A career in the railway

[Austin100]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone might be able to offer me some advise.

I have been working in the retail industry for 10 years but my current location is being closed and after 5 moves 8n 5 years It's made me consider my options. I've been doing lots of research and was thinking about applying for a position in the railway. It seems fairly secure and there seems to be some chance of progressing.

I've read loads of posts on here, which are massively helpful, but I'm still a little ignorant at the moment so I just wanted to check a few things:
What does TOC stand for?
How is a conductor different to a guard or a revenue inspector?

Also, I do have a young son and I'm a single parent, so I'm wondering how easy people find the work when they have a family?

I like the idea of being a conductor but I'm concerned how much abuse and griefe the passengers give you. How bad does it get? Do you get special training. How do people deal with it?

Sorry for so many questions. I would really appreciate some advise.

Thanks

 

[ComUtoR]

TOC -Train Operating Company
NR - Network Rail

Revenue (RPO) / Rail Enforcement (REO) / Guard / Conductor / Onboard Manager (OBM) / Customer Service Assistant (CSA) /

There will be others who can give you some technical details to the difference but...

Revenue just deal with tickets and will be onboard or at gates etc.
Enforcement deal with security and on train protection (security, passenger safety etc) They are also able to do ticketing.
Guard/Conductors have mixed duties and may include train dispatch.
OBM's are in the train providing customer service (not sure if they can do tickets) their roles can vary between TOC's
Customer services are very much as described.

Work/Life balance

It's hard but manageable. I work a 4.25 day shift worked week as a Driver. It has benefits and some times it can cripple you. I still get the school run done and manage to go to parent evenings etc but you WILL miss some important ones. I've missed sports day and a few concerts but on the flip side I do attend more than some parents I know who work 9-5 monday to friday. You need to take the rough with the smooth. Family life is always a balance and it will depend on what your family life is like and how flexible it is.

Easier than retail, by a country mile.

 

[387star]

I was a guard for almost two years now a trainee driver

Never had any problems yes you may get the odd day when you get some form of abuse or a pass comm pulled or people preventing the doors being closed but it is more how you deal with it

If it is unsafe you retreat to a safe place and call for assistance simple as that

Plenty of days off so great if you have a family as long as they appreciate you. Will be knackered from earlies or lates at times

Of course I worked on a pretty trouble free line and other routes may. Be different

 

[Austin100]

Hi, Thanks for the replies to this, that is such a great help. I think I will definitely keep my eye out for job opportunities on here. It's good to know that you can still have a quality of life outside of work in the railway as that isn't always possible in my current job.

Do you get special training for dealing with difficult situations? I've had to deal with shop lifters and customer complaints but you always have lots of other staff around and usually security. Is there much support?

Thanks

 

[ComUtoR]

It's good to know that you can still have a quality of life outside of work in the railway as that isn't always possible in my current job.

I have a retail background. The railway is very different and I would certainly say that whilst shift work is notoriously hell I have found the benefits over retail was an dramatic improvement.

I've had to deal with shop lifters and customer complaints

Your background will certainly help. Angry passengers, Angry customers. Same, Sh... different day.

 

[Austin100]

Thanks, that's good to know.

I was also wondering, do conductors get the same route, or does that change every shift? Do you work on different lines?

Cheers for all the advise, it's much appreciated

 

[bb21]

Each conductor signs a number of routes, some a narrower range and others a wider one, depending on the depot and your link/grade/level/seniority. Shifts will likely cover a range of these routes, as they will likely be of different lengths of time, but in the long run, the figure should average out to your contracted hours (not including overtime, etc).

 

[TDK]

I was a single parent and a driver doing shifts and without my parents I would have had to pack the job in.

 

[Phil.]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone might be able to offer me some advise.

I have been working in the retail industry for 10 years but my current location is being closed and after 5 moves 8n 5 years It's made me consider my options. I've been doing lots of research and was thinking about applying for a position in the railway. It seems fairly secure and there seems to be some chance of progressing.

I've read loads of posts on here, which are massively helpful, but I'm still a little ignorant at the moment so I just wanted to check a few things:
What does TOC stand for?
How is a conductor different to a guard or a revenue inspector?

