Signallers Shift patterns.

[bendy1986]

Good afternoon everyone. I'm going to be starting my signalling training in a couple of weeks which I can't wait to do and get started on.
I've been told that my shift while training will be Monday to Friday with no bank holidays but after training is complete ill be working 7 days on/2 days off on a Rota of 6am-2pm 2pm-10pm and then 10pm-6am.
I was just wondering if there are any signallers on here that work that shift pattern and how they get on with it? What would you say are the pros and cons of it? What is your favourite shift to work? Also, if you finish at 6am on a Monday, are you back in at 6am on the Wednesday or the Thursday?
Also, is there anything else I should be prepared for?
Thanks in advance.

 

[godfreycomplex]

Good afternoon everyone. I'm going to be starting my signalling training in a couple of weeks which I can't wait to do and get started on.
I've been told that my shift while training will be Monday to Friday with no bank holidays but after training is complete ill be working 7 days on/2 days off on a Rota of 6am-2pm 2pm-10pm and then 10pm-6am.
I was just wondering if there are any signallers on here that work that shift pattern and how they get on with it? What would you say are the pros and cons of it? What is your favourite shift to work? Also, if you finish at 6am on a Monday, are you back in at 6am on the Wednesday or the Thursday?
Also, is there anything else I should be prepared for?
Thanks in advance.

Hello!
I work more or less that exact shift pattern so I'll do my best to help
To be brutally honest it's not very nice. On my base roster I work 3 weekends out of 4 (which does tend to make having a life outside of work a little tricky); and 7 nights on the bounce is a lot (having said that ours start at 20:30 rather than 22:00 so that's a good few hours more over a week); as is 7 earlies if; like me; you're not a naturally early riser. By process of elimination you will doubtless have divined that my favourite shift is lates (14-22) purely because it's the only one that doesn't completely knacker your body clock.
Right; enough with my relentless complaining. There are some advantages. Having a shorter shift can be a blessing sometimes; especially if things are very busy or very "Q-word" (the Q-word can never be spoken on the railway but it rhymes with diet). Within that shift pattern there's generally a long weekend - that is to say finish at 14:00 on a Wednesday and return at 22:00 on a Monday; which is nice (also to answer another question; I finish at 06:00 on a Monday and am back in at 14:00 on a Wednesday; although the rules are simply to have 12 hours rest between shifts. Finishing at 06:00 and being back at 06:00 the next day does occasionally happen; unfortunately).
Overall don't be put off. It's still a great job despite all this; you'll relish having afternoons at home on earlies; lie-ins on lates; and the stillness and calm of nights. However I can only respond honestly; and after two years working that shift pattern I sometimes get a bit fed up
Let me know if any of the above jumbled ramblings didn't make sense - and best of luck!!

 

[bendy1986]

Thanks for the honest reply. I appreciate it. I was wondering how you can get such a long weekend from just having 2 days off. You say that you can finish on a Wednesday and be off until Monday, is that with holiday. Also, once you've done 7 day's of, let's say, the 10pm - 6am shift. Will the next shift be the 6am - 2pm shift or will it be the 2pm - 10pm shift.
A few more personal questions, are you still enjoying the job? What grade box are you in? Where abouts are you? How much holiday do you get? What are the main pros and cons of the job?
I think I've made it clear what I'm asking but if not, let me know what I need to clear up and thanks in advance for your time.

 

[ItchyRsole]

7 on 2 off. Wow that's a long old slog every week.

Good luck with the training. Something I'd look at myself one day.

 

[nom de guerre]

I was wondering how you can get such a long weekend from just having 2 days off. You say that you can finish on a Wednesday and be off until Monday, is that with holiday. Also, once you've done 7 day's of, let's say, the 10pm - 6am shift. Will the next shift be the 6am - 2pm shift or will it be the 2pm - 10pm shift? ...How much holiday do you get?

IIRC the annual leave entitlement on an 8h roster is 26 days during the first ten years' service. Most routes have booked leave (a week in spring and autumn, two weeks in summer); these tend to be built around your long weekend, so you'll have a few days left over to use on an ad-hoc basis.

A typical four-week 8h roster for a single-manned box will be something like:

RD RD 14 14 14 14 18*
22 22 22 22 22 22 RD
14 14 RD RD 6 6 6*
6 6 6 6 RD RD RD

*12h Sundays

In practice, very few areas work 'box hours': nights are usually longer (starting 2030/2100) and earlies shorter.

The part I liked least was trying to reorientate my body clock after the week of nights.

 

[alxndr]

I'm not a signaller, but my shifts mostly follow those start/finish hours, although they're not for as long a run as yours.

0600-1400 — The majority of the day is yours, which is great for doing other things, but I personally always really struggle with it. The last time I worked an early I ended up going to bed at 1800 that evening; I'm just not made for early mornings. Other people who can do mornings love them because of the free afternoon/evening.

