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Train Service Controller - Northern

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Yorks lass

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Hi
Is anyone currently doing the role of Train Service controller or ever done the role? Preferably with Northern.
I have a basic understanding of what's involved but would love to hear from anyone who has experience to what is done on a day to day basis
Thank you
 
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Horizon22

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Not at Northern, but I do have a general working understanding of these types of roles
 

Horizon22

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Hi. Any information you could give would be appreciated. I know there might be slight differences between TOCs but they will be very similar roles.

Feel free to drop me a private message, might be easier to discuss there.
 

CW2

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Feel free to drop me a private message, might be easier to discuss there.
Once you've discussed this, perhaps you could post a message for the rest of us to understand the role. (I've got plenty of Control Office experience myself, but it dates back 20 - 30 years or more, so I'd be interested to see how it works nowadays, compared with the way it used to be).
 

Horizon22

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Once you've discussed this, perhaps you could post a message for the rest of us to understand the role. (I've got plenty of Control Office experience myself, but it dates back 20 - 30 years or more, so I'd be interested to see how it works nowadays, compared with the way it used to be).

Sure it's a very diverse role but I would break the core parts into:

- Proactively keeping an eye on the train service (normally broken into multiple 'areas/desks' for your given TOC)
- Being notified by incidents by stations, crew, other control staff (TOC or NR), or signallers. Often through phone messages.
- Creating service amendements as required due to late running (cancellations, terminate short, not to call orders, additional calling orders, rerouting etc.)
- Understand implications of service amendements (i.e next working, depot finishes, staff working hours)
- Working with fleet, information and resourcing teams to manage the amendements you have agreed - and indeed work out if your plan is indeed feasible
- Implement contingency plans if particular sections of route become unavailable. This might include cancellations one service group, or reducing its frequency.
- Maintaining a log as approriate.
- Shift planning of fleet and resources for the following shift if alterations are required and liasing with engineering teams (things like stock changeovers or fleet faults).

Each TOC of course does this differently with various levels of supporting roles around them who may do some or none of the above.
 

CW2

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Thanks - that's a very clear explanation of the role.
What IT systems do you use in respect of the various aspects of the role?
 

Horizon22

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Thanks - that's a very clear explanation of the role.
What IT systems do you use in respect of the various aspects of the role?

Normally you'll have a bank of screens with you. There will likely be a CCF (or similar) screen which is a graphical representation of all trains across the network, where they are and how late they are running. Then you'll have TOC specific software to check crew and stock diagrams and manging alterations and other industry tools like Tyrell for disruption messaging. And of course TRUST/TOPS & using the regular Microsoft tools.
 

desrudy

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If you have applied you should receive some updates or emails regarding your application .
 
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