A career as a signaller

[nom de guerre]

Really, that 12 weeks could be in reality a very short “12 weeks” then if you say wait a few for your interview result.

Sounds like it varies from LOM to LOM, and route to route.

Best speak to your new LOM - oh and congratulations on the new job.

Yes, it’s a moveable feast - I’ve personally had one route’s HR rep insist that it’s 12 weeks from the date I accepted the job offer while another agreed to start from the closing date without any protest.

Your union rep should be able to track down a copy of the relevant rule (which, IIRC, dates back to the BR era).

Thanks guys would I need to to speak to payroll or my current/future LOM for this to be authorised.

No need to speak to your future LOM - they won’t be paying!

Email your current LOM, claim Higher Grade Pay from what you consider to be the 12-week mark and wait for a response.

If there are any issues, contact your union rep. (Might be useful to do this anyway, to get their opinion on when the 12 week period commences.)

 

[Sammy2019]

Does anyone know what the failure rate is for a new signaller, I.e the number of people that are sacked as they are not up to it (either at signalling school or on the job).

also how hard is it for someone off the street to get to grips with a grade 7 iecc with no prior rail experience.

 

[SignallerJohn]

Does anyone know what the failure rate is for a new signaller, I.e the number of people that are sacked as they are not up to it (either at signalling school or on the job).

also how hard is it for someone off the street to get to grips with a grade 7 iecc with no prior rail experience.

could always browse this thread and have a look for ya self

 

[Sammy2019]

....

 

[ChrisRS]

Does anyone know what the failure rate is for a new signaller, I.e the number of people that are sacked as they are not up to it (either at signalling school or on the job).

also how hard is it for someone off the street to get to grips with a grade 7 iecc with no prior rail experience.

The whole purpose of signal school is to train you up to become a competent signaller, if you get through all the training and exams and end up in a position to be sacked you'd have to be a pretty bad signaller to do so. I've heard of signallers getting sacked due to negligence and stupidity but nothing to do with the training they have received.

Signal school is what you make of it. Not everyone can hack the training, including the observations and exams. Personally when I was at school 2 dropped off our course at different stages, I know of someone on the TCB course in another group who also got sent home, for failing an exam while we were there.

If you put in the effort, revise and stay competent with your rules you shouldn't have any issues.

 

[RichardOBrien]

Just been accepted as a relief signaller do I get relief rate at IST?

 

[Sammy2019]

The whole purpose of signal school is to train you up to become a competent signaller, if you get through all the training and exams and end up in a position to be sacked you'd have to be a pretty bad signaller to do so. I've heard of signallers getting sacked due to negligence and stupidity but nothing to do with the training they have received.

Signal school is what you make of it. Not everyone can hack the training, including the observations and exams. Personally when I was at school 2 dropped off our course at different stages, I know of someone on the TCB course in another group who also got sent home, for failing an exam while we were there.

If you put in the effort, revise and stay competent with your rules you shouldn't have any issues.

thank you.

 

[SignallerJohn]

No need for the Rude, facetious comments.

I have read through the thread. Hence I passed the interview.

if it involves working with people like you I think il give it a miss.

You read the whole thread. my mistake i thought they would have been asked already i apologise

As for working with people like me, there’s a lot worse said in signal boxes and multi manned locations than asking if someone might want to do some research into their future career

 

[Sammy2019]

You read the whole thread. my mistake i thought they would have been asked already i apologise

As for working with people like me, there’s a lot worse said in signal boxes and multi manned locations than asking if someone might want to do some research into their future career

 

[TLB]

The 12 week "thing" is for internal vacancies where a signaller is moving to a higher grade Box/Panel, not for new entrants.

Thank you for clarifying!! Very helpful indeed

There’s some confusion here...

If your a new starter you are on training rate (grade below your resident grade) until you work your first productive competent turn of duty - no matter how long you wait to actually start employment.

There is no way you’ll rock up on day one of employment and be on your full rate of pay.

If you already a signaller, or employee of NWR you have the right to your new salary at the 12 week after offer accepted point.

We have lads who are in grade 4 links on grade 7 money as they've tied up in a cascade release of several people.

At my previous location there was a lad who was waiting a year to be released, he was on grade 9 money in a grade 7 link.

Thank you!! Very informative- great to get better insight.

 

[headshot119]

Just been accepted as a relief signaller do I get relief rate at IST?

Officially no, you'd be on one grade below your passed rate, and no FP until passed out at your first box.

 

[Tom Quinne]

Just been accepted as a relief signaller do I get relief rate at IST?

