Anyone Worked On, Or Know Someone That Worked On, The Railways?

[guitarman001]

I must add... I would hate to be in IT. I just can't stand it. At last doing electronics I get a flavour of everything, I get hands-on product after I've designed it etc. Couldn't imagine writing line after line of code on a screen every day (even for the money)!

Edited November 2, 2011 by guitarman001

[OnionTerror]

My dad's a railway engineer. Decent money (with overtime! At least they get overtime) but he's out in all sorts of weather.

Think you'd really give up the money?

Your talking 10 to 13 quid an hour for track workers..

http://www.railjobshop.co.uk/jobs/692252/track-worker.asp

& 35k a year for drivers...

http://www.railjobshop.co.uk/jobs/714507/train-driver.asp

There are many "facets" to IT..I personally wouldn't want a straight coding job...become a project management or manager role & get to swan off for "conferences"...

Edited November 2, 2011 by Dave Beans

[guitarman001]

Well, not for the drivers my dad knows! And I've seen my dad's payslips - can be good money with overtime. Of course there will always be lower pay trying to get pushed onto people, especially coming in on the job first thing. EDIT - unions are self-serving dolts, apparently. My dad's been screwed over several times by them.

Edited November 2, 2011 by guitarman001

[200p]

Give it a try.

I looked at trains, BT, Utility,energy oil and gas companies. I didn't get the Esso job unfortunately 3 years ago. Anything with a monopoly if you can get in, you'll be set up for life, it would be next best thing to a "job for life".

[Si1]

I know the feeling - started working as a programmer 15 years ago just to "save up some travel money" and I'm still bloody doing it (although at least I'm now I'm doing it in Spain). I imagine the problem with being a train driver is you'll become specialised and before you realise it you're 40 and stuck in the same job, whether you like it or not. At least with IT you can move around, re-train, etc.

done that, done oracle, VB, embedded VB scripts of various kinds running other software, verious mail merge solutioons off a non MS database, scientific fortran, modelling of various types

never ever do a good job, because your boss never asked for it and will hate you for it, or be scared, or something

[Si1]

Yeah my dad says the train drivers up in Edinburgh anyway are looking at £40-45k, plus gold-plated pension.

I saw an ad not long ago wanting train drivers but I bottled out of it, HOPING instead that my job will pay more in future. Probably the wrong choice.

don't fancy driving, fancy guard/conducting

I have env sci quals but they pay worse than a guard on the trains for a dull office job assessing, say, nitrate runoff from farms and stuff for the EU, uber boring, prefer at my age (30s) some people stuff now

4 day weeks also

also env sci jobs thin due to Env Agency cuts, not worth it

trains seem like a family, but am checking this out

Edited November 2, 2011 by Si1

[Jason]

A few of my friends work on the railways, contrating through agencies, and it is definately not easy money.

Back in 2007 they were all earning well, up to £40k doing COSS work, and the easiest job was putting the stop boards out when they do maintance work (stop board a few miles down the track in case a train ignores a red light, but they also need someone to stay there to let mainteance trains through - hence it's an easy job sleeping in your car waiting for a phone call). They will all tell you they earn mega bucks, but never seem to have a pot to p*** in. Now all the agencies have worked out they can get permies on £20k a year to do these jobs, so the big money has gone. However, they are still jobs but it's not what you know, it's who!

I'm not sure about the other professions within the railways, but did have a friend who was a signalman who was made redundant because everything is moving to one central signal box.

[lid]

Been on nearly 10 years

Its good if you get to work for decent firms/get trained up in a decent role(s)/ also COSS/IWA/ES/Handsignaller/Level Crossing attendant etc handy to keep you ticking over

Not worked for NR so can't comment, I remember when we first started as a gang bout 10 years ago, we'd been on the railway 5 minutes and we we showing them all up by doing 10 times the work the Railtrack boys were getting done (who can blame anyone for taking it easy though if you can get away with it)

Can earn good money with the overtime (i.e. giving up lots of sat nights) (upto 40k for not particularly challenging work) - although not sure what trackmen are on these days (<£10 per hour I'd guess) and it's hard graft sometimes. Also heard off some of the agency lads that they have to be self employed contractors these days i.e. no holiday pay/sick pay etc

It's happy days if you don't mind being out in all weathers & great in the summer

5.2% payrises though, well I ain't been getting them - 3.5% ish in the good years down to 1-2% since the global financial meltdown

Still, can't complain

[guitarman001]

Check this out - my dad's seen it a few times, says the noise is thunderous:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xKd2-l9X4U

[guitarman001]

Network Rail do an engineering conversion programme.

