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A career as a signaller

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LOM

Member
Joined
26 Dec 2019
Messages
405
Location
Been and gone.
Ah right, thanks for the info.
Guess then Arbroath staff would be made redundant or have to relocate?

There is currently a no compulsory redundancy agreement in place with the RMT for the signalling grades. This expires on 31st December this year and will not be extended. A very old British Rail agreement known as PTR&R (promotion transfer relocation and redundancy) still applies. A new process for dealing with displaced staff is currently being worked on by the company and the union for January 2021 onwards.
 

MrCurious91

New Member
Joined
31 Jan 2020
Messages
2
Location
Wessex
Hello


I know this is for signallers.I started my own thread but had no response.Does anyone know anything about the incident controller roll?i have applied for Basingstoke,but dont know much about the job.anyone know what their shifts are like?or have an idea what a 12hour roster is like?
 

Tom Quinne

On Moderation
Joined
8 Jul 2017
Messages
2,225
There is currently a no compulsory redundancy agreement in place with the RMT for the signalling grades. This expires on 31st December this year and will not be extended. A very old British Rail agreement known as PTR&R (promotion transfer relocation and redundancy) still applies. A new process for dealing with displaced staff is currently being worked on by the company and the union for January 2021 onwards.

Wasn’t the agreement part of the two year pay deal (2nd year this year?)

Surely it’s up to the negotiating team whether it’s extended or not?

The march of Resignalling does in the main appear to of slowed to a crawl nationally, the age profile in the grade appears such that compulsory redundancies are unlikely?
 

LOM

Member
Joined
26 Dec 2019
Messages
405
Location
Been and gone.
Perhaps it is the way I have phrased it. The actual text of the 2019 pay award says : -


  1. Reorganisations and Job Security


5.1. Network Rail guarantees no compulsory redundancies across all members of these bargaining groups until 31 December 2020, at which point this guarantee will cease and not be extended.



5.2. The above is applicable provided an employee does not refuse suitable alternative employment in line with the PTR&R or Job Security Agreement as appropriate to the employee.



5.3. Network Rail will also convene a National Joint Placement Panel with the trades unions to support the redeployment of the group of existing displaced employees discussed in these negotiations, utilising existing agreements including the Job Security Agreement.



5.4. Network Rail will negotiate with a view to reaching agreement with the trades unions, a process to manage displaced employees, to apply from 1 January 2021.


 
Last edited:
Joined
1 Mar 2018
Messages
988
I saw an opportunity for a position nearby at fairly last minute and started making my way through the questions...at one point when I chose Next Page it said I was logged out because of time!!! Grrr... If I remember TPE website did something similar. Really annoying that when you are actively typing long answers for experience on these questions that you get timed out and booted out! I think they need to get their website designers on the case! For that opportunity that I saw I never had the time to refill it out so missed out applying which was a bit of a bugger.. So copy and paste into word it will be next time.. You live and learn.

All of my answers are in a Word document and it has saved me a lot of time when applying for jobs on the NR website!
 

Rockhopper

Member
Joined
29 Apr 2019
Messages
736
The info i heard re boxes closing and so on is that NR will offer alternative positions as they have invested a considerable amount in training signalers. But, the alternative will be within a certain distance of your box, i think my chap said one hours travel. Note that its from your box, not from your home so for example in my case just say I was working in Doncaster PSB and I live in Chesterfield. Doable in well under an hour on a good day but when Doncaster closes (and its scheduled to close "sometime") then its panels will be transferred to York which is a two hour drive from my home but well under an hour from Doncaster.
This info came from a current NR signaler and may or may not be correct!
Just something to bear in mind.
 

Tom Quinne

On Moderation
Joined
8 Jul 2017
Messages
2,225
Perhaps it is the way I have phrased it. The actual text of the 2019 pay award says : -


  1. Reorganisations and Job Security


5.1. Network Rail guarantees no compulsory redundancies across all members of these bargaining groups until 31 December 2020, at which point this guarantee will cease and not be extended.



5.2. The above is applicable provided an employee does not refuse suitable alternative employment in line with the PTR&R or Job Security Agreement as appropriate to the employee.



5.3. Network Rail will also convene a National Joint Placement Panel with the trades unions to support the redeployment of the group of existing displaced employees discussed in these negotiations, utilising existing agreements including the Job Security Agreement.



5.4. Network Rail will negotiate with a view to reaching agreement with the trades unions, a process to manage displaced employees, to apply from 1 January 2021.




Thanks that’s makes is clearer, let’s hope there are some constructive and positive discussions.
 

Dan 2513

Member
Joined
29 Sep 2019
Messages
31
Location
Uk
Anyone else waiting for a start date for York school? I am told that’s where my lom is trying to get me booked in but he can’t get a date out of them. It’s been 2 months so far. Is that normal?
Of course I am keen to get started so each week being delayed is driving me mad! I hope it’s not like this once you actually start work for them!
 

MC0096

Member
Joined
20 Jan 2020
Messages
10
Location
Dunblane
Quick Q regarding applications. Does everyone’s application eventually turn to ‘Under consideration for assessment 2’? Or could the application turn to ‘Unsuccessful’ straight after ‘Test Complete’?

Hope that makes sense,
Cheers
 

Mart1n888

Member
Joined
9 Jan 2020
Messages
11
Location
France
Mine is still showing as test complete, been just short of a month. Has your's changed as yet? Cheers



Quick Q regarding applications. Does everyone’s application eventually turn to ‘Under consideration for assessment 2’? Or could the application turn to ‘Unsuccessful’ straight after ‘Test Complete’?

