Should i start a career in rail?

[Darz]

Hi im 19 years old do you think its wise to start a CSA Job at kings cross for Network rail? will this job be safe and also will i be able to work my way up to be a train driver one day?

 

[dk1]

Hi im 19 years old do you think its wise to start a CSA Job at kings cross for Network rail? will this job be safe and also will i be able to work my way up to be a train driver one day?

You don’t work your way up to train driver mate. It’s something you need to pass the quite intense assessments for & then be medically fit in several respects. There is generally a very large number of applicants for these positions. Having a foot in the door will help but it’s not guaranteed.

 

[Darz]

You don’t work your way up to train driver mate. It’s something you need to pass the quite intense assessments for & then be medically fit in several respects. There is generally a very large number of applicants for these positions. Having a foot in the door will help but it’s not guaranteed.

Oh really so would you just apply when a vacancy comes available cheers for letting me know

 

[dk1]

Oh really so would you just apply when a vacancy comes available cheers for letting me know

You could do this yes. These days you end up in what’s known as a talent pool once successful which may or may not lead to you being offered a position. Already working for that TOC may help as you are then privy to certain managers & the internal HR dept.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Go for it mate, best thing I've ever done in my life was doing it.

 

[Darz]

You could do this yes. These days you end up in what’s known as a talent pool once successful which may or may not lead to you being offered a position. Already working for that TOC may help as you are then privy to certain managers & the internal HR dept.

Ah okay so it would be a slight advantage working for that TOC i can imagine they’re will be a massive amount of applicants the jobs like goldust. Overall Would you still recommend working in rail ?

 

[zwk500]

Hi im 19 years old do you think its wise to start a CSA Job at kings cross for Network rail? will this job be safe and also will i be able to work my way up to be a train driver one day?

As has been said, if you want to be a driver go directly into the training course. It's not like the old days where you started as a shed cleaner.

More generally, a CSA job at King's Cross will be a fantastic way to get to see how the railway works, and you'll be able to see the many different paths a rail career can take. If you like working with people and thinking on your feet, go for it. The experience you'll gain will stand you in good stead if (when) you want to move on, up, around or wherever. Customer Service roles will be here for a long time, although the actual duties may change.

I can't give much more specific advice about the CSA role, but I did do some back office roles for Network Rail in MK. If you're interested in what's available, send me a DM.

 

[Darz]

As has been said, if you want to be a driver go directly into the training course. It's not like the old days where you started as a shed cleaner.

More generally, a CSA job at King's Cross will be a fantastic way to get to see how the railway works, and you'll be able to see the many different paths a rail career can take. If you like working with people and thinking on your feet, go for it. The experience you'll gain will stand you in good stead if (when) you want to move on, up, around or wherever. Customer Service roles will be here for a long time, although the actual duties may change.

I can't give much more specific advice about the CSA role, but I did do some back office roles for Network Rail in MK. If you're interested in what's available, send me a DM.

Thank you for your advice i really appreciate your help , the only thing that’s giving me second thoughts is obviously the position the railway is in at the moment with strikes and network rail making people redundant etc. overall do you think its still safe to go into the railway right now? id love to hear more about your experience with network rail and the roles you have done.

 

[zwk500]

Thank you for your advice i really appreciate your help , the only thing that’s giving me second thoughts is obviously the position the railway is in at the moment with strikes and network rail making people redundant etc. overall do you think its still safe to go into the railway right now?

At the moment, the job cuts are being pursued through voluntary redundancies and natural turnover, and this is likely to continue. I think the chances of being made redundant against your will are rather small. However I can't comment on whether opportunities for progression will still be open by the time you're looking at them, and what the pay will be like.

id love to hear more about your experience with network rail and the roles you have done.

I'll DM you.

 

[dk1]

Ah okay so it would be a slight advantage working for that TOC i can imagine they’re will be a massive amount of applicants the jobs like goldust. Overall Would you still recommend working in rail ?

Well as I’ve done it for 38 years now, that’s a resounding YES!!!

 

[TheEdge]

I don't think anyone has pointed out yet but you can't apply for driver for another few years. The age limit is 21, so if I were you I'd go for the CSA job and come back to the driver job in a few years.

 

[T-Karmel]

I don't think anyone has pointed out yet but you can't apply for driver for another few years. The age limit is 21, so if I were you I'd go for the CSA job and come back to the driver job in a few years.

That's important bit, you'll only be able to start driving once you turn 21 (for that reason some TOCs allow.you to apply before 21st bday, and if you're lucky they may even let you start the course before that day for as long as you turn 21 for the first time you'll drive).

However, it is only 2 years or less away for you - for many people it takes longer to find driver's job.

Plenty of time for you to do research about the recruitment process as well as job itself. This forum is a gold mine, you'll find tonnes of useful info.

If driving is what you want to do, then in the meantime sure get a railway job. Try anything really, if it's gateline, platform, Revenue or on board, in the depot - it doesn't matter if you'll be in the TOC for which in the future you apply for a driver or not. You'll gain great work and personal experience, get a lot of chances to speak to people - drivers or not - who will give you a lot of insights into driver's job, but also into railway world in general.

