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Conductor
Hi I’m Rebecca
I work as a Train Conductor for Northern; I have being doing this job for the last year.
My job is great, it sounds like a cliché but it is different every day! There are the routine things to do but it just varies day to day.
Before I actually get on a train and start selling tickets there are a few things I need to do. I have to collect my ticket machine from the office, then get to my train at least 5 minutes before departure to do a test to ensure the train doors are working.
I am responsible for telling the driver that its safe to leave, I can then do an announcement to the passengers to let them know about the train, where we stop, times etc
Some people think that being a Conductor is just about selling tickets, but there is a lot more to it than that. You have some very important safety duties as well as keeping the passengers informed and generally trying to make sure they have a pleasant journey. At each stop I have am responsible for opening and shutting the train doors and making sure its safe to proceed.
I find my job really enjoyable, I worked in admin before, and to be truthful I was a bit bored. In this job there is no time to be bored! I just love that though, the passengers are great, of course you get the odd difficult passenger but you just have to handle the situation as best you can. Northern are very good at giving you excellent training though, the training was fantastic, the trainers were brilliant, we had some fun as well as learning lots of important information that really helps me in my role.
I think the best parts of my job are the passengers and the shifts. Passengers in the main are great, they make your day! You get your regulars too so you can have a chat and a giggle. If there are any disabled passengers, then I try to help them if they need assistance as best I can, this may mean getting the ramp out if they have a wheelchair so they can get on and off the train.
The people I work with are a great bunch, there are some real characters, and I have made some good friends. There is a really good atmosphere at the place I work.
There are some challenging parts to the job though; the shifts can take some getting used too. Getting up at 3am in the cold/dark is hard work especially in the middle of Winter. You do get used to it though and it does mean that you can get time off to do shopping or spend time with your family.
I also found my eating habits had to change working shifts. I always make sure I have snacks with me otherwise you can get hungry and being on a train there are no shops around!
Working in admin compared to doing this job is unbelievable; I’m no longer a slave for pennies! This job is just brilliant and the money is pretty good.