Railway signaller
Railway signallers operate the signals and points on rail tracks to keep trains running safely and on time.
Typical Salary
£29,000 – £55,000
per year
Working Hours
42–46
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
As a railway signaller, you could:
- check incident reports at the start of your shift
- monitor train movements on computer systems
- operate controls in a manual signal box or electronic control centre
- speak to drivers for updates, contact maintenance teams to report signal problems and write incident reports
- do training for track regulations and new technology
Skills needed
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- knowledge of transport methods, costs and benefits
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to operate and control equipment
- the ability to work well with others
- to be flexible and open to change
- physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
- knowledge of public safety and security
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to get into this role
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
Career progression
With experience you could:
- become a signalling supervisor or control room manager
- take further training to work as a signalling designer
- apply for jobs in other parts of the rail system through Network Rail's internal promotion programme