A-Level work experience in the railway industry - any advice?

[ABB125]

Updated - see post #15

Good evening,

I am currently in Year 12, and have to do a week's work experience as part of being in my sixth form. As I am rather interested in railways, and may end up working in the industry in the future, I would quite like to spend a week in the industry.

My local TOCs are GWR and XC (with WMR, Chiltern and TfW slightly further afield), so i will probably send both of them an email, along with Network Rail, to see if they could offer anything. I could fairly easily stay with friends/family in other parts of the country if necessary.

However, do any members have any recommendations or advice for me, such as who is more likely to offer a place, or any suggestions as to what I could request to do during the week?
For reference, my subjects are maths+further maths, physics and chemistry, but I also enjoy (and even if I do say so myself am rather good at!) practical tasks/activities. My first thought was timetable planning (although much of this is now done by a computer?), but as I said, any suggestions/advice would be welcome.

Thanks very much for any replies.

 

[Tom Quinne]

I think you might be best to chase Network Rail with your current education set, as you’ll probably know they operate a very good and varied apprenticeship course for 18 year olds.

The lucky few who have successfully completed the scheme are now on a ladder to very productive careers.

Best of luck!

 

[ABB125]

I think you might be best to chase Network Rail with your current education set, as you’ll probably know they operate a very good and varied apprenticeship course for 18 year olds.

The lucky few who have successfully completed the scheme are now on a ladder to very productive careers.

Best of luck!

Thanks very much, although I have over a year still to go prior to leaving school! (Not long in terms of starting to apply for things though!) It's certainly one of the things I will be considering.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Timetable planning - or Long Term Train Planning is still very much done by people. Not sure what sort of work experience GWR do, but it's worth getting in contact.

 

[306024]

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. I would always advise looking at a TOC rather than NR as you also get to better understand unit and crew diagramming (i.e. how a timetable is resourced) as well as just timetabling. Somehow you feel closer to the real operation, but yes NR also need good planners and may have a scheme more suited to your needs if and when the time comes.

Computers play their part, but you need a human to understand the real issues, whatever aspect of operational planning you are involved in. A typical week could involve looking at the theory first in the office, then going outside to see how it all comes together to get a train from A to B. With the right contacts, signal box visits, cab rides and depot visits should all be possible.

Oddly enough I too have maths and further maths A levels, never went to university, and went on to have a very enjoyable railway career in operational planning. Only difference was I had to write letters for a job, none of this email stuff! Anyway I hope you are successful in getting your work experience as a first step on the ladder.

 

[ABB125]

Timetable planning - or Long Term Train Planning is still very much done by people. Not sure what sort of work experience GWR do, but it's worth getting in contact.

Well, that surprises me to a degree in the modern world, but would make it more "fun" (!) for me.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. I would always advise looking at a TOC rather than NR as you also get to better understand unit and crew diagramming (i.e. how a timetable is resourced) as well as just timetabling. Somehow you feel closer to the real operation, but yes NR also need good planners and may have a scheme more suited to your needs if and when the time comes.

Computers play their part, but you need a human to understand the real issues, whatever aspect of operational planning you are involved in. A typical week could involve looking at the theory first in the office, then going outside to see how it all comes together to get a train from A to B. With the right contacts, signal box visits, cab rides and depot visits should all be possible.

Oddly enough I too have maths and further maths A levels, never went to university, and went on to have a very enjoyable railway career in operational planning. Only difference was I had to write letters for a job, none of this email stuff! Anyway I hope you are successful in getting your work experience as a first step on the ladder.

Thanks very much. I was thinking I would try GWR first, as it is easier for me to get to most places on their network than Milton Keynes (I have to go via Birmingham or London!).

 

[Cavan]

I think GWR planners work at Swindon. The NR timetable operation is mostly (all?) at Milton Keynes.

If you are interested in a job after a-levels (or uni) NR often recruit trainee operation planners at the quadrant. GTR and SWR also recruit trainee planners at various times of the year. Be aware salaries for planners (even when qualified/skilled) are not amazing BUT of course enjoying the work is also important and timetable planners usually work mon to Friday office hours.