1400-2200 — My least favourite shift. All morning there's the knowledge that you have to get off to work looming over you, which makes it hard to get stuck into anything. I tend to use the time to sort out appointments/banking type chores as it can be a little quieter than late afternoon. By the time you finish there's not much of the day left either, so it's very tricky to spend time or have a proper meal with others.

2200-0600 — I'm perhaps a little strange in that I find nights the easiest shift for me, for people with children or daytime commitments it might not be so easy. I get plenty of time to sleep while my partner's at work, and then I'm up and awake when she comes home. It can start to get to you after a while though, especially if you don't make a conscious effort to get out of the hours during daylight hours, particularly in the winter months. The times where you can travel home to the sunrise are wonderful and peaceful though.

 

[godfreycomplex]

Thanks for the honest reply. I appreciate it. I was wondering how you can get such a long weekend from just having 2 days off. You say that you can finish on a Wednesday and be off until Monday, is that with holiday. Also, once you've done 7 day's of, let's say, the 10pm - 6am shift. Will the next shift be the 6am - 2pm shift or will it be the 2pm - 10pm shift.
A few more personal questions, are you still enjoying the job? What grade box are you in? Where abouts are you? How much holiday do you get? What are the main pros and cons of the job?
I think I've made it clear what I'm asking but if not, let me know what I need to clear up and thanks in advance for your time.

No problem - glad to help if i can!
That is just rest days. I think that's how it works everywhere but I'm not sure.
On balance I sto;; enjoy the job yes; I'm a grade 3 so I sometimes yearn for a little more excitement (but that's just me) and where I live (Surrey) grade 3 wages don't get you very far but "times is 'ard" and it's a steady wage so I can't complain; plus it's a responsible; independent; sociable and sometimes interesting job so I can't ask for more really. I get 25 days annual leave a year. Doesn't sound like much but at certain times of my roster I only need 3 annual leave days to take a week off; so with some days in lieu for bank holidays that can be 9 weeks off a year if you so choose.
Pros - you are actually in charge and responsible for a lot of things; which means that A - you don't have a manager or supervisor breathing down your neck and B - it sounds schmaltzy but going home knowing you've helped keep people safe is a lot more satisfying than other jobs I've done. Also a secure job in most areas; can be quite relaxing; good pension; good overtime payments; you are to a big extent your own boss; good prospects for advancement; and far more pros than cons on balance.
Cons - some areas have the Damoclean sword of signal box closure hanging over them; which can result in a lot of upheaval. Roster patterns are not brilliant and the full recruitment process of recruiting and training a new signaller takes close to a year in some cases; so there are often vacancies in the roster; which means a lot of overtime. Some people muck in and do their bit; some don't. Your personal and social life may well suffer. Having to sort out other people's errors and omissions on a regular basis can be an annoyance if you're not in the right frame of mind.
What box will you be going into?
It may be different where you are; but the pattern where I am is nights - lates - earlies.

 

[bendy1986]

Thanks again for the reply and advice. Im going in to a grade 2 box at littleport with a crossing that I have to go and shut manually.
So from what I understand, you get bank holidays back as holiday if you work them and the 7 day's on/ 2 days off isn't that for every shift. Does it just mean that out of every 7 days, I'll get 2 days off. It's not work 7 day's starting at 0600 and then have 2 off, work the next 7 day's starting at 1400 and then another 2 off and finally work 7 day's starting at 2200 and 2 days off then start the cycle again?
Sorry if I misunderstood anything. I've been told that while I'm training, ill just be doing Monday to Friday with weekend and bank holidays off, that I do understand.

 

[bendy1986]

7 on 2 off. Wow that's a long old slog every week.

Good luck with the training. Something I'd look at myself one day.

Thanks.

 

[bendy1986]

This is the box I'll be in. At this crossing, there is also a tunnel for traffic to use when the gates are shut. There are 2 trains a hour at the station with none stopping between 10.30pm and 5am.

 

[nom de guerre]

So from what I understand, you get bank holidays back as holiday if you work them

If you work a B/H, you can choose either HROP (250% pay) or LROP (150% pay plus a day of Comp Leave).

If you're not rostered to work on a B/H, your choice is either: a day's pay at normal rate, or a Comp Leave day.

So, you'll always get something for a B/H - whether you work or not.

(The figures quoted above are for 'standard' B/Hs - it's slightly different over the Christmas period).

... and the 7 day's on/ 2 days off isn't that for every shift. Does it just mean that out of every 7 days, I'll get 2 days off. It's not work 7 day's starting at 0600 and then have 2 off, work the next 7 day's starting at 1400 and then another 2 off and finally work 7 day's starting at 2200 and 2 days off then start the cycle again?