I should add my dad's health isn't the best due to working in poor weather conditions. That's why I'd never do an offshore oil job - must be much worse!

Edited November 2, 2011 by guitarman001

[dervis]

Worked there for 10 years, although now 'privatised' the place is still run by the old school. the unions rule. The attitude to work (or lack of it) would drive you mad I assume if you're posting on here.

It's an industry with one foot firmly stuck in the past and it ground me down in the end. Took redundancy payout best move I ever made. The place is public sector through and through, full of little hitlers who wouldn't last a week in the private sector. It is still public sector really, pretty sure the subsidies are still astronomical.

Now I work for a private company who genuinely reward the value you bring to the role, and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit etc and it's light and day. Wouldn't recommend the railways have to be honest. That probably comes across really bitter, it isn't intended to be, its only since leaving I can see the difference of old school vs new school. I'd put the railways in the box with NHS and the council in terms of worker mentality. Can't see how the country progresses economically with lumbering beasts of organisations like these everywhere.

Oh it does make me laugh when people generalise about the public sector. This is my first private sector job having worked in the public and third sector for ten years. And I'm gobsmacked. This lot make headless chickens look like the height of organisation. The company have just over 200 sites all over the country. And the biggest problem? staff pulling a sickie. I didn't think that sort of thing went on in the private sector!

Edited November 2, 2011 by converted smoker

[LiveAndLetBuy]

Network Rail do an engineering conversion programme.

I should add my dad's health isn't the best due to working in poor weather conditions. That's why I'd never do an offshore oil job - must be much worse!

Back in the 90s (before I ended up in IT) I spent 3 years working on onshore rigs - usually in deserts (Pakistan & Libya) but I spent 6 months in Canada and it wasn't bad if you like the great outdoors (on a massive scale). We worked 2 weeks on and 1 week off, but it was tough in those 2 weeks (8 hour job, drive 6 hours to next job, then another 8 hour job, etc) and the part of Canada I was in wasn't exactly the most happening place (unless you like country & western music). However it might be a better option than the alternatives in Europe right now.

[Si1]

Check this out - my dad's seen it a few times, says the noise is thunderous:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=-xKd2-l9X4U

bl00dy h3ll

I'm assuming he died, really foolish thing to do

[Driver]

bloke I know, train driver, just re-made aquaintences, said he works 4 days a week 6 to 10 hours, and every 3 weeks they get 5 long day weekend

Four days a week averaging 35 hours I think that will be.

All a five day long weekend means is that he is working the next weekend. His days off being (week 1) Friday and Saturday and (week 2) Monday and Tuesday. Week 2 he will then work wed thu fri and sat with just sunday off if he is lucky.

Some people get every weekend off.

EDIT: Other people changed to some people

Edited November 3, 2011 by Driver

[Driver]

Worked there for 10 years, although now 'privatised' the place is still run by the old school. the unions rule. The attitude to work (or lack of it) would drive you mad I assume if you're posting on here.

Aslef rules when it comes to sending it's female reps to Mexico to rediscover their clitoris with Mexican lesbian train drivers, but sorting out terms and conditions and other real life issues they are not so good at.

So politically driven and happy to jump into litigation for the principle (multiple expensive court cases) but so inept at finances (just like the last Labour Government) they are having to sell their headquarters to help pay off their debts.

Anyone wanna buy a headquarters?

It's an industry with one foot firmly stuck in the past <snip> full of little hitlers who wouldn't last a week in the private sector. It is still public sector really.

Agreed, some managers seem to think they are in the army but, unlike the public sector, they have no knowledge of modern working practices. It's as if companies just recruit "yes men" rather than people that can bring change to the job.

Easy money though - the T&Cs are stupid, when I left I was on 30 days A/L plus all the BHols and the "railway days" where you get another tuesday off after the Bhol mondays. Best bit though was the free travel on the regional network and 75% off the rest of the country with priv card. Thats a perk you don't realise how great it is until its gone. Also caught up with some old workmates recently and they were going on about the 5.2% pay award this year again.

