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- Work at a railway station dealing with customers and the day-to-day operations of trains
- You'll often work shifts including early mornings, evenings and weekends
- Good opportunities to progress into management roles or on-train roles
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Making sure train stations run smoothly your role could include selling and checking tickets
- Making sure that passengers get on and off the train safely
- Helping to load and unload luggage
- Signalling the guard or driver to depart
- Updating message displays showing passenger information
- Making passenger announcements
- Operating CCTV cameras
- Giving out information on services, routes, train times and delays
In smaller stations, you may have other tasks, like cleaning or clearing snow and ice off platforms during the winter.
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You may work shifts of up to 12 hours including evenings, weekends and bank holidays and your time could be split between the information centre or ticket office and the station platforms. You'll normally need to wear a uniform, and free or reduced price travel is sometimes offered as an extra benefit.
You'll need
There are no set entry requirements for these roles, but you'll usually need good communication skills, some maths skills, excellent customer service skills, the ability to remain calm when under pressure, and a good memory for timetables, fares and regulations.
Experience of working with the public in a retail or customer service environment could give you an advantage when applying for jobs.
You can apply directly to train operating companies (TOCs), and if your application is successful, you'll normally be invited to an assessment day, where you'll be tested on your maths, communication and customer service skills and have an interview.
Alternatively, you could get into this job by completing a passenger transport onboard station team member intermediate apprenticeship with a train operating company or an intermediate apprenticeship in rail passenger services.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could be promoted to senior station assistant, station team supervisor, assistant station manager and eventually station manager. You could also become a ticket inspector and progress to revenue protection officer.