 

[Cavan]

Also TFL on occasion recruit trainee planners (they use the term "schedule complier").

 

[306024]

GW planners are indeed based in Swindon. Certainly salaries for starters are not great, but hopefully the more you learn the more you earn.

Office hours are usually Monday to Friday, but if something isn’t finished you can’t just forget it. The real job satisfaction however is seeing something you have planned actually work in practice. That could involve weekend working if say you have planned an engineering block, or a special event. The best train planners don’t just tie themselves to a desk.

 

[TractiveEffort]

As with many industries now, KPI’s and performance figures are demanded daily, weekly, monthly. Roles such as performance analyst are, I would suggest, a bit more interesting than planning and need a good maths background. Lots of spreadsheets and graphs, highlighting trends and predicting outcomes.

 

[AlterEgo]

As with many industries now, KPI’s and performance figures are demanded daily, weekly, monthly. Roles such as performance analyst are, I would suggest, a bit more interesting than planning and need a good maths background. Lots of spreadsheets and graphs, highlighting trends and predicting outcomes.

This is a good suggestion. The OP is doing some strongly analytical subjects at A Level. There are loads of performance analysts within the industry - the railway lives on analysing its performance!

 

[ABB125]

Thanks for all the replies.
Swindon should be easy for me to get to.
As for data analysis, I think Statistics in general is a very mixed bag, with some interesting(ish) ares and some that are just plain awful (for me at least, and, it seems, most of the others in the class), such as hypothesis testing. (Although in the textbooks we use, there are a couple of amusing examples, namely "Machoman Stan" with his "macho chromosomes"...

 

[Walshy23]

I did my work experience at the Bristol train service depot by Temple meads station (can’t remember but I think it was GWR then but I think it’s Arriva now) I got to see the trains up close and how they work along with being able to stand in the cab when they moved. I loved it. Was more on the servicing side of things than the planning but still had great fun and learnt a lot. I so regret not pursuing a career in the railways after

Never too late tho I suppose

 

[ABB125]

I did my work experience at the Bristol train service depot by Temple meads station (can’t remember but I think it was GWR then but I think it’s Arriva now) I got to see the trains up close and how they work along with being able to stand in the cab when they moved. I loved it. Was more on the servicing side of things than the planning but still had great fun and learnt a lot. I so regret not pursuing a career in the railways after

Never too late tho I suppose

That's another area I will consider, but I think I wouldn't be able to cope with "fault not found" occurrences as it wouldn't satisfy my OCD .

 

[ABB125]

I contacted GWR via their online contact form, and was advised to email the FirstGroup careers people. The automatic reply, in the FAQs section, said there is currently no work experience programme, and anything answered by the FAQs will not be replied to.
I will wait a few days to see if they do reply (although I'm not too hopefully), then I will try someone else. It's a bit of a shame though.

 

[davcr0ck]

I contacted GWR via their online contact form, and was advised to email the FirstGroup careers people. The automatic reply, in the FAQs section, said there is currently no work experience programme, and anything answered by the FAQs will not be replied to.
I will wait a few days to see if they do reply (although I'm not too hopefully), then I will try someone else. It's a bit of a shame though.

I Would advise speaking to GWR twitter team via dm, you stand a greater chance on getting a quicker response. I think work experience with gwr is ticket office, gateline, dispatching and is arranged locally with station staff or manager.

hope this helps

 

[ABB125]

I Would advise speaking to GWR twitter team via dm, you stand a greater chance on getting a quicker response. I think work experience with gwr is ticket office, gateline, dispatching and is arranged locally with station staff or manager.

hope this helps

Thanks very much.

 

[Coach Carter]

@ABB125
Not sure if this is any good for you but they are advertising for work experience places on there website
https://gtrailwaycareers.com/templates/GTRailway/job_list.aspx

 

[ABB125]

@ABB125
Not sure if this is any good for you but they are advertising for work experience places on there website
https://gtrailwaycareers.com/templates/GTRailway/job_list.aspx

Unfortunately GTR is a bit far away. However those options do look rather good! And free travel! Anyone living down there is quite lucky.