messages
1,176
Thankyou for posting this information. Valuable information.
So I take it is Sunday working voluntary and not included in your basic salary? And also if you cannot get someone to cover, then are you obliged to work it?

Any Sunday shown on your base roster is in effect compulsory overtime and if you did not want to work it then you would have to apply to take it off subject to cover. Any other Sunday that you are not booked to work on the base roster would be pure overtime in the truest sense.
 

nom de guerre

Member
Joined
24 Nov 2015
Messages
774
i thought it didnt cover petersfield anymore

Might have changed since I left the area.

Haslemere Reliefs used to work Haslemere, Petersfield and Farncombe, but not Wokingham.

Woking Reliefs covered covered Farncombe upwards (including Wokingham and Guildford).
 
Joined
12 Aug 2019
Messages
54
Thankyou for posting this information. Valuable information.
So I take it is Sunday working voluntary and not included in your basic salary? And also if you cannot get someone to cover, then are you obliged to work it?
Every Sunday shift booked or not will be payed at time and a half . The ones built into your roster are guaranteed overtime , no one can take them off you. You will be booked off your Sunday shift in the middle of your summer fortnight. Though I have seen some greedy beggars work it lol .
Don’t work about getting off a Sunday off if need be as there’s usual a nice queue waiting to snaffle it up . In 35 yrs I’ve never seen anyone forced to work a Sunday.
 

ScotWestern

Member
Joined
13 Aug 2019
Messages
14
Afternoon all,

Any friendly advice on which pension scheme (CARE or NRDC) is best to join and for what reasons? Or if this has been asked could someone refer me to that please as I can't find anything

Thanks
 

P200E

Member
Joined
16 Apr 2019
Messages
42
Just missed applying for 2 grade 6 roles in Derby that ended Friday, does anyone know how long they were up for as they missed my alerts.
 

Lemonice21

Member
Joined
19 Nov 2018
Messages
15
Just missed applying for 2 grade 6 roles in Derby that ended Friday, does anyone know how long they were up for as they missed my alerts.
I don't think they were up for long. Not 100% sure but maybe around Aug 16th?
 

DB85

Member
Joined
22 Aug 2019
Messages
13
Location
Lincolnshire
Yes. Better to prepare answers to these and make them adaptable to how the questions will be phrased to you.

Read up on the safety vision as well.

Thanks for the pointers, I'll brush up on these as best as I can.....not my strong point as the questions can be misinterpreted/mind goes blank due to nerves.

I've applied for the Oakham relief signallers role and was wondering what size area I'd potentially be covering?
 

Rigchick

Member
Joined
5 May 2019
Messages
49
So had my rejection letter. Thoroughly disappointed but I’ll keep trying. Actually applied for another one today, so fingers crossed. Not a big fan of the letter though. Doesn’t actually say why I didn’t get to interview stage. Is this standard and could I get any more info?

Thank you for your recent application for the above position.
All applications were reviewed against role specific criteria. Unfortunately on this occasion we won't be taking your application any further due to the following reason:
Thank you for your interest in the position. We encourage you to search our job site for other potential opportunities.
 

Rockhopper

Member
Joined
29 Apr 2019
Messages
736
If you didn’t even get to the under consideration for assessment 2 stage then it’ll be a combination of test scores, CV and the answers you gave to the however many questions they asked. No feedback I’m afraid.
Bear in mind that for a grade one crossing keeper job near me there were 64 applications so it’s incredibly competitive.
 

Tek

New Member
Joined
27 Aug 2019
Messages
1
Location
n/a
Hi, I'm new here and have just applied for my first(of many im sure) signaller positions.

This forum has been an amazing insight and i really apreciate all of your comments!
After reading this thread I feel like im sure this is the right career change I need.

I have a few questions though that ive not been able to find the answers to.

With regards to booking holidays, are the dates given to you or can you choose when to take them?

Is there a specific night rate or does it vary? and are there specific hours that the rate covers or is it the whole shift? (for example if you only ever work from 5am til 11pm do you get any allowance?)
 
Joined
12 Aug 2019
Messages
54
Hi, I'm new here and have just applied for my first(of many im sure) signaller positions.

This forum has been an amazing insight and i really apreciate all of your comments!
After reading this thread I feel like im sure this is the right career change I need.

I have a few questions though that ive not been able to find the answers to.

With regards to booking holidays, are the dates given to you or can you choose when to take them?

Is there a specific night rate or does it vary? and are there specific hours that the rate covers or is it the whole shift? (for example if you only ever work from 5am til 11pm do you get any allowance?)
Yes you are given your holiday dates . They will go through a cycle for a few years so you can tell when you are off .I’ve never took my holidays on the ones I’ve been allocated. You can swap with people or move to a vacant block . Normally it’s 4 in a block but it’s fairly relaxed .
Night shifts can pay roughly between £100-£160 per month depending on how many shifts you work . I think the night shift rate is between 1800-0600 . Good luck getting in .
 
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Curtis

Member
Joined
30 Jan 2019
Messages
27
Location
West Yorkshire
Applied for 2 x Grade 2 vacancies, the boxes for which are only 5 miles apart. Recently had my interview resulting in being offered the 12m fixed term vacancy which of course I have accepted, and I have also been listed as the reserve for the other permanent role :D

A big thanks for all the information and advice on this thread which has been very helpful!
 

Amanda

Member
Joined
5 Mar 2018
Messages
197
Just missed applying for 2 grade 6 roles in Derby that ended Friday, does anyone know how long they were up for as they missed my alerts.

I've applied for this role and I'm pretty sure the date changed. I can't be certain 100% but I thought I saw the date of 3rd September on the job page when I first looked at it on Friday morning. I bookmarked the page and looked at it again at lunchtime, confident I had loooooads of time, only to see the closing date was 23rd, that same day!!! I am sure I saw mention of 3rd September as I remember working out how much time that gave me but there's no mention of that date at all now so I suspect they may have closed it early?
 

Rockhopper

Member
Joined
29 Apr 2019
Messages
736
I saw it towards the middle of last week and it said the 23rd. I think the Newark ones might the 3rd Sept?
 

Jaysub

Member
Joined
7 Feb 2019
Messages
151
Has any one got petersfield,haslemere or lancing still open?
Still persistent on getting in,been trying for a year now!
 

Chumba

Member
Joined
13 May 2019
Messages
164
Has any one got petersfield,haslemere or lancing still open?
Still persistent on getting in,been trying for a year now!

Yes still have Petersfield and Haslemere still open in my account. Haslemere is still on the NR site and accepting applications
 

D_T_W

New Member
Joined
2 Jul 2019
Messages
2
Just wondering if anybody has heard anything regarding the various Scottish positions that they were interviewing for in July (Ayr, Girvan, Kilmarnock, Glasgow, Stirling and Perth)?

Last communication I received was a couple of weeks ago saying my application was still under consideration and HR have yet to reply to my email (politely) requesting an update.
 

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