Also, I do have a young son and I'm a single parent, so I'm wondering how easy people find the work when they have a family?

I like the idea of being a conductor but I'm concerned how much abuse and griefe the passengers give you. How bad does it get? Do you get special training. How do people deal with it?

Sorry for so many questions. I would really appreciate some advise.

Thanks

If you're a single parent with a young child then unless you have a 100% guaranteed person or persons who can look after him at all hours I would think very carefully before taking on a job with shifts that operates seven days a week.
You will get training and advice on dealing with stroppy passengers - they're not nearly as common as people might have you believe - but you have to have it in your nature to be able to keep calm under pressure.

 

[plastictaffy]

Austin - I am a qualified Guard so feel I am well qualified to answer some of your questions.

Unless you can guarantee childcare when you need it, think long and hard about whether you can manage the shifts you will be expected to do. At my depot, our earliest start is 0355, with the latest start being 1739 (it's a terrible awful job) with finishes going all the way through til 0224.

There is progression available in the railways - perhaps from RPO to Guard, or from Guard to Driver.

I don't wish to be the bearer of the bad news, but jobs on the railway can be very hard to come by, too. It took me 15 years, 2 jobs and countless interviews with various TOC's to get to where I am today. Bear in mind that every man and his dog wants to work on the railways, so every job has lots of applicants.

With regard to the duties of a Guard/Conductor/Train Manager (all the same thing, fundamentaly) they are mainly all about safety of the train, safety of the passengers and to be an extra pair of hands for as and when things may or may not go wrong. At my place, we are also expected to perform revenue duties on-train, checking tickets, selling if required, helping people with their onward connections. We also get commission on the tickets we sell as an incentive - but that doesn't mean everyone does!! Occasionally we may get grief from punters - I had a particularly unpleasant individual gentleman last night, for example. Thankfully (for me at least) such incidents are few and far between. A lot of it depends on how you are towards the passengers. If you have attitude, you will inflame the situation, if you're cool, have a bit of banter and a laugh you'll do just fine.

We work a 36 hour four day week at my place, with a long weekend every three wekks, which is fri-sat-sun-mon-tue off. Overtime is almost always available for those that want it, too. There is often opportunities to earn a lot of money if you want to.

You could do a lot worse than coming to join this band of merry men!!!!

Where are you in the country? That may give us an idea of where you could get to and who you could work for.

 

[Austin100]

Hi there,

Thanks so much for your reply to my post, it's really good to get advise from people with experience, and it's good to know that I need to consider the hours with regard to childcare too. It might take some serious thinking before I decide to apply.

I can tell that the jobs are like gold dust, but I suppose I will just have to keep my eye and ears open. Everyone seems - from what I have read anyway - to look out for each other, most of the time, and the feedback and encouragement I've had from my posts make me feel that it would be a fairly supportive environment to work in. I think that is important to me, as I've not always had that where I work and I think it makes a big difference.

I'm based in Birmingham so there are quite a few TOC's that operate in the area.

Thanks again for your advise, its much appreciated

Cheers Austin
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Thanks for the heads up - I will have to really consider this. I do have a great Mom and Dad who are fantastic with my son when I need them to help. But as they are getting older I don't want to put too much of burden on them. It's hard though because I feel that a career in the Railway would also give me some security for my son too...humm, lots to think about.

Thanks again

 

[ComUtoR]

It's hard though because I feel that a career in the Railway would also give me some security for my son too...humm, lots to think about.

Thanks again

That line alone is worth every hardship you can afford.

In the long term I think I have benefited more than I have lost. A support system is very important. My kids took a long time to understand why I was barely about but they now pretty much tell everyone I drive trains. That pride they have in me means so much.

Financially it has been the best I've every had and as I mentioned when I worked in retail my hours were horrific by comparison. I work a 4 day 35hr week. In retail I was pushing 60-70 hrs a week and some weeks I was working 7 days. Yes shifts can be a huge hindrance but the flip side is that I know a long time in advance what I am doing so I can plan ahead (to a degree) and that I get days off during the week !

Lots to consider. Kids grow up, you may even find a partner. Childcare can be expensive but retail is notoriously underpaid (for the full timers) so it becomes more affordable. Retail can have long hours. How are you coping now and how much are you getting support currently ?