Work experience

[adamp]

Well the time of the year has come for me in yr 10.
work experience !! :-P

Im interested in doing work exp. with Northern Rail or Network Rail.
I live in the manchester - oldham area, and I was just wondering how I would manage to be able to do it.
Do you have to know someone who works there? or can you email/write a letter asking if its okay to do?
And what sort of stuff will i be doing with northern rail and network rail, because Im interested in the actual trains etc. but im also interested in the engineering side of tracks and trains themselves.
If you need it...my work exp. is between 4th and 8th of february

Bit of help please
-Thanks
x

 

[DescendingSadly]

I tried with Network Rail via HR and got a 'no can do - too safety critical'

after I got in touch with a friend who works there he sorted it out and took me around most West Yorkshire signal boxes for two weeks.

it's hit and miss really

best of luck!

 

[Coxster]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. I did work experience with South West Trains and all I did was write the recruitment department an e-mail as advised by a driver I know (he had nothing to do with me getting a placement though). A blog about what I got up to can be found at the link in my signature (PLUG!). I'm not sure if Northern do placements but there's only one way to find out!

You may wish to get in touch with "DesendingSadly" about Network Rail work experience as he did his with them. He has a blog here and some photos from it here.

Hope that helps

--

Edit: Damn - he beat me to it

 

[DescendingSadly]

Hehe, cheers Damon!

Yeah I forgot to mention Adam, if you do get the placement have a look at mine and Damon's (Coxster) blogs and pictures. I think that gives a good idea as to what you will do.

 

[adamp]

Ahhh right. thanks guys.
im trying to think now, and i dont have an idea how to write a letter !!
i need to revise english lol.

sounds stupid...but any tips on what i could mention when writing letters to northern and network rail.
ive just read lukes work experience blog. and it sounds like a really good and interesting time!!

 

[TheSlash]

Just general stuff about getting a taste of the rail industry for a future career

 

[DescendingSadly]

Just general stuff about getting a taste of the rail industry for a future career

and indeed a taste for tea!

 

[adamp]

Right people I have news.
I sent an email to Northern last Thursday and yet I still have no reply.
And Last Sunday I was doing a gig at a transport museum...and got talking to a chap who worked for network rail.
I asked him about work exp so he found out for me today.
Due to Network Rail's policy, i am only allowed to work in offices which is a real bummer! I cant really see whats wrong with travelling out to different scenes and just watching from the side of a road if say a bridge needs examining, but I can see the obvious dangers in actually going onto the tracks or near them. Im gutted at that...So, im quite stuck really, especially with no reply from Northern, i expect that to be quite the same situation too, the deadline for the work experience forms to be filled in is tomorrow so its crap really!

oh well

 

[mbonwick]

It does look a bit bleak for you, I must say!

On a side note, I was thinking of doing my work ex with Stagecoach.

 

[Respite]

I did my work experience (many many moons ago) at the SVR, have you no preserved railways nearby that you could try?

 

[Ascot]

I did my work experience (many many moons ago) at the SVR, have you no preserved railways nearby that you could try?

Good man you didn't get stuck with Dave Overton at Kidderminster did you, looks like Santa with his beard? Been there for about 20-30 years he has.

 

[Respite]

No mate , I was working with the late Ray Tranter. It was 1987 though....eeek old age etc etc. Eee by gum we ad 'T' proper trains in them days etc etc.

 

[adamp]

what do you mean by preserved railways??
the only line(s) round my area have northern on them. nothing else. accasionally some Arriva trains but not many.
Im really gutted.
Was looking forward to doing it with Network Rail so much.
How did cocksters friend get to do it with network??
i read that diary/blog thing he posted and it was very interesting.

 

[Ascot]

No mate , I was working with the late Ray Tranter. It was 1987 though....eeek old age etc etc. Eee by gum we ad 'T' proper trains in them days etc etc.

Yeah i knew Ray, was nice with the wreaths on the mourning day on the Loco's just before the floods.. Good Bridgnorth bloke. You volunteer currently or just did WE?

 

[Respite]

I used to work there volunteer back in the late 80's as I went to school at Bridgnorth. But when I joined BR in 1990 I kind of didnt have enough time for two railways. Have since moved a bit further away, but still get down the SVR to have a look around from time to time.