No lol

You read the whole thread. my mistake i thought they would have been asked already i apologise

As for working with people like me, there’s a lot worse said in signal boxes and multi manned locations than asking if someone might want to do some research into their future career

Totally agree with you on that score unfortunately.

 

[praase]

Just been accepted as a relief signaller do I get relief rate at IST?

In my offer letter (4% relief) it states I am due 2% whilst in training which is paid on completion.

 

[Bunnymomma]

Well just received the nod from onboarding confirming all checks complete. I've said this a few times but you have all been invaluable during this new pathway for me.

Thank you all so so much for sharing you're experiences and advice and to a fair few who took the time to help me at interview stage.

I hope to meet some of you lovely people in the future.

Anyone considering applying please have a good few reads over this thread before any questions are asked and best of luck

 

[NoEyeDeer]

Just got the email of a provisional start date now! 2nd November, so soon, looking forward to getting started!

To add to that,

starting signalling school on the 9th, not to sure on location yet, anyone else pencilled in for then?

 

[ArchangelA]

You read the whole thread. my mistake i thought they would have been asked already i apologise

As for working with people like me, there’s a lot worse said in signal boxes and multi manned locations than asking if someone might want to do some research into their future career

I think that we all need to be mindful that this post is now well over 408 pages long and not everyone wants to read it, or they may read it and miss the point for whatever reason, which raises further questions for them. We should all do our best to help them whether it's been published before or not, because assisting the public and your colleagues is a major competence required in the industry despite all the signage and literature available around the railway, and all the SFQ's (look it up) that you'll encounter whilst on duty.
This Forum is here for all to seek the answers to valid questions, such as that posted by Sammy2019 and countless others who want help. They may be your esteemed colleague one day.
Has anybody considered compiling a shorter post on Signaller Career FAQ's-which could be a better and shorter index of the commonly asked questions for anyone considering a career as a signaller? Maybe something to consider, as I for one am a little tired of seeing the same old disagreements arising on this when someone asks a question?

 

[38572]

I think that we all need to be mindful that this post is now well over 408 pages long and not everyone wants to read it, or they may read it and miss the point for whatever reason, which raises further questions for them. We should all do our best to help them whether it's been published before or not, because assisting the public and your colleagues is a major competence required in the industry despite all the signage and literature available around the railway, and all the SFQ's (look it up) that you'll encounter whilst on duty.
This Forum is here for all to seek the answers to valid questions, such as that posted by Sammy2019 and countless others who want help. They may be your esteemed colleague one day.
Has anybody considered compiling a shorter post on Signaller Career FAQ's-which could be a better and shorter index of the commonly asked questions for anyone considering a career as a signaller? Maybe something to consider, as I for one am a little tired of seeing the same old disagreements arising on this when someone asks a question?

As a newcomer myself I totally agree. I only found this forum a matter of days before my interview, and obviously due to my current full time job, children, my partner, and other commitments, there was no way I was going to be able to read through, at that time, nearly 400 pages. I did my best to search for what I felt was necessary when I did have time, but had I asked a question then and simply been told to read the thread it would have literally been impossible for me. Also, the entire point of the thread is to answer these questions and to help people surely, if someone is personally fed up of seeing a question repeated it's much easier to just scroll past it and leave it to someone else than to berate someone for not reading over 400 pages of information.

Also, the thread started in 2016, so much information within it could therefore be outdated and incorrect, which would obviously be impossible for a non signaller to know, and this is especially pertinent given everything that has been happening since March. Maybe covid has had no effect on anything, but as an outsider one doesn't know that.

This thread is a wealth of information and since passing my interview I've had more time to read up on everything, however there is still so much I don't understand. For example someone very kindly reached out privately and messaged me about a question, and I had to confirm with them that LOM means my manager. I had assumed as much, and was correct, however having worked in a very specific industry myself I know that a lot of terms and information become so well known and oft used that it's easy to forget people outside of that industry simply will not know what it means.

Anyway, little bit of a ramble there so I'm sorry. I guess what I want to say is I think an FAQ would be a great idea.

 

[NoEyeDeer]

Starting signalling school in glasgow on the 9th November

 

[Tom Quinne]

As a newcomer myself I totally agree. I only found this forum a matter of days before my interview, and obviously due to my current full time job, children, my partner, and other commitments, there was no way I was going to be able to read through, at that time, nearly 400 pages. I did my best to search for what I felt was necessary when I did have time, but had I asked a question then and simply been told to read the thread it would have literally been impossible for me. Also, the entire point of the thread is to answer these questions and to help people surely, if someone is personally fed up of seeing a question repeated it's much easier to just scroll past it and leave it to someone else than to berate someone for not reading over 400 pages of information.

