Confused with future rail job..

[adamp]

Im only a yr 10 student, obviously I like trains, but at the moment im abit stuck and confused with what to do or to aim for, in a job that i will like.
I really want to know is there anyway of having as such cab rides in trains? If I wanted to be a train driver? I like the idea of it so far, but from bve, I dont know wether I might get bored or fed up driving trains all day, I only do like a route a day on bve. I dont have much hope of this happening though, as im not insured if anything goes wrong and im found in the cab (if i got that far).

And also, is their any type of experience with network rail, getting an idea of what being out on the tracks is like and things that are envolved with it etc??
At the moment ive taken music, ict and media for my gcse's...so im basically think of these current careers, camera man/sound engineer/lighting engineer. A session drummer, refrigeration and air conditioning engineer, train driver or something to do with being out engineering on britains tracks.

Can anyone help me here?
Any nothern drivers willing to let me sit in their cabs all day? haha

Thanks..
- Adam

 

[me123]

You could apply to Northern or another local TOC for work shadowing, but due to the safety-critical nature of the job, any experience would be limited. (That said, you can get into operating theatres, so anything's possible).

Altenatively, play BVE for 8 hours on Saturday

 

[adamp]

True!
Ive asked northern if I could do my work experience week with them and they said no, so I ended up doing refrigeration and air conditioning engineering, which in itself, was quite dangerous!
To me, I dont see whats so bad about it, isnt it only like being a passenger??

 

[me123]

Could be insurance reasons; they don't want to take a young person into the cab or are not insured to do so? Maybe trying when you're a bit older is the solution.

 

[Coxster]

Could be insurance reasons; they don't want to take a young person into the cab or are not insured to do so? Maybe trying when you're a bit older is the solution.

Can't be an industry wide thing though as I guess I must have been when I did it with SWT just under two years back (time flies!) with some sort of manager present, and the same with Tom Cairns last year.

 

[Respite]

Ok, firstly get a job on the railway, any job really. No one is going to just let you out with a cab pass straight off. Health & safety have ruined most chances of you getting to do what you want to do anyway. There is no way you can be a driver until you are at least 21 (But more like 23-25), but being a guard gives you a good foot on the ladder. Even back when I started on the railway in 1990 aged 17 there was nothing I could really do, I ended up as a box lad at wolverhampton PSB! Things changed at 18 though & thats when they let you loose with stuff. Most TOC's will take people straight off the street for drivers jobs.......which is a bit of a shame really.
Anyway forget BVE (MSTS,KRS), driving is nothing like any of them. Driving a train in a real 3d world is good. Some drivers get stuck in a routine & others (Myself included) actually enjoy work everyday. But I went for a TOC that offered some vastly different routes (One trip, class 153, request stop's, single line , knowing the passengers by name. Next part of the diagram 100mph to manchester on a tomy train (175))

Plus its all good as for instance, it's thursday morning now, I've just got in from the pub & am quite bladdered. Restday tomorrow so no worries.

 

[adamp]

Ghostcav who are you with?

 

[Max]

Ghostcav who are you with?

ATW I believe!

 

[jacknottm]

It Makes me wonder why Health and safety mad northern are like that tho

I Was at toton doing engineering for mine 2 years ago in a much more dangerous environment

Jack

 

[Respite]

Ghostcav who are you with?

Yes mate, as said already ATW.

 

[Nym]

Soooo glad I never regularly travel to Warrington BQ, Runcorn East or Chester Or, and you must now forgive spellings! Only ever heard celia say them. Camarven, Milford Haven, Cardiff Central, Shrewsbury, Llandudno Jcn, Llandudno, Bangor, Holyhead, Neith, Llanethli, Newport, Gowerton, and I can't remember any more off hand. Only jokin hun, don't mind the ATW drivers realy, although one did pull into G Sidings at Manchester Picc once with a sleeping passenger on board to reform a service back through OR to Llandudno

 

[adamp]

It is abit 'wtf' when for work experience you can go doing much more dangerous things and be present in a much dangerous enviroment than a cab of a train for a week
Like someone said above, ill just have to try when im older.

 

[HSTfan!!!]

I did my work experience on newport platforms with arriva, now 3 years on I work for them in the same job. Don't stop at the first hurdle, I tried to get my work experience with EWS for the trains but it was a no go even though at first they said yes

 

[Kneedown]

It is abit 'wtf' when for work experience you can go doing much more dangerous things and be present in a much dangerous enviroment than a cab of a train for a week

Not at all. A driving cab is a dangerous place.
The main reason no-one is allowed near a cab is the possibility of distraction for the Driver. Serious incidents have occurred due to the Drivers attention being diverted from the line ahead, and to have someone present who isn't familiar with correct cab discipline is a recipe for disaster. Even access by on train staff is heavily regulated.
Security is also an issue.

The only way anyone will be allowed to travel in the front cab is if they were to get a job as a Driver first.
My advice for anyone wanting to do this, is to get a job on the railway, any job, and work your way up.