Six weeks holiday is not unheard of elsewhere nor is getting your bank holidays. Never heard of a railway day, can you explain this further in case i have misunderstood?

The PRIV card sounds great until your realise that it's 75% off the full open fare, not cheap day returns or any other discounted fare. I always book an advance purchase fare and pay the same price as every other punter. The only time I have ever used a priv card was for the Heathrow express and even then it was still more expensive then the normal tube fare.

Best job of all is a driver, they're only on something like £40k basic but their t&cs are utterly laughable to the extent they regularly double it and more with all the little out of hours clauses and rest days etc.

You might get a good week now and again but at the end of the year, no one has ever doubled their pay at my depot or company. (The highest earners are usually known each year, drivers are gossips)

Now I work for a private company <snip>

Wouldn't recommend the railways have to be honest. That probably comes across really bitter, <snip>

Yes it does.

To the original poster.

I worked elsewhere for many years but applied for the Railway after seeing an advert in my local paper. The novelty does fade after a while but I am not unhappy in what i do nor do i regret changing careers. I gave up an interesting job where i often take work home, to do a job where i take no work home but it is not as interesting.

If you have worked in an office all your life, to see outside and the sun is nice (and to get a little colour into your skin) and being outside you will get to see different things.

I have only just broke £40,000 as a driver in the last couple of years so £48,000 is years away.

Your post did make me wonder about the good points but I find that the good points are not generally limited to railway work.

• Shift working allows you to get things done during the day when everyone else is at work

• I work a four day week (but still work 35 hours)

• You may be spare sometimes and not be required to do any work (if the company is lax in recruiting you will find you are never spare)

Some bad points

• Your annual leave is rostered, you don't get to choose it (if you can't swap you are fooked, summer leave can fall in May or even October)

• The management is rooted in the stone ages - recent legislation is unknown to them. Bullying is a way of life for some.

• You won't necessarily get any extra money for shift working (including night shifts, late running etc)

• You may get just 30 minutes lunch in a ten hour shift (or worse still two minute minute lunch breaks)

• You won't always see your kids at the times you are used to seeing them. (They will need to be quiet when you are in bed). A lot of drivers are separated or on their second partners.

There are some working practices that are odd but you will not come across them often. Two examples;

If you move from one depot to another to get a "locker day" (a day off to move stuff)

If you move house you get a moving day (one per year maximum)

It is easy to mess up and many drivers discover that it is not actually a job for life. In an article a few years back, the job was rated as more dangerous than a fire officer.

Make the change if you can but do it eyes open.

EDIT: I wouldn't personally work on the tracks, seems far too dangerous.

Edited November 3, 2011 by Driver

[Si1]

Aslef rules when it comes to sending it's female reps to Mexico to rediscover their clitoris with Mexican lesbian train drivers, but sorting out terms and conditions and other real life issues they are not so good at.

So politically driven and happy to jump into litigation for the principle (multiple expensive court cases) but so inept at finances (just like the last Labour Government) they are having to sell their headquarters to help pay off their debts.

Anyone wanna buy a headquarters?

Agreed, some managers seem to think they are in the army but, unlike the public sector, they have no knowledge of modern working practices. It's as if companies just recruit "yes men" rather than people that can bring change to the job.

Six weeks holiday is not unheard of elsewhere nor is getting your bank holidays. Never heard of a railway day, can you explain this further in case i have misunderstood?

The PRIV card sounds great until your realise that it's 75% off the full open fare, not cheap day returns or any other discounted fare. I always book an advance purchase fare and pay the same price as every other punter. The only time I have ever used a priv card was for the Heathrow express and even then it was still more expensive then the normal tube fare.

You might get a good week now and again but at the end of the year, no one has ever doubled their pay at my depot or company. (The highest earners are usually known each year, drivers are gossips)

Yes it does.

To the original poster.

I worked elsewhere for many years but applied for the Railway after seeing an advert in my local paper. The novelty does fade after a while but I am not unhappy in what i do nor do i regret changing careers. I gave up an interesting job where i often take work home, to do a job where i take no work home but it is not as interesting.

If you have worked in an office all your life, to see outside and the sun is nice (and to get a little colour into your skin) and being outside you will get to see different things.

I have only just broke £40,000 as a driver in the last couple of years so £48,000 is years away.