And when it comes to interview for a driver, you'll show them you're already in the railway and know what you're signing up for.

 

[Ross Little]

Hi im 19 years old do you think its wise to start a CSA Job at kings cross for Network rail? will this job be safe and also will i be able to work my way up to be a train driver one day?

Hi Darz,

I am currently going through a trainee drivers course, along with 6 others. All of us apart from one, were applicants from outside of the railway. The one that isn't, was a conductor previously...

From the beginning of the course, it was very clear how he felt alot more comfortable with how the railway works, terminology and in general, the rules and regulations within the industry. To learn it all fresh from the outside is a huge task, especially when you're older.

My advice is, if you ultimately aspire to be a driver, then absolutely join the railway in any capacity, make the effort to learn all about it. Kings Cross is a perfect place to find your feet, network with drivers from many different tocs and just settle into the industry.

Yes, you'll have to wait until you're 21 before you can become a driver but use those years to learn the industry, how the driver application process works, what would be required from you in regards to evidence your application and go out there to ensure you can gain that evidence to be a great candidate. Yes it's hard to get into, but if you don't try you'll never know.

One thing the Tocs now require is GCSE grades C minimum English/Maths/ICT or the equivalent in functional skills level 2. If you don't have them already, you now have the time to go and get the functional skills done. You'll need them as the trainee driver process is an apprenticeship with the government requiring the GCSE grades to enrol.

Hope that helps and good luck.

 

[dk1]

One thing the Tocs now require is GCSE grades C minimum English/Maths/ICT or the equivalent in functional skills level 2. If you don't have them already, you now have the time to go and get the functional skills done. You'll need them as the trainee driver process is an apprenticeship with the government requiring the GCSE grades to enrol.

Good job they they weren’t required when I became a driver. I never finished my final year at school, decided the year before I wasn’t sitting any exams whatsoever & took no further education at all. They wouldn’t be lucky enough to have me these days with such requirements on the application.

 

[zwk500]

Good job they they weren’t required when I became a driver. I never finished my final year at school, decided the year before I wasn’t sitting any exams whatsoever & took no further education at all. They wouldn’t be lucky enough to have me these days with such requirements on the application.

You wouldn't be allowed to drop out before passing your GCSEs these days. You'd need to resit English and Maths until you get a Grade 4 (think that's equivalent to a C). You also can't leave education completely until 18, although the definition the government uses includes traineeships or internships.

But it is a wider problem - my previous 2 jobs both asked for a degree for new applicants, but some of the best people there had joined the railway straight out of school. My degree was less useful in the job than my year having worked in a cafe washing the dishes (although it was far from useless).

 

[Ross Little]

Good job they they weren’t required when I became a driver. I never finished my final year at school, decided the year before I wasn’t sitting any exams whatsoever & took no further education at all. They wouldn’t be lucky enough to have me these days with such requirements on the application.

I never needed my GCSEs until this year, at 39 years old..

And didn't have the grades to stay in the trainee driver recruitment process, so enrolled online to take and pass my Maths & English functional skills level 2 equivalent. 6 weeks of graft, but it was worth it.

It certainly proved the point I've been making to my daughter, that you never know when you'll need them. She's about to take hers! Hopefully she's now seen for herself.

 

[12LDA28C]

Ah okay so it would be a slight advantage working for that TOC i can imagine they’re will be a massive amount of applicants the jobs like goldust. Overall Would you still recommend working in rail ?

One TOC recently advertised six trainee drivers' positions and received over 1,200 applications.

Mainly due to the relatively high headline salary, drivers' jobs are highly sought-after these days which wasn't always the case. If you already work for a TOC in any capacity you may have some small advantage over somebody with no railway experience but as others have said you would need to get through initial sifting then the psychometric testing (75% failure rate) and interviews if driving is your goal.

I would certainly recommend joining the railway though, particularly on the Operations side of things. It's still the closest thing you'll get to a 'job for life' if a career in secure employment is what you want.

 

[T-Karmel]

Good job they they weren’t required when I became a driver. I never finished my final year at school, decided the year before I wasn’t sitting any exams whatsoever & took no further education at all. They wouldn’t be lucky enough to have me these days with such requirements on the application.

At my TOC we were able to sit functional skills during training, whoever was missing some (and all in my group missed some). Whilst from other threads on this forum I see other TOCs do similar thing.

If you're good candidate, they won't fail you just for lack of school papers, they'll provide you with ways to gain them.

 

[dk1]

At my TOC we were able to sit functional skills during training, whoever was missing some (and all in my group missed some). Whilst from other threads on this forum I see other TOCs do similar thing.

If you're good candidate, they won't fail you just for lack of school papers, they'll provide you with ways to gain them.

That’s nice to hear. Reminds me of the my old clerical exam I had to pass to become a CO2 roster clerk & train announcer in the late 80s. I needed that due to lack of qualifications. Luckily a colleague in personnel (HR of the day) sneaked me a copy to practice on the week before. The one on the day was exactly the same.