A day in the life of a signaller

Doing your best at assessment

Introduction
An introduction to Network Rail
Network Rail is the custodian of the national rail infrastructure - everything the trains travel on, over, through, across, to and from. We own and run 20,000 miles of track, 9,000 level crossings, 750 tunnels, 2,500 stations, 40,000 viaducts and bridges and all associated signalling and equipment. In a nutshell - we are "the heart of the railway". We provide access to our tracks, stations, manage timetables and operate signalling and have the responsibility for managing safety on the network and maintaining, renewing and upgrading the rail infrastructure. We employ about 13,000 people and are investing in major schemes that will deliver a railway that meets the growing needs of our customers. At the operational day-to-day level, over 1,000 signal boxes and control centres handle access to our tracks across the country.They range from manual lever frame boxes, most of which were built between 80 and 100 years ago; panel boxes, built until the late 1980s and our most advanced signalling centres - the integrated electronic control centre (IECC).There are nine IECCs on our network and most of the the signalling is done by computer overseen by an operator and supervisor.

A realistic picture of the job

Ive worked as a signaller for about eight years now and I have always enjoyed the work I do. Ive seen some changes during this time - firstly, when Railtrack was formed and the rail industry was split into independent companies, and then we became Network Rail. We have been very focussed on safety no matter who was in charge. We have become a lot more business-orientated, too, in order to reduce as far as possible the impact of poor train performance on the train operators and the travelling public. I signed on at 6am at Liverpool Street station today. Its an IECC (integrated electronic control centre) signal box, which means that it has all the latest technology in place to control signals. Ive been working here a couple of months so I know most of the people Im working with. It took a bit of getting used to because the boxes Ive worked in before have been much smaller with less advanced technology and with fewer people in them. Still, the main purpose of the signaller is to regulate the movement of trains on the railway. I first saw an advert for a signaller in my local newspaper eight years ago when I was working as a fitter in a car factory. I phoned for an application form and filled in the form.Two weeks later I received a letter inviting me to an assessment centre the following week. With the letter came a practice booklet to help me gain a better understanding of what the assessment centre was all about and the tests I would be doing. I went through the example questions and asked friends and family for help about anything I did not understand. My first job as a signaller was in a manual box at a station.The signals were controlled by big old-fashioned levers that needed a bit of strength to push and pull them - one aspect of the job I hadnt expected. On top of the classroom based training we also have an on the job training period in the box before we can work as signallers. I had to spend several weeks with another signaller to get an understanding of the box and the rules of the route. Looking back, it was very different to Liverpool Street. It was at a small station and I could see the trains from the window, which was good because I could see what was happening on my piece of track. Although I was alone in the box, I had to work as part of a team with a larger After passing the assessment, I was sent to signalling school for eight weeks.The training was very intense as you have to spend most of it in a classroom learning all about the rules and regulations on the railway, with a couple of weeks in a signal box on and off.This might seem like a long time when all you want to do is to get into a signal box and start working, but youd be surprised at how much you have to know. I had to pass the exams at signalling school before I was allowed into a signalling box. It was hard work and you have to spend a lot of time going over what you have learnt in class at the end of each day. I went to the assessment centre and passed the tests at the required level I needed to be a grade 2 signaller.That meant that if I wanted to go for promotion, I had to go for one more assessment to pass at the higher grade.

Career opportunities
Safety and performance are critical to our success. Signallers play a large part in achieving this success. Due to this, all signallers share a common programme of continuous training and development to provide opportunity for promotion and meet developmental needs.The programme allows you to take control of your career and work towards your career goals.

Equal opportunities policy

We are committed to offering our employees a fulfilling and challenging career in which we share equal opportunities in an environment free from discrimination, harassment, victimisation and bullying. We aim to ensure that all our employees are valued as individuals and treated fairly and with respect, regardless of age, disability, employment status, gender, health, marital status, membership or non-membership of a trade union, nationality, race, religion, sexual preference or social class.

About the booklet

This booklet gives an insight into the work of a signaller. It gives a realistic picture of the job.

big board that covered two walls. It was a huge diagram of the entire track that we controlled and looked pretty impressive. I had to get used to working with a group of people, and also to working in a room that had few windows.The windows that were there didnt actually look over the track, so I couldnt see the trains I was controlling.This was strange because one of the reasons I joined the railways was because Ive always loved trains. Having said that, despite these changes in the work environment, I did enjoy working in the panel box because there was a lot more variety. I had responsibility for more track than in the manual box, and I came to enjoy working with other people, although I was still responsible for my section of the track. Ive always enjoyed that responsibility, and when I have a day when Ive solved a difficult situation with the minimum delay for passengers I get a great sense of achievement. As a signaller most of the time things work fine, however there are times when various types of incidents occur.These can be failures of technical equipment caused by trespass or vandalism and when this happens I need to use the rules and regulations

Ive learnt to make sure trains can still run safely. I also have to advise the control room and my line manager on these occasions. The other big difference was that I now had to deal with overhead lines as this section of the railway is electrified. This meant I had to learn new procedures for controlling overhead lines during normal running and when maintenance work needed the power to be switched off. I remember once when some passengers decided that they were fed up of waiting in a delayed train.They got out and walked down the track.This might have made them feel better but it meant I had to contact the electrical control room operator and get the power turned off for their safety.This then caused more delays to many other trains. My day now starts pretty much the same as it did in my previous boxes. Ill come on duty and talk with the signaller on duty, who informs me of any incidents that came up during their shift. I will also look at any notices that affect the running of the trains or the working of the signals.Today there is an extra train running and some engineering work that may affect some services. I then test the emergency alarm to make sure that it is working.