Hope that makes sense,
Cheers
 

Rockhopper

Member
Joined
29 Apr 2019
Messages
736
Actually they’d tell you quite quickly if you hadn’t reached the benchmark in the online tests. It you passed then it might sit at “application accepted” for months then go to unsuccessful or it might change to under consideration. It could still then go to unsuccessful or it could go to invitation pending.
My advise is stop worrying about it and get on with something else
 

Mart1n888

Member
Joined
9 Jan 2020
Messages
11
Location
France
This is good advice! Expect a long time for a reply & if it's sooner then great!

I was checking constantly in the first week or two, but you will drive yourself mad.

As you will see on this forum, sometimes it can be anything from 1- 12 months.






Actually they’d tell you quite quickly if you hadn’t reached the benchmark in the online tests. It you passed then it might sit at “application accepted” for months then go to unsuccessful or it might change to under consideration. It could still then go to unsuccessful or it could go to invitation pending.
My advise is stop worrying about it and get on with something else
 

MC0096

Member
Joined
20 Jan 2020
Messages
10
Location
Dunblane
Mine is still showing as test complete, been just short of a month. Has your's changed as yet? Cheers

hi mate, this wasn’t for my Dunblane application. That one is still on Test complete!

Cheers for the answers lads, good to know. Just trying to understand the application process a little better! Thanks
 

9tfrizzco

Member
Joined
17 Oct 2019
Messages
115
Location
worthing
In the competency based interview, would you say it is better to focus on and use only one example as a response, or mention more than one example if you feel like it could count as further evidence of competence?
 

nom de guerre

Member
Joined
24 Nov 2015
Messages
774
I have applied for Ridgmont Grade 4 box. Anyone on here worked there or close to there before? Whats it like? Any danger of the signalling box being closed in a few years to come. We have the West - East railway line coming into construction as we speak...

Marston Vale SCC, located at Ridgmont.

Two workstations: East (controlling Marston LC - Bedford) and West (Bletchley - Lidlington).

Not an intensive service, but quite labour intensive per train due to the volume of level crossings.

8hr roster with 12hr Sundays.
 

seanyboy

Member
Joined
24 Jan 2020
Messages
5
Location
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Hi there! I've been interested in signalling for a very long time and a few vacancies in the North East came up before Christmas. I did the tests etc and passed and I've got the below on my login at the moment. I've been reading other posts about the timescale of managing to get interviews and it appears that from this point onwards you can be waiting for some months even if a position is advertised? Is this very likely? Would appreciate any info. or advice :) I'm going to start logging in weekly instead of daily...… haha. Thank you.

Screenshot:
https://ibb.co/3cNRfFB
 

Intermodal

Established Member
Joined
3 Nov 2010
Messages
1,251
Location
I wonder how long I can make my location on this f
Hi there! I've been interested in signalling for a very long time and a few vacancies in the North East came up before Christmas. I did the tests etc and passed and I've got the below on my login at the moment. I've been reading other posts about the timescale of managing to get interviews and it appears that from this point onwards you can be waiting for some months even if a position is advertised? Is this very likely? Would appreciate any info. or advice :) I'm going to start logging in weekly instead of daily...… haha. Thank you.

Screenshot:
https://ibb.co/3cNRfFB
It is incredibly likely to be waiting at a minimum a month, and very possible to wait multiples of that.
 

Captain Kirk

New Member
Joined
11 Sep 2019
Messages
2
Location
Edinburgh
Anyone else waiting for a start date for York school? I am told that’s where my lom is trying to get me booked in but he can’t get a date out of them. It’s been 2 months so far. Is that normal?
Of course I am keen to get started so each week being delayed is driving me mad! I hope it’s not like this once you actually start work for them!
I waited six months from job offer until signalling school start date.
 

LOM

Member
Joined
26 Dec 2019
Messages
405
Location
Been and gone.
Anyone else waiting for a start date for York school? I am told that’s where my lom is trying to get me booked in but he can’t get a date out of them. It’s been 2 months so far. Is that normal?
Of course I am keen to get started so each week being delayed is driving me mad! I hope it’s not like this once you actually start work for them!

This is normal. There are far more trainees at any one time than signalling school places. The restriction is really the limited number of instructors. Each course takes 12 or 13 weeks and they like to have a little break between courses for the instructors. They did recruit more instructors last year so things should slowly get better than they have been in the past. Sometimes places on a course become available at short notice if there is a cancellation so you might get lucky and get an unexpected phone call.

The key to a happy and successful career on the railway is developing eternal patience.
 

nom de guerre

Member
Joined
24 Nov 2015
Messages
774
My route has started to recruit extra signallers specifically to allow the enforcement of a max 60hr working week. This is in an area with a mixture of rosters: 8s, 10s and 12s.

Anyone else noticing this in their area?
 

Tom Quinne

On Moderation
Joined
8 Jul 2017
Messages
2,225
My route has started to recruit extra signallers specifically to allow the enforcement of a max 60hr working week. This is in an area with a mixture of rosters: 8s, 10s and 12s.

Anyone else noticing this in their area?


What effect will extra bodies have on RDW?
We all know even with a full roster there’s a band of sickness, restriction etc
 

nom de guerre

Member
Joined
24 Nov 2015
Messages
774
Only one possible effect, surely ...?

If my area is representative, it'll mean more boots on the ground, minimal RDW and a larger complement of reliefs racking up a high proportion of spare days. That could be good or bad, depending on your point of view.
 

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