Was a shame about Ray, nice bloke & he really was MR SVR as far as the MPD was concerned.

 

[Ascot]

I used to work there volunteer back in the late 80's as I went to school at Bridgnorth. But when I joined BR in 1990 I kind of didnt have enough time for two railways. Have since moved a bit further away, but still get down the SVR to have a look around from time to time.

Was a shame about Ray, nice bloke & he really was MR SVR as far as the MPD was concerned.

Should pop down when the lines open god knows who we got opening though.

Yeah be different going up 'north' without him there.

Adam, look at places like East Lancs, where about in Northern Land you in?

 

[adamp]

Im in the 'Manchester to Rochdale Via Oldham and Moston' land if that helps lol.
From Manchester Victoria im on the way to Leeds route

 

[Ascot]

East Lancs Railway is your best bet, me bird lives up in Middleton so gives a great excuse to pop up n get 2 in 1 stone quite a nice little run.

http://east-lancs-rly.co.uk/

Not quite sure where the Contact Us bit is, might be in the join us side.

Give um a bell and say who you are what your interested in for a career etc.. and you want to do Work Ex... Might be with the MPD 'motive power department' or something.

Also it's great to be in a Heritage as a Volunteer as it goes down great on your CV for a job with the mainline plus many gaffers and workers on the mainline knock about on heritages so you can get into the know within a few months, act friendly, natural and don't be a know it all and end up being pushed into a door.

Best atmosphere working with the lads in a winters morning trying to prep the set with iced up watering pipes. Always have a laugh every day.

 

[Max]

You'd have much more chance with a preserved railway, I know friends who did work experience up at the North York Moors Railway, and it encouraged them to train for proper volunteer work! If you want railway experience, consider applying to be a volunteer TTI on a preserved railway when you're 16.

In terms of TOCs, have you tried Transpennine Express, Virgin or ATW, who also operate in your area?

 

[adamp]

Thats pretty cool, ill wait on northern though. if they dont get back to me soon then i might try the east lancs.
Need to find out how that Luke was able to do it with Network.
they havent changed their policy since may this year have they?

 

[DescendingSadly]

Thats pretty cool, ill wait on northern though. if they dont get back to me soon then i might try the east lancs.
Need to find out how that Luke was able to do it with Network.
they havent changed their policy since may this year have they?

I was given the exact same reply you were.
HR talk aload of bullpoop mate.

I don't know what my friend did but he cut out the 'go through HR' and I got it decided by the real managers, who didn't have a problem with it.

If your deadline is tomorroe i'm afraid you have a very slim chance.

 

[Ascot]

If i was you i'd ring up ELR, probably do alot more with them than Northern with health and safety anyway. Good to keep ya options open.

 

[adamp]

Well there is a slim chance if I try and contact these people at school who run it...i could perhaps have longer.
so how did you skip the HR thing...and who are the real managers?
info please

 

[DescendingSadly]

Well basically my friend was owed a few favours my management, so instead of me going to HR he just asked the managers 'is it ok for this lad to have 2 weeks and for you to free me up on shifts for 2 weeks"

yes was the reply and it was just like a roadtrip around yorkshire to various signal boxes and major junctions

you can't do what he did unless you know someone internal to NR and you can be with them....

 

[adamp]

I do know someone who works for NR, he went to ask his boss and he was fine with it, but I think he had to go off the policy or something like that, so that forced him to say no.
its a really crappy situation really.

 

[DescendingSadly]

Then I would suggest the ELR is your best bet.

What month is your placement?

 

[adamp]

My placement is between 4th and 8th of february.

 

[Mushroom]

Good luck with the ELR, but I severely doubt u'll get a place.
Theres 2 much red tape to overcome, and really, at that time of the year, theres nothing to do, no services to run etc, the only chance u may have is with C&W, as they have an apprentice who is under 18.

 

[Gizmogle]

Try Manchester Piccadilly? I'm not sure on the phone number but you would need to speak to a "Steve Shaw".
That could get you some experience on the platforms and inside staff areas of the station.

 

[AlexS]

What red tape?

'Hello sonny, you have to join our group for insurance reasons, if that's OK then sure you can spend 2 weeks here sweeping litter or cleaning windows'.

You just treat it as a new volunteer and forget the work experience bit rather than filling in a couple of forms!