A career as a signaller

[SH89]

Assuming there’s a vacancy waiting for you to go into, you can claim the grade if you are not released after 12 published weeks from acceptance of the job offer. Once agreed this is then back dated/ backpaid to the date of the offer being accepted.

Assuming there’s a vacancy waiting for you to go into, you can claim the grade if you are not released after 12 published weeks from acceptance of the job offer. Once agreed this is then back dated/ backpaid to the date of the offer being accepted.

Perfect, thanks for the reply

 

[GeordieO]

Assuming there’s a vacancy waiting for you to go into, you can claim the grade if you are not released after 12 published weeks from acceptance of the job offer. Once agreed this is then back dated/ backpaid to the date of the offer being accepted.

Does that also include secondments?

 

[CoachB]

Hi all,

Was wondering if anyone had heard about interviews for the Cumbrian jobs that closed nearly 3 weeks back yet?

I also applied for a couple of Scottish jobs near me that closed nearly 2 weeks ago and received an email today for an interview.

Hoping to do a bit better this time round.

 

[jayafc]

I’m not sure about numbers on the course yet, I tried to find out if many others were joining us but I didn’t get many replies. I thought it may be that hotel too. Feel pretty anxious now but excited too. I don’t come from a rail background so feel a little on the back foot. Just going to get my head down and learn as much as I can and enjoy the experience too.

Same feelings here. I dont have a railway background either so we are in the same boat.
Hopefully good fun and meet some good people but the course sounds intense. It will certainly be a new experience being away from home for so long

 

[mint cake]

Hi all,

Was wondering if anyone had heard about interviews for the Cumbrian jobs that closed nearly 3 weeks back yet?

I also applied for a couple of Scottish jobs near me that closed nearly 2 weeks ago and received an email today for an interview.

Hoping to do a bit better this time round.

Hi CoachB,
I had an interview last week for the Cumbrian jobs. Haven't heard anything yet though.

All the best for your forthcoming interview.

 

[Pablo65]

Assuming there’s a vacancy waiting for you to go into, you can claim the grade if you are not released after 12 published weeks from acceptance of the job offer. Once agreed this is then back dated/ backpaid to the date of the offer being accepted.

I was under the impression this was 12 weeks from the official Start date.

 

[endofthetunnel]

I was under the impression this was 12 weeks from the official Start date.

‘Official start date’ would only be a term that applies to a new job which doesn’t yet exist, or a new secondment etc.

The 12 week clock starts once you have accepted the job offer if that job is vacant (and therefore the job exists!). If someone else is still in the job then you cannot claim the higher grade for not being released as the job is not vacant for you, you can only claim it from 12 weeks after it becomes vacant. I think the same applies for a new job with official start date - claim from 12 weeks after the job officially starts.

In either case I believe the back pay goes all the way until the day the job became vacant or the job start date.
So effectively your manager gets 12 weeks to release you from the moment there’s a job to go to, and if that doesn’t happen you get back pay for those 12 weeks.

 

[CoachB]

Hi CoachB,
I had an interview last week for the Cumbrian jobs. Haven't heard anything yet though.

All the best for your forthcoming interview.

Hi mint cake

I must not of made the cut for the Cumbrian roles then, either that or they'll use the Scottish interview for both applications since they closed within a week of each other.

Not really sure as I've not had any communication to say my application for the Cumbrian roles was unsuccessful.

On the positive note I kept a hold of the feedback from my application last year so going to look through that to hopefully improve my chances this time around.

 

[mrc.Welford]

Morning All i've just started IST and i feel really overwhelmed and worried about the amount of information that we need to learn/take in. I think the first test will be in week 6 so feel a little stressed knowing that im going to have to remember 6weeks worth of information. Can anyone provide some advice on what the tests are like and will it cover everything from first 6weeks? Also someone mentioned using simsig to practice so just want to check with others if this is a good idea?

Where are you training

 

[jamolot1]

Hi all, I’m really eager to get started after getting accepted as a grade 2 a few months back. I was given an August start date near York. The only thing is that it’s looking very likely we are moving to Cornwall. (Lots of family there, something me and my partner have considered for a while)

My question is, how likely is it that I can change location? It will be 6hr30 away from where we are moving. I’m so keen to be a signaller but don’t want to jeopardise things!

Thanks

 

[endofthetunnel]

My question is, how likely is it that I can change location? It will be 6hr30 away from where we are moving. I’m so keen to be a signaller but don’t want to jeopardise things!

Thanks

Do you want to change signalling school location or your job?

You can ask about a different location for IST but they can refuse if there’s no other places available and just offer the job to someone else. They’ll pay the weekly commute etc so as has been said lots on the thread, just suck it up for a couple of months.