 

[adamp]

Yes, but how will I know what I want to do? Like someone said above...To be a driver id be about 21. By then its literally my 'learning' life over. Because I could have gone to college and uni and studied something different which I might find better. What if i do work my way up and find that I dont like it?...Just wasted like 4 years if i was to.

Any chance my local northern depot would have me for a week? *newton heath* just to get a main idea of the engineering of trains and all that?
Knowing me...it will probabily be too dangerous lol

 

[HSTfan!!!]

Yes, but how will I know what I want to do? Like someone said above...To be a driver id be about 21. By then its literally my 'learning' life over. Because I could have gone to college and uni and studied something different which I might find better. What if i do work my way up and find that I dont like it?...Just wasted like 4 years if i was to.

Any chance my local northern depot would have me for a week? *newton heath* just to get a main idea of the engineering of trains and all that?
Knowing me...it will probabily be too dangerous lol

I was in a similiar situation as are many people with similiar aspirations, also you're never too old to learn anything! When you start working on the railway you gain a taste of all the different jobs from the different people you meet. I've met several guards, drivers and even signallers now all of whom seem to enjoy their jobs. Once you've got your first taste of the railway its a good job with plenty of routes for which you will almost certainly want to take up. I don't see myself as a dispatcher for more than a year or so and will hopefully progress to a guard.

Regarding the northern depot, its unlikely due to the safety training required and H&S regulations

 

[Mojo]

If you are likely to get reasonable grades then you could always go to do A-Levels and study a transport related topic at University. I know myself and at least 1 other member of this forum have applied to start different transport degrees starting next Sept/Oct.

 

[D306]

If you are likely to get reasonable grades then you could always go to do A-Levels and study a transport related topic at University. I know myself and at least 1 other member of this forum have applied to start different transport degrees starting next Sept/Oct.

Following on from what Mojo said, I was going to do an apprenticeship with LUL after my GCSEs, but as one of my little brothers friends dad's works for LUL, he said to get A-levels first, then get a job on the railways. It's allways better to get A-levels as then if you get fed up with your job (as if) then you have some qualifications to get you to another job

 

[Kneedown]

Yes, but how will I know what I want to do? Like someone said above...To be a driver id be about 21. By then its literally my 'learning' life over. Because I could have gone to college and uni and studied something different which I might find better. What if i do work my way up and find that I dont like it?...Just wasted like 4 years if i was to.

Any chance my local northern depot would have me for a week? *newton heath* just to get a main idea of the engineering of trains and all that?
Knowing me...it will probabily be too dangerous lol

You're learning life is never over. I'm pushing 39 and still learning. You're in a fortunate position, the whole world is your oyster. You can get your A levels, go to Uni, get the letters after your name, and then go on to do the job you want. If you don't like it you're still young enough to change paths. You could also get a career straight away, then move on to something else if it's not what you imagined. Time is on your side, and don't be disheartened if you can't get straight into what you want. It's the best way to work up to it. You get a lot more experience that way, and experience counts for more than anything!
Best of luck whatever you decide to do.

Regards,
K'down.

 

[Respite]

Agree , what he said [above]

 

[Nym]

DON'T START THAT TRAIN!

*some engineer's arm flies across the room with a lot of blood*

OW! Told you not to start that train

___________________________________________________________________________

On a lighter note, if you must be going to university, you could choose which area you'd realy wanna go into before hand...
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Transport Planning
Traction Systems
Driving (Don't know any appropriate courses for that)

But anyway, you don't need to worry about not doing an appropriate degree, no-one ever goes into the line of work of their degree, if they did there'd be a lot more businesses and a lot lot more phycologists.

 

[Nick W]

I'm not so sure about the usefulness of transport degrees at university, but I'll be delighted to hear any success stories.

Where I worked last summer, in the transport department, everyone had geography or civil engineering degrees. I won't exactly agree with Nym's comment that no one goes into the line of work of their degree, but it's gotta be at least a half that don't, and a more flexible degree helps with that.

 

[Max]

I'm not so sure about the usefulness of transport degrees at university, but I'll be delighted to hear any success stories.

Where I worked last summer, in the transport department, everyone had geography or civil engineering degrees. I won't exactly agree with Nym's comment that no one goes into the line of work of their degree, but it's gotta be at least a half that don't, and a more flexible degree helps with that.

I know Zoltan off this forum does a combined geography and transport planning degree at Leeds. I'd guess this would be a particularly useful degree, as you've got a wide geographical knowledge (so if you decided a career in the railways wasn't for you, you could basically go and do whatever you want!), plus the more specialist knowledge in transport.

 

[Nym]

Well, it was a hyperbole...

I'll stick with me electrical engineering, it is my 2nd attempt at a degree and the student loans company is starting to get a bit anoyed at me...