box on one side and a level crossing on the other.The level crossing was controlled by a crossing keeper who, under my instruction, was responsible for closing the barriers to stop cars crossing the road when a train is approaching. Sometimes the barriers are controlled in the signal box by using a closed circuit television (CCTV). As well as controlling the signals, I also controlled the crossing a couple of miles down the track.This crossing didnt have anyone manning it, so I had complete responsibility for watching the crossing and controlling the barrier using a CCTV screen.This showed the crossing and the traffic, so that I could make sure that there was no threat to anyones safety. I remember when I first started working at the manual box I was surprised at some other parts of my job apart from the physical effort needed. Getting used to the shift pattern of early, late, and night shifts, including some weekends, took a little time but I soon began to appreciate the extra free time this gave me. Finishing work at two in the afternoon gave me plenty of time to spend in the garden. The signal box was very small and the only extras I had were a kettle and a toaster. These days some of them have a microwave so things have improved.

There were a few of us based at that signal box but only one of us worked in the box during a shift, although there would be people coming in and out at various points throughout the day, like engineers and the signalling manager. Most of the time though you certainly had to enjoy your own company if you worked there, particularly at 3 oclock in the morning when only two trains an hour came through the station. Most of us enjoyed the responsibility that came with working on our own, and it is particularly satisfying when you deal with a problem effectively. Its a job that wouldnt suit somebody who doesnt enjoy his or her own company. However most signallers tend to spend most of their working life in this type of environment because the majority of signal boxes in the company are this kind. After the manual box I applied for promotion through the internal vacancy list and passed the assessment tests at the required level for higher grade duties. I then started work in a panel box.This time there were no levers to push and pull just buttons to press to change signals. It was quite a different kettle of fish to the manual box. In the manual box I was responsible for a few miles of track, whereas in the panel box I took on responsibility for about 50 miles of track. Our group covered 150 miles between us, which were represented on a

In my present job in the IECC we trained on a special simulator to get us used to the equipment and technology. You need to be comfortable with technology so you can prioritise your work.You do get to a point where it becomes second nature to know how to cope with situations experience certainly builds up your confidence! You have to use the rules and regulations all the time and in an emergency put them into practice quickly.This will involve dealing with lots of information at once under pressure, which can be daunting. Having been involved in managing some major incidents, like when some vandals broke one of my signals, I can now see the importance of learning the rules and regulations. At the end of the day we are responsible for passengers lives so we need to know rules inside out ready for an emergency. Once we have qualified as signallers our competence is continuously assessed by line managers to make sure we have the knowledge and skills we need to do the job.The continuous assessment is a legal requirement. It is a great improvement over the previous rules tests, as a lot of it assesses work already completed. It also takes away the worry of a separate examination on our knowledge. As I said earlier, the IECC box is very up to date with the latest technology. In this box I sit down all the time as the miles

Understanding the signaller role

A self assessment questionnaire
This questionnaire is for your eyes only: you do not need to send it in. It asks you questions about the signaller job and if you work through it, it will help you to think about whether or not you are suited to the signaller job in some important areas. If you find you are answering no to any of the questions you should think carefully about whether you really want to take your application further, because it may mean you will not be happy with some aspects of the job.

Yes
(Tick box)

No

1. 2.

I understand that I will be required to work all kinds of shifts. I understand that there is a stringent drugs and alcohol policy and I will take part in a pre-employment and on-the-job drugs screening and a colour blindness test.

3. of track that I control are shown on computer screens in front of me.This means that yet again I had to get used to working in a different environment. Here we work with team leaders who supervise us, although we still have a lot of responsibility for our sections of track. In this box I have a lot more information to deal with as there are more trains. As a result of this there is more chance of incidents occurring. The good thing about working in this sort of box is that because of the busy nature of the job, a lot of the more mundane jobs are taken away from me.The team leaders talk to control for me and tell me the things I need to know. Additionally, all the paperwork that comes into the box is sorted out before I see it and I only have to deal with the items that affect my area. I also get to work different areas as we move around the workstations from day to day. One day I can be on a fairly quiet workstation and the next I can be on the busiest workstation here.This keeps the job enjoyable and interesting.The people that work here are a great bunch and someones always got an interesting story to tell. Im still on shift work, and that includes working night shifts from 2200 at night to 0600 the next morning, but fortunately I reckon Ive done pretty well during my time as a signaller and Im still learning things about the job so I find it satisfying work. When an incident does arise in my area, I have to write a report giving details of exactly what happened, as records must be kept of incidents. If any of the situations had been my fault, I could have been disciplined, but thanks to training this is extremely unlikely.There is a very stringent drugs and alcohol policy and random screening to make sure that railway staff are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol when on duty. This is fully explained to everyone. I finish todays shift at 14:00. Ill pass over to the next signaller then make my way home. Ive got time to go shopping and do some jobs around the house before most people have finished work. 8. 7. we dont work nights as often as other shifts. Some signallers here like that shift, because if theyve got kids they get to see them more than when theyre on the 14:00 to 22:00 shift. People here are pretty flexible so if one of us needs to change a shift theres usually someone willing to swap. 6. 5. 4.

I know that I could be working with computers. I understand that the training may be residential, lasts for several weeks and that I will need to learn a lot of rules and procedures. I accept that I will have responsibility for ensuring the safety of other rail industry employees and the general public. I am aware that I may be either working on my own for long periods of time or closely with others in a box. I understand that I will need to take a series of tests as part of the selection process. I am aware that incidents involving physical injuries or fatalities may occur, and if they do that I will be required to play a role.

Engineering excellence for Britains railway

Network Rail 40 Melton Street London NW1 2EE www.networkrail.co.uk