Work Experience with rail companies

[aspierail]

Which rail company did you do work experience with?

What skills did you learn?

What did you make of the overall experience with that particular rail company?

 

[Urban Gateline]

Which rail company did you do work experience with?

South West Trains

What skills did you learn?

I was working with Platform staff at Surbiton station, pretty much shadowing them and then doing their duties (except the safety critical elements of course)
Customer service skills were definitely improved as I was out on the platform dealing with enquiries. Also, working under pressure during busy times.

Communication skills, using the PA system to do announcements and also face to face with passengers.

Maintaining high standards of presentation, constant litter picks, hourly toilet checks etc.

What did you make of the overall experience with that particular rail company?

This was only my 2 week work experience in year 10 at school when I was only 15 years old, so it was a relatively basic experience, however I think it was a good start to seeing what work is like!

It was unpaid, but we had a generous hour lunch and the staff at the station were very pleasant to work with. I've been back there since, and some of the original staff are still there and recognized me, even after 7 years, and they are probably proud to see me now working for SWT!

What disappointed me the most, was that I was not allowed to do train dispatch, at that age I really wanted to blow the whistle and hold up the baton!

 

[142094]

Don't think many companies take on people any more, at least not up here.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I did two weeks with Northern when I was in Year 10, that was 18 months ago. I don't think they do it now.

 

[driver9000]

I did two weeks with Northern when I was in Year 10, that was 18 months ago. I don't think they do it now.

They say on their website that work experience places aren't available in the company.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

They say on their website that work experience places aren't available in the company.

That's a shame, it was a brilliant couple of weeks I had

 

[90019]

I never did work experience...

 

[northernrail]

Ive just started year 10 so towards the end of the year i will be doing the Work experience, Is there any recomendations for me?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Ive just started year 10 so towards the end of the year i will be doing the Work experience, Is there any recomendations for me?

If you are looking for transport placements, email as many companies as you can (though Metrolink and TPE are the only ones that come to mind) once you find out dates etc from school.

Northern and Virgin don't do work experience.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Which rail company did you do work experience with?

SouthEastern and Balfour Beatty

What skills did you learn?

In SouthEastern I was in Train Planning learning how to plan and timetable a service, including retiming some services, checking their Olympic timetable for errors, creating new services and working on their snow timetable. It taught me analytical skill and problem solving skills as you have to work within the confines of the Rules of the Plan and track layouts.

I was placed in the design department at Balfour Beatty working with the surveyors and the designers for renewals work. This also including preparing the job files for the next year with the sectional appendix printouts, hazard directory et cetera. It taught me the processes that the renewals go through, right from the initial surveying, to the design and planning right through to booking the actual possession.

What did you make of the overall experience with that particular rail company?

Fantastic placements with both of them.

 

[2Dogbox]

I know its not a train company but when I was 16 I did my work experience as a volunteer at Birmingham Railway Museum. I wanted to do it with BR but they didn't do it at the time as it was they year it was being split up. Was so much better than dreadful school. I went back to help out in the summer holidays. Was really nice to actually do something enjoyable. I don't think many TOCs have work experience now due to health and safety. There might be office based stuff about though.

 

[warriorofrovac]

I know its not a train company but when I was 16 I did my work experience as a volunteer at Birmingham Railway Museum. I wanted to do it with BR but they didn't do it at the time as it was they year it was being split up. Was so much better than dreadful school. I went back to help out in the summer holidays. Was really nice to actually do something enjoyable. I don't think many TOCs have work experience now due to health and safety. There might be office based stuff about though.

Is that the museum thing at Tyseley?

 

[2Dogbox]

Is that the museum thing at Tyseley?

Yes it is.

 

[warriorofrovac]

How long ago was this?, if you don't mind me asking. And how did you go about arranging this work experience?

 

[2Dogbox]

How long ago was this?, if you don't mind me asking. And how did you go about arranging this work experience?

Oh im in my 30s now and it was in 1994 when I did it. I'm not sure if they would do it now. I think my parents phoned up at the time as I was in a right strop that I couldn't do it with British Rail.

 

[shedman]

EMT take on work exp at Neville Hill

 

[DescendingSadly]

Network Rail, it was quality.

 

[Mojo]

I supervised a girl earlier in the year who did one week's work experience with Transport for London and one week at London Underground. She spent time on site visits on various projects such as London Bridge interchange, Victoria line upgrade (including a cab ride!) and some environmental projects to mitigate the effects of pollution on busy roads. At the end she had to deliver a presentation of her fortnight.

 

[TheEscapist_]

I done a week at Craigentinny Depot with East Coast when I was 14.

Just learned about basic maintaining of HSTs etc, just some basic stuff, but was very good! Also, got £120 from the guys there when I left!

 

[district]

I did one week at E*, 4.5 days in the contact centre and half a day on the gateline/check-in, platform duties, shadowing staff ect.