Conductor Training

[SqUaShIe P]

Hey
Ive just been offered a job with NXEA as a trainee train conductor.
I cant wait to start my training, But im not really sure what to expect from the training.
Just wanted to ask if anyone has done this training, or knows what I should expect? I do have a very rough idea, like I know it will teach me pretty much all I need to do to perform this role, but i just wanted a little more information about it. I have search the internet, but didnt find anything.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Gizmogle]

From what I've heard, role play is involved. Pretending to be a real guard to a bunch of actors who get annoyed about a delay or stuff like that, and how you deal with it.

I'm not really sure though to be honest. There's a few guards on here that should be able to help you though.

 

[SqUaShIe P]

oh, that sounds like fun, I'm looking forward to it now. I thought it was all going to be like lots of paperwork in a strict school classroom type enviroment. Im looking forward to it even more now
Thanks clockgiz

 

[Guinness]

http://www.freewebs.com/becomingaconductor - Have a Scan of this.

 

[SqUaShIe P]

Thank you Clockshed, That site was just what i needed. Its got everything i wanted to know and more.
Thanks again

 

[Coxster]

Not sure how National Express organise it, but with my TOC you spend the first two weeks doing things not directed at any particular role. In my case we were a class of around 20, consisting of guards and gateline assistants. For us it was the third week where the job specific training began - the rulebook! This takes about 5 weeks and commences with your personal track safety (PTS) for which you receive a certificate to prove your competency. The rest of the course is quite intensive and consists of learning rules, rules and more rules (each one having an 'except' or 'unless' associated with it! ). Again whether NXEA do it I don't know, but we had a number of exams throughout the five weeks after we learnt each subject (for example; signals, accidents etc), with the inevitable big final exam following those at the end of the five weeks.

After that you get to go out and play trains with an instructor on your traction course! After learning and working each class of train you get examined on it (for us a written test followed by an instructor examining you working the train). Once that is done - so roughly nine weeks or so from starting - you go out route learning which involves learning about the stations, junctions and so-on. That'll all become clearer as you progress through the course. Depending on how many routes you learn, that will take several more weeks. After that you may well spend some time with a qualified guard for a few days ensuring you are comfortable with working trains and have no further questions, before then being let loose!

As I say - your course will probably vary from the above as you'll be with a different company, but should give you a rough idea of what to expect. If there's one thing I would advise it is to try and get along with the other people on your course. It makes such a long and quite intensive course a lot more bearable! Another thing would be to ask a question if you have one - no matter how silly you think it might be! There's a lot to take in... or I thought so anyway!

Hope that is of some help to you! Good luck with it all

 

[SqUaShIe P]

Thank you clockhouse
That has helped me alot! I feel alot more confident now. I was so nervous thinking about it the other day, It was just the not knowing what to expect, But i feel much better now. I cant wait to start. Only another 17 days to wait.
You made some good points too; getting along with the others will definitly make it easier, i noticed that when I went for the initial testing thingy. And more importantly, to ask questions, thats a big one for me.
Anyway, Thanks again