Signaller...secure job?

[Richie P]

Hi all. I have just joined this forum although I have been reading through posts for many months. I am considering a career change, currently a Firefighter, but seriously looking at the role of a signaller. My current job albeit rewarding at times, has become very mundane and offers no real interest of late. I know I am in a secure job and need to be sure that I would be moving to another secure job; with maybe transferring my current pension as well.

I have done some digging and have read that in the future, all control of signals will be going to the 12 ROC's throughout the country, thereby making all signal boxes etc redundant. The signaller jobs advertised on the Network Rail Site seem to be for signal boxes with no positions at any ROC.

Could any current signallers or those in the know explain if this is a secure job going forward as I don't want to be facing redundancy in the future if this move to Roc's happens.

Would I be able to transfer to an ROC or are redundancies on the cards for the newer employees?

Also...could I apply for both grade 2 and grade 7 or 8 signaller roles, or would there be no chance of getting the higher grade from my current job? I'm not sure where I should start...there are 2 grade 2 jobs going in Paignton Psb, however it says location of Exeter.....what does this mean?

Would appreciate your comments.

 

[NSEFAN]

I don't work on the railway, but given how slowly the resignalling is progressing, I'd say you'd be quite safe, especially if the box is relatively modern (i.e. not mechanical). Even then, there was a plan floating around that suggested that even the last mechanical boxes could be around until the 2050s!

Even if control was merged into a single ROC for the whole nation, there would still be a limit to how many trains one person can oversee. Even with automatic route setting (ARS), there will still need to be enough humans around to deal with incidents and disruption.

 

[12guard4]

So the old fashioned small signal boxes are slowly but surely disappearing in favour of the big regional signal centres. This doesn't mean a signallers job isn't secure though because when a small signal box shuts there still needs to be someone controlling the same signals it's just done from a different location.

Hopefully someone who has gone through this process will be able to advise on what it's actually like to go through and if they had to relocate. Also I am sure if you mention where you are looking to apply somebody will tell you how long that signal box has got left.

 

[AWSpaul]

The signaller jobs advertised on the Network Rail Site seem to be for signal boxes with no positions at any ROC.

Once you got into the company you can see the jobs listed on the internal site, jobs at ROCS, for example, York, Derby, Three Bridges down south, Manchester get listed often. A lot of decent signaller roles may not go on the external career site.

Could any current signallers or those in the know explain if this is a secure job going forward as I don't want to be facing redundancy in the future if this move to Roc's happens.

Similar to above, if you keep your wits about you then you just start applying to positions near you or that you can commute or prepared to move for. A lot of the boxes won't close for ages, some which have had dates get pushed back further, IE Kings Cross London had a date recently and got pushed back, so now they've just listed 3 new jobs on the internal site! If you get yourself in a ROC then happy days. Also ask the LOM about the box date when you arrange a visit.

Would I be able to transfer to an ROC or are redundancies on the cards for the newer employees?

Again, you can go where you like and apply for what you like. Some people have been known to get sent to signaller school for one post then get another whilst there! My advice is, get a job, learn your craft and for while then move on when you're ready to.

Also...could I apply for both grade 2 and grade 7 or 8 signaller roles, or would there be no chance of getting the higher grade from my current job? I'm not sure where I should start...there are 2 grade 2 jobs going in Paignton Psb, however it says location of Exeter.....what does this mean?

You current job as a firefighter you mean? If you interview well and they like then then you can do any grade, some start lower, some midway, some go straight into grade 9 roles. You're in a good job, with safety involved also, you could probably use loads of stories when you get "tell me a time when you've had to...." If its listed as Paignton signal box, and you know where it is, then I'd imagine that's where the job is, Exeter is like 20 odd miles away, that could be where the manager is based, the listings can be tricky at times. Contact then and ask if you're not sure.

 

[Richie P]

Thanks for your replies guys..much appreciated. I am going to research a little more but a lot of beneficial advice there. I have time on my hands I guess as I am in a stable career at the moment so I can bide my time.