A career as a signaller

[High Dyke]

Hi all, thanks for the previous information in this thread I have been working my way through it all.

If you’re successful at interview and medical etc. and are given a job offer would you then be given a place at the nearest to your home signalling school or will they send you anywhere?

Where are the schools located, I’ve seen online there are ones in York, South Wales and near Birmingham. There was also mention in this thread a few years ago about one in Preston, is that still in operation?

For info, the position applied for is a G2 position and I’m at the assessment centre stage.

Welcome. In theory you could attend the nearest signalling school, but in reality you could end up anywhere. It depends on what capacity each location has. There's also a school at Derby.

 

[Brett55]

Hi all, thanks for the previous information in this thread I have been working my way through it all.

If you’re successful at interview and medical etc. and are given a job offer would you then be given a place at the nearest to your home signalling school or will they send you anywhere?

Where are the schools located, I’ve seen online there are ones in York, South Wales and near Birmingham. There was also mention in this thread a few years ago about one in Preston, is that still in operation?

For info, the position applied for is a G2 position and I’m at the assessment centre stage.

Hi Chor48,

Are you asking about sig school or box location?
When you applied, it would have been for a specific region. I.e. South Wales. And they could send you to any sign school that has the space.
I'm based in South Wales and went to Bristol for 10 weeks and York for 2 weeks.

Cheers.

 

[Nobby664]

Hello,

I’ve been reading the thread but can only find figures from 2016. Could anyone give me an idea of what a Grade 2 salary would be per month after tax with the additional supplements added please?

Box is 7 day, early/lates only, no nights.

Also, what would be the salary with a reasonable amount of OT?


Thanks.

 

[chor48]

Welcome. In theory you could attend the nearest signalling school, but in reality you could end up anywhere. It depends on what capacity each location has. There's also a school at Derby.

Thanks for the info, appreciated.

Hi Chor48,

Are you asking about sig school or box location?
When you applied, it would have been for a specific region. I.e. South Wales. And they could send you to any sign school that has the space.
I'm based in South Wales and went to Bristol for 10 weeks and York for 2 weeks.

Cheers.

Thanks for the info. It was the schools I was asking about rather than the box. The job ad was for a specific box rather than a region.

 

[AshleySig]

Hi guys, I'm starting my IST soon in Bristol, just wondering what hotels they're likely to put me in? and any other info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Brett55]

Hi guys, I'm starting my IST soon in Bristol, just wondering what hotels they're likely to put me in? and any other info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Congrats. Bristol IST is amazing. Are you doing AB or TCB? When I was there, we were put in the Hilton near Bristol station for 2 weeks and grand Mercure for 8 weeks. There were 2 in the village inn but would have to drive or taxi to IST.
These are the ones I know but NWR could use others.

Hello,

I’ve been reading the thread but can only find figures from 2016. Could anyone give me an idea of what a Grade 2 salary would be per month after tax with the additional supplements added please?

Box is 7 day, early/lates only, no nights.

Also, what would be the salary with a reasonable amount of OT?


Thanks.

You want to DM me and I'll give you some info.

 

[Nobby664]

Congrats. Bristol IST is amazing. Are you doing AB or TCB? When I was there, we were put in the Hilton near Bristol station for 2 weeks and grand Mercure for 8 weeks. There were 2 in the village inn but would have to drive or taxi to IST.
These are the ones I know but NWR could use others.


You want to DM me and I'll give you some info.

Thank you, DM sent

 

[Pcoftw]

Can anyone give any info’ on the G6 Birmingham vacancy? I.e rosters, shift times/ durations, area covered and if G6 is the highest grade in West Midlands signalling centre. Can’t really see much info’ about it on this thread.

 

[Oaksie]

Evening all! I’ve just found out I have passed the online interviews and awaiting to see if I get offered an assessment centre for the Upminster posting. Just wondered if anyone knew what sort of shift pattern they work there and any tips for the assessment centre in the hopes I get one and don’t go onto a waitlist.
Cheers

 

[WL113]

Can anyone give any info’ on the G6 Birmingham vacancy? I.e rosters, shift times/ durations, area covered and if G6 is the highest grade in West Midlands signalling centre. Can’t really see much info’ about it on this thread.

The Grade 6 link in Birmingham ROC (The former West Midlands Signalling Centre) works three workstations: Walsall, Bescot and Stourbridge, All track circuit only, no axle counters,
12 hour roster. 0700-1900 days and 1900-0700 nights. The link is one of the lower grades in BROC. The Saltley link, (Washwood Heath, Water Orton, Bromsgrove and Kings Norton workstations) is Grade 7, Wolverhampton is Grade 7, Cherwell Valley is Grade 7, BROC South (Coventry, North Warwick and Snow Hill workstations) is Grade 7. The highest grade is the New Street link (Stour Valley, New Street Station and Proof House workstations) That is Grade 9. The lowest is Telford, Grade 5.

 

[AshleySig]

Congrats. Bristol IST is amazing. Are you doing AB or TCB? When I was there, we were put in the Hilton near Bristol station for 2 weeks and grand Mercure for 8 weeks. There were 2 in the village inn but would have to drive or taxi to IST.
These are the ones I know but NWR could use others.


