Regional signalling centre jobs

[northwichcat]

When Network Rail move from signal boxes to regional signalling centres, what kind of vacancies are going to be made available and approximately how many regional centres will there be across the UK?

 

[The Planner]

I suspect it will all go to displaced signallers if they want the jobs first, then they will back fill from there. 14 ROCs was the number I last saw though they keep changing their minds about when boxes will close.

 

[Tomnick]

Indeed, I think it's going to be a enough of a struggle to find jobs for those displaced by resignalling schemes without advertising loads of vacancies externally!

 

[northwichcat]

The regional signal centres will require different skills to the ones currently used at signal boxes. Will a 63 year old signaller want to move somewhere else 40 miles away and have to learn a new computerised system that has very few similarities with the traditional signal box?

The BBC recruited a lot of new employees at MediaCityUK at a time when they are actually reducing the number of employees nationally.

 

[The Planner]

No, but there are still plenty that will be prepared to move and traditional boxes are closing irrespective of the ROC plans.

 

[Tomnick]

The regional signal centres will require different skills to the ones currently used at signal boxes.

Not much more than the current difference between a grade 2/3 mechanical box and a higher grade position in a busy power box. Both are working to the same Rule Book, and will be dealing with the same sort of things (LC users, line blockages, faults etc.) as each other, albeit more intensively in the latter case (hence the higher grade!), and - for the time being - the job's no different in the ROCs.

Will a 63 year old signaller want to move somewhere else 40 miles away and have to learn a new computerised system that has very few similarities with the traditional signal box.

Plenty are doing, and I'd rather like to do the same (albeit at a younger age and with a shorter distance to travel) when the time comes, to allow me to continue with my career! The 'computerised system' is only a small part of the job really - the interface between the Signalman and the kit on the ground. For the most part, it's not very much different to operating an NX panel in principle, and, as much as I'm sure they'd rather be working their old panels, the 'old hands' that I've come across when I've been in the EMCC seem to be getting on just fine with the new kit.

 

[WestRiding]

There will not be any extenal vacancies in the new ROCs as signalmen for years. The jobs will go to signalmen transfering upon their PSB etc closing, and im not sure about the lower grade signalmen as there will be no-where to transfer to. The EMCC's panels, workstations, whatever, are not in charge of massive areas, there is no ARS, and it has been more or less a like for like transfer ie, one panel equals one workstation. ARS will be what kills signalboxes in mass. Lower grade signalmen grades 1-4 are all receiving letters offering voluntry severance some time soon.

 

[Tomnick]

There is now some ARS in the EMCC (just on the Trent workstation for now, I understand, but no doubt planned for the others too), and some of the current proposals show the existing Kettering and Leicester workstations extended significantly to include the mechanical boxes to the east. Whether that actually happens or not, I don't know. A lot of folk are going to have to take voluntary redundancy if there are going to be enough jobs remaining for the rest of us who want to carry on, never mind external applicants!

 

[DarloRich]

Surely your best bet would be to apply for a signalling job now and aim to transfer over when the time comes.

 

[Tomnick]

I'd say so. There are, I'm sure, still going to be a few vacancies advertised externally where boxes have a few years to go (and can't be filled by those displaced from other resignalling schemes in the area), albeit some on fixed term contracts.

 

[Trainuser]

Many of the signalling jobs are fixed term contracts or secondments. There are only a few full time jobs atm.