Your post did make me wonder about the good points but I find that the good points are not generally limited to railway work.

• Shift working allows you to get things done during the day when everyone else is at work
• I work a four day week (but still work 35 hours)
• You may be spare sometimes and not be required to do any work (if the company is lax in recruiting you will find you are never spare)

Some bad points

• Your annual leave is rostered, you don't get to choose it (if you can't swap you are fooked, summer leave can fall in May or even October)
• The management is rooted in the stone ages - recent legislation is unknown to them. Bullying is a way of life for some.
• You won't necessarily get any extra money for shift working (including night shifts, late running etc)
• You may get just 30 minutes lunch in a ten hour shift (or worse still two minute minute lunch breaks)
• You won't always see your kids at the times you are used to seeing them. (They will need to be quiet when you are in bed). A lot of drivers are separated or on their second partners.

There are some working practices that are odd but you will not come across them often. Two examples;

If you move from one depot to another to get a "locker day" (a day off to move stuff)

If you move house you get a moving day (one per year maximum)

It is easy to mess up and many drivers discover that it is not actually a job for life. In an article a few years back, the job was rated as more dangerous than a fire officer.

Make the change if you can but do it eyes open.

EDIT: I wouldn't personally work on the tracks, seems far too dangerous.

how does working as a guard compare to working as a driver, given lower pay, are the shifts/conditions different/better?

[Driver]

how does working as a guard compare to working as a driver, given lower pay, are the shifts/conditions different/better?

Sorry can't answer that one as we are DOO (Driver only operated). Some companies have the driver do the guards job as well.

[catsick]

Many studies have shown that working in IT results in pretty much the lowest state of happiness of any career, basically it all boils down to the anti social nature of it, if you want to switch to a job that will make you happy you should get a part time job in a bar or as a waiter, although the money isn't great its a very social job and will tend to actually make you happier, even a few hours a week of heightened social contact will drastically improve your outlook on life ...

[guitarman001]

Good point!

[Si1]

Many studies have shown that working in IT results in pretty much the lowest state of happiness of any career, basically it all boils down to the anti social nature of it, if you want to switch to a job that will make you happy you should get a part time job in a bar or as a waiter, although the money isn't great its a very social job and will tend to actually make you happier, even a few hours a week of heightened social contact will drastically improve your outlook on life ...

cheers for this

got any links to these studies, or perhaps a newspaper precis of one or more of them?

[Riedquat]

Many studies have shown that working in IT results in pretty much the lowest state of happiness of any career, basically it all boils down to the anti social nature of it, if you want to switch to a job that will make you happy you should get a part time job in a bar or as a waiter, although the money isn't great its a very social job and will tend to actually make you happier, even a few hours a week of heightened social contact will drastically improve your outlook on life ...

That makes the very big assumption that you want sociability. I assume that driving a train would involve large amounts of time getting on with the job on my own which sounds very appealing (although I imagine that the actual work itself would probably get fairly dull). IT fails because you'll be getting the worst of both worlds - probably constant hassle over the phone and email, so no good for the unsociable, but still having to do the work yourself, so no good for the sociable. Railway-wise being a signalman sounds a little more interesting but the on your own in a box full of mechanical levers jobs there are dwindling fast as systems get modernised.

Edited November 4, 2011 by Riedquat

[Si1]

That makes the very big assumption that you want sociability. I assume that driving a train would involve large amounts of time getting on with the job on my own which sounds very appealing (although I imagine that the actual work itself would probably get fairly dull). IT fails because you'll be getting the worst of both worlds - probably constant hassle over the phone and email, so no good for the unsociable, but still having to do the work yourself, so no good for the sociable. Railway-wise being a signalman sounds a little more interesting but the on your own in a box full of mechanical levers jobs there are dwindling fast as systems get modernised.

one of the things with IT programming monkey shops is that the people who stick it out ARE the ones who seem happy with the monotony and isolation, and then self select similar people to work for/with them

proper systems analysis should, of course, have the actual technical programming bit as only one part of thew more rounded designed whole

but most so-called systems analysts completely ignore systems, analysis, and go straight on to programming, requiring a monkey-load of additional loner programmers to come along and program away all the bugs that are created by not properly designing/analysing the system in the first place.

Edited November 4, 2011 by Si1

[Ruffneck]

And now an Egghead.

Chris?

I always wonder if he was still a virgin