You want to DM me and I'll give you some info.

Thank you, I'm excited to get started. I'm doing AB. Any advice for me? Thanks

 

[Brett55]

Thank you, I'm excited to get started. I'm doing AB. Any advice for me? Thanks

I did AB with a trainer called Ian. Honestly one of the best trainers I've met. He has a wealth of knowledge and made the course better. So if you have him your off to a great start in my opinion.

Bristol training center is great, you'll get to see the engineering training too and can see what it's like on their side. Get Plenty of time for sim practice. (Before and after lessons). It's easy to get to via parkway station or driving.

As you can imagine, it's a lot to absorb. As they say, "You'll get out what you put in" . So revision is vital.

All the best and go smash it.

 

[Mounty87]

Hi All

Quick question for anybody that has attended IST before.

I’m not getting ahead of myself but I have my interview next week. If successful I’d assume my training would be starting in the next couple of months. I have a holiday booked in August so I’m just wondering if anybody else has had this and will I need to cancel my holiday?

TIA

 

[MikeOff]

Hi All

Quick question for anybody that has attended IST before.

I’m not getting ahead of myself but I have my interview next week. If successful I’d assume my training would be starting in the next couple of months. I have a holiday booked in August so I’m just wondering if anybody else has had this and will I need to cancel my holiday?

TIA

You’ll be asked at interview if you’ve any holiday booked - if you aren’t flag it up. I know people who were given a start date after their holiday. The more notice you give the better but you will not be able to miss IST. In my experience NWR will accommodate most requests. My previous employer asked if I could delay my start date which wasn’t a problem but it will be down to the hiring manager and the route

 

[cxlla]

Congrats. Bristol IST is amazing. Are you doing AB or TCB? When I was there, we were put in the Hilton near Bristol station for 2 weeks and grand Mercure for 8 weeks. There were 2 in the village inn but would have to drive or taxi to IST.
These are the ones I know but NWR could use others.


You want to DM me and I'll give you some info.

Hi Brett. I've shot you a DM also. Thanks

 

[Pcoftw]

The Grade 6 link in Birmingham ROC (The former West Midlands Signalling Centre) works three workstations: Walsall, Bescot and Stourbridge, All track circuit only, no axle counters,
12 hour roster. 0700-1900 days and 1900-0700 nights. The link is one of the lower grades in BROC. The Saltley link, (Washwood Heath, Water Orton, Bromsgrove and Kings Norton workstations) is Grade 7, Wolverhampton is Grade 7, Cherwell Valley is Grade 7, BROC South (Coventry, North Warwick and Snow Hill workstations) is Grade 7. The highest grade is the New Street link (Stour Valley, New Street Station and Proof House workstations) That is Grade 9. The lowest is Telford, Grade 5.

cheers bud’.

 

[Georgiahope1]

I have my interview on Thursday for G2 Signaller, just working through the NTS and just wondering if they are expecting you to specifically mention the skill or are they just wanting an answer?

 

[AshleySig]

I did AB with a trainer called Ian. Honestly one of the best trainers I've met. He has a wealth of knowledge and made the course better. So if you have him your off to a great start in my opinion.

Bristol training center is great, you'll get to see the engineering training too and can see what it's like on their side. Get Plenty of time for sim practice. (Before and after lessons). It's easy to get to via parkway station or driving.

As you can imagine, it's a lot to absorb. As they say, "You'll get out what you put in" . So revision is vital.

All the best and go smash it.

Thank you for that Brett. Is IST based on a fail/pass grade or is it a %? Just wondering if there's any motivation to go for 100% or is that not important?
IST was supposed to be somewhere else initially but it was cancelled so I have a while to wait until Bristol, any sort of revision I can do beforehand? I know people mentioned the phonetic alphabet, but anything more in-depth I could learn so I can get a good start?

 

[High Dyke]

Thank you for that Brett. Is IST based on a fail/pass grade or is it a %? Just wondering if there's any motivation to go for 100% or is that not important?
IST was supposed to be somewhere else initially but it was cancelled so I have a while to wait until Bristol, any sort of revision I can do beforehand? I know people mentioned the phonetic alphabet, but anything more in-depth I could learn so I can get a good start?

You could also get some small cards and write out the main bell codes that you'll need to know. Luckily, a colleague let me have his when I started.

 

[MikeOff]

Thank you for that Brett. Is IST based on a fail/pass grade or is it a %? Just wondering if there's any motivation to go for 100% or is that not important?
IST was supposed to be somewhere else initially but it was cancelled so I have a while to wait until Bristol, any sort of revision I can do beforehand? I know people mentioned the phonetic alphabet, but anything more in-depth I could learn so I can get a good start?

Written exams are 80% pass mark. You can achieve 75%-80% once and ‘talk’ yourself up to 80%. There are three written exams.

Practicals are assessed through meeting criteria a bit like in a driving test. The first two you have three attempts. The final observation is pass/fail. You must pass 4 out of the 6 regulations assessed. You will not know all of what you will be assessed on.

