Such an open ended question!
There are many challenges:
Learning and maintaining route knowledge
Learning and maintaining traction knowledge
Learning and maintaining ticketing knowledge
Learning and maintaining rule book knowledge
Working as part of a tiny, often 2 person, team in isolated locations dealing with highly stressful incidents up to and including someone ending their life in front of your train
Dealing with vulnerable people
Dealing with disorderly behaviour - and how you would use different skills dealing with a couple having a fist fight then you would with a full and standing train full of Millwall fans who have already destroyed many interior fixtures and fittings in the carriages
Dealing with minor incidents such as: stone throwers breaking windows, mechanical failure, people firing air rifles at your train for fun, running out of fuel, signalling failure, etc
Dealing with major incidents : derailment, collision, train fire, uncontrolled evacuation as a result of the same.
Safeguarding: spotting the vulnerable and alerting the appropriate authorities
Dealing with multiple external agencies : control, police, fire, ambulance
Dealing with fare evasion : from those who need a new ticket due to advance wrong train to those who present you with a home made railcard: and doing it in such a way that you win more than you lose but you recognise that battles should be chosen...
And the unusual:
Tree wrapped round pantograph catching fire
Sinkhole in track ahead
Nesting goose on roof of train
Suicidal pigeon causing interruption to the electricity supply
Blackbird inside carriage causing alarm and distress
Station cat decides to come for a ride far from home...
...
I could write a hundred pages on the challenges. The above only scratches the surface.
How you respond to them is up to you!
Good luck! It can be the most varied and interesting job in the world if you go at it in a positive and enthusiastic way
