TOC Train Planning roles and nationalisation / GBR

[Roger1973]

I am currently part way through the process of a job application for an (entry level) train planning role with one of the passenger train operators - this one is still private sector and understand it is due for nationalisation in the next two years.

At the moment, the TOCs that have been nationalised seem (from what I, as an outsider, can gather) to be carrying on much the same as they were before at head office level.

Aware this may be crystal ball stuff, but are there any firm plans yet for what's going to happen once all the TOC's are nationalised? I'm wondering if there will be a big reorganisation back to a regional / sector structure (and more integration with what Network Rail do at Milton Keynes) or what.

I'm in a job now, but with the planned local government reorganisations, it within the next two years, it's likely that at best I will be be competing for a job in one of the new authorities which could be some distance from current office, and I'm not enthusiastic about just sitting and waiting for that (I've not been there long enough for redundancy to be worth waiting for) and aware that every year that ticks by, more employers will see me as too old (yes, I know there's laws about that but there can be a gap between law and what actually happens...) and ideally I want to move nearer to ageing parents which this job would make possible.

But I don't want to move job / home now if I'm just going to be job hunting again in a couple of years.

In some ways, it inspires confidence that TOC's are recruiting people on permanent contracts now, but having said that, any 'permanent' contract is only as good as the notice period, and (thinking cynically) a private sector TOC will know that any reorganisation / redundancies that happens after their franchise goes in to the public sector won't be their problem.

Are there any firm-ish plans that I've not managed to find? Or any speculation that is at least more informed than I'm coming up with?

Thanks in advance for any bright ideas.

 

[will1989]

It's an interesting question, but one I don't think anyone has any firm answers to, even at the very top yet, I'd wager.

As you say TOCs are still recruiting fairly heavily so if your other role looks in jeopardy this might be the right move.

Personally, and I may be totally off the mark with this, but I can't see too much changing within the next 5 years with regards to relocating organisations especially for operational roles. It's always going to be a lengthy process when people's jobs and working locations are concerned and the railway still needs to run day-to-day.

If I was senior management at a TOC I might have a different view but that's just my two cents.

 

[Roger1973]

It's an interesting question, but one I don't think anyone has any firm answers to, even at the very top yet, I'd wager.

Thanks for the thoughts.

I will float the question if it gets as far as final interview stage and see what the response is.

I appreciate that the future is always going to be a bit of an unknown.

I guess I'm at the stage of life where I'm not quite looking for something to meander in to retirement with, but just fed up with being unsettled (I got made redundant in the post 2010 austerity, and while i've been in work for most of the time since, there has been one job since that wasn't a good idea and followed that with one that was frankly a big mistake, i had hoped that the current job would see me through at least to a point where retirement would be a viable option...)

 

[WAB]

I will float the question if it gets as far as final interview stage and see what the response is.

It will also show an interest in and knowledge of industry affairs.



I don't think there is much change from your previous post on train planning roles.

However, the following are of note:

1. NR centralising planning in Milton Keynes caused a considerable loss of experienced planners. A lot of the skill and expertise, certainly in the routine STP and LTP that entry-level planners will encounter, sits in the local TOC planning units rather than MK.
2. The 2018 timetable fiasco brought some focus on the fact that the timetable is a major part of the effective operation of the railway. Perhaps there'll be less willingness to make heavy-handed changes.
3. TOC planners are getting more involved in work that would traditionally sit under NR.

 

[The Middle]

If you ask any TOC planners they will tell you that Milton Keynes should go as they have all the local knowledge and particularly have a better understanding of particular areas such as diagramming. But if you ask any NR planners they will tell you it should all stay at Milton Keynes.

I think the simplest answer along with most of GBR is that no one is going to know for certain for a few years. It also needs to decide how it is going to interact with the likes of FOCs and Open Access, the ORR might be busy if it is felt they are unduly treated.

 

[Horizon22]

There will still be a need for rostering to be done for train crew and fleet diagrams to be done somewhat separately to any work on track access, timetabling and wider engineering planning.

So I imagine there will be a bit of a natural division there as planning can be quite specialised. Whether this comes under one team at GBR is really anyone’s guess as is what framework such a team or teams might be.

It’s a very speculative question that unfortunately nobody will be able to answer now even if people might have opinions. In this regard, I will close this thread now but if you want to discuss it further, by all means make a thread in the “Speculative Discussion” forum.