 

[O L Leigh]

You're learning life is never over. I'm pushing 39 and still learning. You're in a fortunate position, the whole world is your oyster. You can get your A levels, go to Uni, get the letters after your name, and then go on to do the job you want. If you don't like it you're still young enough to change paths. You could also get a career straight away, then move on to something else if it's not what you imagined. Time is on your side, and don't be disheartened if you can't get straight into what you want. It's the best way to work up to it. You get a lot more experience that way, and experience counts for more than anything!
Best of luck whatever you decide to do.

Regards,
K'down.

I really couldn't agree more.

I went to Uni at 18 and followed a non-vocational degree course, ending up with a good pass mark. Initially I found it hard to find work, but I eventually lucked-in with a casual admin post in the office where my Mum worked. Strange to think, but this was my big break. Once you've got a job it becomes much easier to get another one. And so I spent the next ten years going from one office to the next and progressing a little further up the ladder in each. In the end, I found the tedium of office life and the futility of the work too much and came onto the railway as a trainee driver. I wouldn't say that I'm the best qualified driver in my depot (9 GCSE's, 3 A-Levels and that Degree), but I'm probably not far off it.

Did the degree course help? Well, not in the sense that I was able to directly apply what I'd learned to my job. However, it did a lot for me in the sense of my own personal development and helped me to get a better appreciation of people. As such I don't regret it in the slightest because I feel that those three years away had a large part to play in creating the person I am now. I also believe that it opened a number of doors that would otherwise remained closed to me. While the days of graduates going into a higher grade of work are long gone, it is still an indicator of aptitude, intelligence and perseverence that I believe employers still look for.

Having been through all that I have so far, my advice to any young rail enthusiast is don't close off any opportunities that are open to you. It's lovely being able to scrape a living from something that you're passionate about, but you really don't want to be putting all your eggs in the one basket. The money on the railway seems to be in driving, but that is an aptitude based position that you are either cut out for or you're not. The worst thing you could do is to mark time in some dead-end job until you're 21 only to find that you don't have the qualities that you need to become a driver. What do you do then? The opportunities on the platforms, the trains or in the booking offices aren't that exciting.

If you have the opportunity to lay the foundations of another career that offers greater interest or the opportunity to earn a decent living you really should take it. You may get on to the railway in the position you want, but at least if you don't you still have the basis for the rest of your life in the form of an alternative career.

one TN

 

[Respite]

Hey mate, dont think that driver jobs are the only good thing on the railway's. True its what I always wanted to do but I've had some great jobs on the railway before now. Signalman/Woman can be a great job, really its being paid to trainspot at most manual boxes/some PSB's. Platform staff can be a good job as long as you dont let the muppet passengers get to you, operations side of things like MOMS & the like is also a good way to enjoy the hobby & get paid for it.

S&T, P-Way etc is not always so good for that...

First step is to get a job on the railway, doesnt matter really what. However a safety critical post will be worth far more than any outside industry qualification. Hold down a safety critical post & thats forever under your belt on the railway. As for other qualifications, My old train announcer at stourbridge had degree's & about 6 A levels coming out of his ass, made no difference, he was still a non safety critical job announcing trains........He has since been replaced by an automated device I believe.

 

[O L Leigh]

Sorry. I wasn't intended to downplay the other jobs on the railway.

It's just that, within a TOC, there really isn't any other job that I'd be willing to do if I was no longer able to continue driving. I appreciate that there would be options within Nitwit Rail, but none of them really appeal. The point of my post was to try and impress on our younger readers that studying towards some decent qualifications and having some other career path(s) open as a "banker" in case things don't turn out as planned is a good course of action.

one TN

 

[Nym]

Engineering I've found is good, loads of things to be able to do and ye can always become an accountant

 

[Respite]

Sorry. I wasn't intended to downplay the other jobs on the railway.

It wasnt meant harsh mate, just to say there are plenty of other options still available on the railway. At the end of the day we are lucky in liking our jobs. For a 17 year old there options are so limited. Besides we had to sit those mad tests, we got through & for that we are lucky because there is no qualification that can get you through those. BTW signalmen have to sit a very similar test now.

 

[Metroland]

Sorry. I wasn't intended to downplay the other jobs on the railway.

It's just that, within a TOC, there really isn't any other job that I'd be willing to do if I was no longer able to continue driving. I appreciate that there would be options within Nitwit Rail, but none of them really appeal. The point of my post was to try and impress on our younger readers that studying towards some decent qualifications and having some other career path(s) open as a "banker" in case things don't turn out as planned is a good course of action.

one TN

I'd say that's a good plan, else you'll find out if you want to change later, there's a whole lot more ground work to be done, which doesn't always fit into circumstances, but can be done. And as it's been pointed out, you never stop learning.

There's quite a few front line staff with Degrees these days..People shouldn't think doing one rules you out of those jobs! Besides 40-50 people are applying for one driver's job these days, they are like hen's teeth in some areas to get.

On a wider note

Management/Planning business side: Geography, Economics, Law, Business studies or Transport related degree. Something like Geography or Economics with a Post graduate (say Transport planning?) qualification is ideal.

Engineering: Mechanical, Civil or Electrical Engineering, or a good science with post graduate Engineering is another route.