Electrical Control Room Operator (ECROs)

[Saracen_83]

Evening all

Looking for some information on ECRO roles.

Anyone from the signalling/mom/non electrical background world made the move to ECRO? If so how did you find it? Enjoy it? Find the translation/knowledge difficult/interesting etc?

I know of a couple of signallers up my way that have made the move to ECRO and one MoM, but don’t know them well enough to ask.

Any advice??

 

[Llanigraham]

ECRO??
An explanaation would be useful, please?

 

[Saracen_83]

Electric control Room operators

They turn the juice off and no on. For the trains/possessions etc

 

[godfreycomplex]

I’ve known a couple come from the signalling grades and they’ve never looked back as far as I know. “Best kept secret on the railway” is the phrase I’ve heard more than once.

 

[Elecman]

I’ve known a couple come from the signalling grades and they’ve never looked back as far as I know. “Best kept secret on the railway” is the phrase I’ve heard more than once.

Until the brown stuff hits the fan!!

 

[godfreycomplex]

Until the brown stuff hits the fan!!

Indeed! (As with most railway jobs, to be fair)

 

[Saracen_83]

Agreed!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Oct 2025 ==

you an ECRO @Elecman ?

I’ve known a couple come from the signalling grades and they’ve never looked back as far as I know. “Best kept secret on the railway” is the phrase I’ve heard more than once.

This is what I was hoping to see/hear… where I’m based I know of one of two that moved a few years ago but none recently and on my trip to an ECR (electric control room) a month or two ago up north, they explained no signallers were in their ECR and all either had a qualification, or were ex MOMs who had taken isolations on the ground….

I was interested to see/hear from anyone who had made the move from a non electrical background to see how they found it,. Like what you said I’ve heard it one of the best jobs on the railway, and “dead man’s shoes” was what one guy said… so wanted more information!

 

[godfreycomplex]

Agreed!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Oct 2025 ==

you an ECRO @Elecman ?



This is what I was hoping to see/hear… where I’m based I know of one of two that moved a few years ago but none recently and on my trip to an ECR (electric control room) a month or two ago up north, they explained no signallers were in their ECR and all either had a qualification, or were ex MOMs who had taken isolations on the ground….

I was interested to see/hear from anyone who had made the move from a non electrical background to see how they found it,. Like what you said I’ve heard it one of the best jobs on the railway, and “dead man’s shoes” was what one guy said… so wanted more information!

I should add that all of these were on DC, I don’t know of anyone who’s done the same on AC side. Having said that I don’t know all that many AC signallers

 

[Saracen_83]

Same here. Ones I know were all DC signallers and moved to a DC ECR. Wonder if that is still a move signallers make or if any AC signallers have made the same move?

 

[Amberk]

Same here. Ones I know were all DC signallers and moved to a DC ECR. Wonder if that is still a move signallers make or if any AC signallers have made the same move?

Derby have non electrical background ECRO's. York is mostly ex overhead line and Ex plant and distribution. Few S&T. I was a signaller before i joined the ECR.