Also, the thread started in 2016, so much information within it could therefore be outdated and incorrect, which would obviously be impossible for a non signaller to know, and this is especially pertinent given everything that has been happening since March. Maybe covid has had no effect on anything, but as an outsider one doesn't know that.

This thread is a wealth of information and since passing my interview I've had more time to read up on everything, however there is still so much I don't understand. For example someone very kindly reached out privately and messaged me about a question, and I had to confirm with them that LOM means my manager. I had assumed as much, and was correct, however having worked in a very specific industry myself I know that a lot of terms and information become so well known and oft used that it's easy to forget people outside of that industry simply will not know what it means.

Anyway, little bit of a ramble there so I'm sorry. I guess what I want to say is I think an FAQ would be a great idea.

The FAQ thread has been raised before, but where would you start? It’s a huge task in itself.

What’s the arrangements across the firm for the extra hour on Saturday / Sunday...

We’re doing 13hrs, well I’m not as I had the forth thought to book CL

 

[38572]

The FAQ thread has been raised before, but where would you start? It’s a huge task in itself.

Definitely a huge task, one which I'm sure as a newcomer I can't even fully appreciate. It just seems maybe it's the only way to avoid the same questions being asked, and people understandably being frustrated. It could just start small and be added to as more questions come up surely? But truthfully I don't know enough to really weigh in. I just wanted to agree with ArchangelA that an FAQ would be undoubtably useful for the veterans as well as us newcomers.

 

[High Dyke]

The FAQ thread has been raised before, but where would you start? It’s a huge task in itself.

I've got plenty of stuff at work to keep me occupied for the current time, especially with two different signaller re-orgs on the go. However, a few common points that probably should be included are:

• Pay rate whilst at signalling school.
• Shifts hours. That they vary from location to location, so potential candidates shouldn't necessarily ask for specific boxes.
• How annual leave is calculated or the effect different shift times have on such calculations.
• How slow the HR department can be at responding to applications.
• The basics of a railway medical.
• National Rostering Principles and overtime

 

[amanda08]

Just been accepted as a relief signaller do I get relief rate at IST?

I’ve literally just finished IST and received my fp whilst there.

 

[Jetsetter]

Hello everyone,

I’d just like to echo the sentiments above. This thread is huge and undoubtedly crammed with a plethora of useful information.

Please don’t shoot the messenger, but I have been invited to interview and wondered if anyone would kindly share their experience. I don’t think I’d be able to read through the thread before my interview.

All the best,

 

[bouff34]

The FAQ thread has been raised before, but where would you start? It’s a huge task in itself.

What’s the arrangements across the firm for the extra hour on Saturday / Sunday...

We’re doing 13hrs, well I’m not as I had the forth thought to book CL

My Click roster shows the extra hour i.e. it shows pay between 1800x0700 but only working til 0600 when early turn comes in.

 

[Tom Quinne]

My Click roster shows the extra hour i.e. it shows pay between 1800x0700 but only working til 0600 when early turn comes in.

We’re expected to work 13hrs, although obviously we’ll be paid.

 

[7Paul7]

I think you both are saying the same thing, @bouff34 will have worked 13 hours when the day shift comes in at 6am

 

[bouff34]

I think you both are saying the same thing, @bouff34 will have worked 13 hours when the day shift comes in at 6am

Yes, sorry I thought that is what Tom was asking!

 

[LAX54]

I think you both are saying the same thing, @bouff34 will have worked 13 hours when the day shift comes in at 6am

It is the only time you are for all intents 'rostered' over 12 hours yes, you work 13, fine if you are Early Turn Sunday ! not so good on nights, but you do of course get 1 hour at time/half, at the other end of the scale, in Spring, when you work one less hour, you will still be paid full shift, but NO enhancement on the hour you do not work, and not so 'fine' if you are the Early Turn Sunday !

 

[Tom Quinne]

I was under the impression the 13hrs or extra hour on a 12 was only be used in unexpected or exceptional circumstances?

I know it’s a strange time, but the clocks going backwards and forward has been on the cards for many many decades, it’s not it’s jumped out and shouted boo !

 

[SignallerJohn]

I was under the impression the 13hrs or extra hour on a 12 was only be used in unexpected or exceptional circumstances?

I know it’s a strange time, but the clocks going backwards and forward has been on the cards for many many decades, it’s not it’s jumped out and shouted boo !

Or when you relieve someone at 1730 because there was no traffic and your relief rocks up at 0555 in the morning because his relief didn’t turn up until 1755 the night before. Classic.