If you want to actually work elsewhere, you can’t just move locations, you’ll need to apply internally for a vacancy in a relevant box when you see one and then get interviewed etc just like anyone else. Officially you need to be within an hour (maybe its 75 mins?) for your normal commute for the fatigue rules.

 

[Lucy1501]

The only thing is that it’s looking very likely we are moving to Cornwall. (Lots of family there, something me and my partner have considered for a while)

Not to put a complete downer on things, but it will be worth baring in mind that the Cornwall resignalling scheme is very much in progress at the moment.

I believe Lostwithiel, Par and Truro boxes are closing later this year. St Blazey may also be under threat with the Cornwall Metro program recontrolling most of the Newquay branch to Goonbarrow Junction. I doubt the other boxes will be very far behind in terms of closure either.

 

[Pablo65]

‘Official start date’ would only be a term that applies to a new job which doesn’t yet exist, or a new secondment etc.

The 12 week clock starts once you have accepted the job offer if that job is vacant (and therefore the job exists!). If someone else is still in the job then you cannot claim the higher grade for not being released as the job is not vacant for you, you can only claim it from 12 weeks after it becomes vacant. I think the same applies for a new job with official start date - claim from 12 weeks after the job officially starts.

In either case I believe the back pay goes all the way until the day the job became vacant or the job start date.
So effectively your manager gets 12 weeks to release you from the moment there’s a job to go to, and if that doesn’t happen you get back pay for those 12 weeks.

Thanks for the clarification.
It did seem a little confusing.

 

[pete912]

I see there are closure threats for Cornish signal boxes. Does anybody know if Devon branch lines are under any threat? Boxes like Crediton.

 

[willpilbeam]

Is 2 weeks normal to wait, to hear if i was successful in interview?

 

[Lpf93]

Is 2 weeks normal to wait, to hear if i was successful in interview?

Very. Took me 2 months to hear anything. No news is normally good news from experience

 

[willpilbeam]

Fair enough! Thank you

 

[Benjiw17]

I see there are closure threats for Cornish signal boxes. Does anybody know if Devon branch lines are under any threat? Boxes like Crediton.

Let's hope not as I'm starting in Crediton...

 

[67016]

I see there are closure threats for Cornish signal boxes. Does anybody know if Devon branch lines are under any threat? Boxes like Crediton.

I don't think there are any immediate plans currently for any of the branch boxes. Doesn't mean that the boxes are any more or less at risk of closing than any other box around the country. Transfering of signalling takes a lot of work and isn't something that just happens overnight.

 

[simon369]

How did people feel about the online scenario tests before the interview? I have just don't mine and honestly found it far more weird than I imagined I would and not sure how I did. But don't have a great feeling about it!

 

[Tripl]

How did people feel about the online scenario tests before the interview? I have just don't mine and honestly found it far more weird than I imagined I would and not sure how I did. But don't have a great feeling about it!

I didn't feel great about it at all, but I was told in my interview that I scored very well on it, and I've just been offered the job.

 

[willpilbeam]

How did people feel about the online scenario tests before the interview? I have just don't mine and honestly found it far more weird than I imagined I would and not sure how I did. But don't have a great feeling about it!

Absolutely awful.. I got the impression the managers aren't fans of it either.

 

[red2512]

Still waiting on news from WMSC & Rugby. Anyone had good or bad news from these interviews yet?

 

[CoachB]

How did people feel about the online scenario tests before the interview? I have just don't mine and honestly found it far more weird than I imagined I would and not sure how I did. But don't have a great feeling about it!

Just done mine earlier and it's still just as strange as when I did it last year (although different questions) but looking at the feedback I got for it back then I done really well so it may not feel great but that's mainly just because of how it's done, not how you've come across.

 

[AV90]

Has anyone heard anything from the recent Ashford posts advertised?

 

[Frothy_B]

Still waiting on news from WMSC & Rugby. Anyone had good or bad news from these interviews yet?

Still waiting on Rugby, website still says assessment.

 

[red2512]

Still waiting on Rugby, website still says assessment.

Glad to hear. Fingers crossed for both of us!

 

[SammyD97]

Still waiting on news from WMSC & Rugby. Anyone had good or bad news from these interviews yet?

I emailed HR this week regarding Rugby and was supposed to hear this week but it hasn’t happened. With WMSC, I had my interview Wednesday and they said I’d hear back in a week. Then I received an email on Friday saying I’d scored highly and would have to wait 4 weeks to see if I have secured an offer.

 

[red2512]

Thanks for the response mate, much appreciated. I too have chased HR as I was told I'd hear back by the end of this week. The waiting game is the hardest bit!!

 

[SammyD97]

Thanks for the response mate, much appreciated. I too have chased HR as I was told I'd hear back by the end of this week. The waiting game is the hardest bit!!

Agreed!! Forever checking emails! Did you hear back anything from WMSC?