If you get a sec, take a look at the sample roster I posted earlier in the thread.

Seven on, two off is the average. In reality, you will get more days off in some weeks; less in others.

Drop your LOM an email and I'm sure they can forward a copy of your box's roster.

 

[bendy1986]

If you get a sec, take a look at the sample roster I posted earlier in the thread.

Seven on, two off is the average. In reality, you will get more days off in some weeks; less in others.

Drop your LOM an email and I'm sure they can forward a copy of your box's roster.

Thanks. I had a look through that and it seems pretty helpful. It seems like part of the cycle, you're always working but the 2nd half you're not.

Am I right in saying that at one point, you get 5 day's off?

Also, how long wad it before your training was complete and you were by yourself inn the box.

 

[Llanigraham]

7 on 2 off is not a standard railway shift roster I've ever heard off, unless some of the shifts are overtime due to staff shortages.
In the week before you go to School you should be given a copy of the base roster for your Box, with an explanation of where you will fit in.

 

[ItchyRsole]

I work 5 on 3 off as an average.

You'll probably work similar presuming you're contracted to work 35hrs pw

 

[bendy1986]

7 on 2 off is not a standard railway shift roster I've ever heard off, unless some of the shifts are overtime due to staff shortages.
In the week before you go to School you should be given a copy of the base roster for your Box, with an explanation of where you will fit in.

Well I don't start the training until the 8th so it will be a while before I start a shift. I got told that ill be doing mon-fri once I've completed signallers school until I can work by myself and then I'll go on shift. I think what she means is that on average, out of 7 day's, ill get 2 off over the whole shift pattern.

 

[bendy1986]

I work 5 on 3 off as an average.

You'll probably work similar presuming you're contracted to work 35hrs pw

I think it was a 40 hour week.

 

[nom de guerre]

Am I right in saying that at one point, you get 5 day's off?

Also, how long wad it before your training was complete and you were by yourself inn the box.

You'll get one 'long weekend' during every four week period. It's five days on some routes; others have a four-day break with an extra rest day between lates and earlies.

Around five months from starting school to going solo.

I think what she means is that on average, out of 7 day's, ill get 2 off over the whole shift pattern.

Yes; the average during each 28-day period is five on, two off.

 

[bendy1986]

Thanks for the info. 5 months is a lot less than I thought. That's great.

 

[Llanigraham]

Mine was a Gr2 Box and I signed out 2 months after finishing school.
Whilst under training I was "booked" just part of the day shift (12 hour Box) every day, but arranged with the LOM to go in part of a Sunday when there was a Possession on and did a couple of "late" turns to see what it was like in the dark; very different!

Don't hurry passing out. Only ask to do it when YOU are comfortable!

 

[bendy1986]

Mine was a Gr2 Box and I signed out 2 months after finishing school.
Whilst under training I was "booked" just part of the day shift (12 hour Box) every day, but arranged with the LOM to go in part of a Sunday when there was a Possession on and did a couple of "late" turns to see what it was like in the dark; very different!

Don't hurry passing out. Only ask to do it when YOU are comfortable!

Thanks for the advice. I've been told that during training that ill be doing 8 hour days, Monday to Friday with bank holidays off but if it helps me progress my training quicker I will do extra shifts.

 

[Llanigraham]

Thanks for the advice. I've been told that during training that ill be doing 8 hour days, Monday to Friday with bank holidays off but if it helps me progress my training quicker I will do extra shifts.

You'll be booked 8 hours days, Monday to Friday. You can't do extra shifts but it is worth asking whether you can go in at different times to see how the job varies, such as over a shift change, at quieter times (Sundays), when there are possessions, or in the dark.

 

[MylesHSG]

I'm at a single man grade 3 box. Gosh, your 7 on, 2 off sounds brutal. I do 7 earlies, 4 spares, 5 rest days, 7 nights, 5 rest days on a 4 week rota.

 

[bendy1986]

I'm at a single man grade 3 box. Gosh, your 7 on, 2 off sounds brutal. I do 7 earlies, 4 spares, 5 rest days, 7 nights, 5 rest days on a 4 week rota.

I think it means that over the 4 week cycle, on average you get 2 or of 7 off is the understanding I have.
I find out on Wednesday.

 

[33056]

I used to work in the same area as MylesHSG and the five locations there each had completely different rosters!

Anyway, enjoy your new career and remember, if you're not sure, ask; think twice act once and never assume because it makes an ASS of U and ME

 

[bendy1986]

I used to work in the same area as MylesHSG and the five locations there each had completely different rosters!

Anyway, enjoy your new career and remember, if you're not sure, ask; think twice act once and never assume because it makes an ASS of U and ME

Thanks. I've never been to proud or shy to ask when I don't know.