Do not focus on percentages. Your understanding of the rules and relating this to practical signalling is far more important.

As many people have said it is counterproductive to try to learn much in advance. Phonetic alphabet and bell codes for classes of trains is probably the only thing to focus on. Use the time to enjoy the weather and some downtime. IST can be very full on.

 

[Brett55]

Thank you for that Brett. Is IST based on a fail/pass grade or is it a %? Just wondering if there's any motivation to go for 100% or is that not important?
IST was supposed to be somewhere else initially but it was cancelled so I have a while to wait until Bristol, any sort of revision I can do beforehand? I know people mentioned the phonetic alphabet, but anything more in-depth I could learn so I can get a good start?

As the people above have mentioned, it's a % mark. The exams and practical tests are really intense. Revision in groups was key for me, constantly testing each other. Try aim for 80% on written exams and keep your talk up for the last exam (that's the exam that could cover everything from week 1-10).
I downloaded a flash card app to help me revise.
Also try to enjoy your down time at the weekend.

 

[SimplyLovely]

Thank you for that Brett. Is IST based on a fail/pass grade or is it a %? Just wondering if there's any motivation to go for 100% or is that not important?
IST was supposed to be somewhere else initially but it was cancelled so I have a while to wait until Bristol, any sort of revision I can do beforehand? I know people mentioned the phonetic alphabet, but anything more in-depth I could learn so I can get a good start?

Don’t try to stress too much about percentages, if you focus on understanding the regulations rather than just memorising then the exams will be fine.

Use the first couple of weeks to experiment with different revision methods, different people learn differently so don’t just do whatever everyone else is.

For example, people on here tend to swear by flash cards, I never touched one during my IST and passed both tests with high marks. Work out what works for you and stick to it.

If you get given Bruce quizzes, focus on them. A lot of people discount them because they are “optional” homework but they are made by the same guy that writes most of the exam questions so take from that what you will.

When it is time for the exam, read each question at least twice, and make sure you fully understand it before you answer. A lot of regulations have similar wording so you can easily lose marks by answering a question that wasn’t asked.

Other than that, put the effort in, try to enjoy it and if you can’t enjoy it, just remember it’s only 10 weeks of your life!

 

[skyblue1992]

Hello,
First time post, applied for the G6 role in Birmingham B7. Have been invited for assessment centre. Wanted to know if anyone had idea of shift pattern? are all shift patterns inclusive of nights? any advice about the interview process for B7 or any experience of working there ? what is the salary taking into consideration nights, sundays, BH what would be a yearly gross salary you would expect?
Thanks in advance for your time

Hello,
First time post, applied for the G6 role in Birmingham B7. Have been invited for assessment centre. Wanted to know if anyone had idea of shift pattern? are all shift patterns inclusive of nights? any advice about the interview process for B7 or any experience of working there ? what is the salary taking into consideration nights, sundays, BH what would be a yearly gross salary you would expect?
Thanks in advance for your time

Also for this role where would be the location for the IST be realistically is Westwood in Coventry still offering this training?

 

[SimplyLovely]

Hello,
First time post, applied for the G6 role in Birmingham B7. Have been invited for assessment centre. Wanted to know if anyone had idea of shift pattern? are all shift patterns inclusive of nights? any advice about the interview process for B7 or any experience of working there ? what is the salary taking into consideration nights, sundays, BH what would be a yearly gross salary you would expect?
Thanks in advance for your time


Also for this role where would be the location for the IST be realistically is Westwood in Coventry still offering this training?

The location for IST will be whichever centre has availability the soonest. They try to keep you close by if possible but the spaces are limited to you get given what you get given.

I was lucky to get sent to IST 30 minutes from home, but others had a long train journey on Sundays and Fridays!

 

[TraineeD]

Hello,
First time post, applied for the G6 role in Birmingham B7. Have been invited for assessment centre. Wanted to know if anyone had idea of shift pattern? are all shift patterns inclusive of nights? any advice about the interview process for B7 or any experience of working there ? what is the salary taking into consideration nights, sundays, BH what would be a yearly gross salary you would expect?
Thanks in advance for your time


Also for this role where would be the location for the IST be realistically is Westwood in Coventry still offering this training?

Congratulations on the assessment centre.

When did you apply? Did you get an email saying not everyone will get offered an assessment date and those that don't will be on a waiting list?

I got that email earlier today and not heard anything since.

 

[skyblue1992]

Congratulations on the assessment centre.

When did you apply? Did you get an email saying not everyone will get offered an assessment date and those that don't will be on a waiting list?

I got that email earlier today and not heard anything since.

Yup around 10am.

 

[TraineeD]

Yup around 10am.

Gutted.... Looks like I'm on the waiting list then.

 

[skyblue1992]

Gutted.... Looks like I'm on the waiting list then.

This is what I received , I’d imagine the same as yourself.

 

[Oaksie]

I had this for the Upminster posting on Friday last week, still got my fingers crossed to get an assessment centre and not be on the waitlist!

 

[TraineeD]

This is what I received , I’d imagine the same as yourself.

Yeah, word for word but no follow up since. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Did you get a choice of assessment days?