Train Planner - Abellio Greater Anglia

[66103]

Hello,

I recently applied for a job at Greater Anglia as a Train Planner based in Colchester, Did an online assessment and have now been invited to attend an Interview.

Has anybody got any tips or could just outline me in the sort of day-to-day jobs of a Train Planner, name is pretty self explanatory, I gather it is just making sure units are in the right place for scheduled maintenance and allocating it to the right workings.

But is there anyone with experience who could dig a bit more in depth, just so im a bit more prepared and confident.

Thanks
Ryan

 

[306024]

Wouldn't use the word 'just'. It is so much more than that!

Anything from timetabling to unit and traincrew diagramming, dealing with possession planning, platform working......It's a long list. You need to work closely with Network Rail Ops Planning in Milton Keynes, and deal with many different departments within GA.

The job you've described is a fleet controller, which is a quite different discipline.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Three letters: S T P. Stand for Short Term Planning and refer to temporary changes made to regularly timetabled services, mostly to accommodate Network Rail's on-going engineering works. As a newbie you would spend (nearly) all your time on this as it's a good way to cut your teeth with any cock-ups that might occur having only a short term impact. A quick look at Real Time Trains will highlight just how many STP workings run each day. Having said that it's still worth getting your head around concepts such as pathing and pathing conflicts (especially at junctions), sectional running times, etc. If you enjoy "puzzles" then it can be a very rewarding job.

 

[tiptoptaff]

Hello,

I gather it is just making sure units are in the right place for scheduled maintenance and allocating it to the right workings.

Ryan

That has absolutely nothing to do with Train Planning - that is the role of the Service Controllers - train planners write the workings, and, in my experience, often not that well

 

[306024]

That has absolutely nothing to do with Train Planning - that is the role of the Service Controllers - train planners write the workings, and, in my experience, often not that well

And often extremely well ......

There are some excellent train planners around the country, the only problem is there isn't enough of them.

 

[66103]

Thanks for the input and corrections, this is the sort of stuff I wanted so I know a bit more about the role in hand, I didn't realise I'd be planning the train crew, so it's more about creating the workings to fit around other scheduled workings?

 

[tiptoptaff]

And often extremely well ......

There are some excellent train planners around the country, the only problem is there isn't enough of them.

Its the same as us in Resources - you only ever get noticed when it's not been done well!!

 

[66103]

Thanks for the info guys, exactly the information I wanted to find out

So a train planner is more creating the paths and working it around existing paths and schedules?

Also didn't realise the job had any say in train crew

All things I'd like to know before the interview

Thanks guys

Is anybody an actual train planner here?