Apprenticeship training course

Rail infrastructure operator (level 3)

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Information about Rail infrastructure operator (level 3)

Operating the signals and electrical controls needed to keep trains running safely and on time.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • The component parts of the railway system including different railway organisations, industry bodies and business systems such as planning, performance management and asset management.
  • Events that have shaped the evolution of the railway in Great Britain and how these have influenced change in the industry, including significant train accidents, significant timetable and network disruptions, the role of the unions and modernisation programmes.
  • The relevant safety legislation and procedures, where applicable, to an operating railway including risk assessments, safety management systems, and safety culture.
  • The operating procedures required to support the operation of a railway system, and manage planned, unplanned, and emergency situations that can occur on the network.
  • The operational planning and timetabling principles and processes that underpin an effective train plan, resource plan, and engineering works programme.
  • Awareness of environment and sustainability regulations, relevance to the occupation and the operator's responsibilities.
  • Principles and policies of equality, diversion and inclusion in the workplace.
  • The requirements for testing operational equipment, operational work locations and systems including pre-work and in-work testing.
  • Handover requirements at the beginning, during and end of a shift.
  • The roles and responsibilities of different colleagues and stakeholders that combine to provide an effective network.
  • Limits of authority, when to escalate tasks and issues, and to whom.
  • Common complaints, their causes and mitigators, for passengers and/or freight and other users of the network, such as staffing issues, onboard train incidents, passenger incidents at stations.
  • Communication techniques: verbal and written, including specific protocols for communicating safety critical information.
  • Their organisations commercial or operational priorities.
  • The type of incidents and events which can occur on a network, the impact they have on passengers, freight, staff, and the associated safety mitigation and recovery procedures.
  • Different types of investigations that apply to train running incidents and infrastructure related events and staff accidents, and the associated reporting procedures.
  • The internal and external stakeholder roles and responsibilities of those involved in the different stages of an incident including response, recovery and lessons learnt.
  • Strategies for collaborative working to manage conflicting aims and objectives, resolve conflict and reach effective consensus.
  • Principles of risk-based decision making to support safe network operation including knowledge of different sources of information that inform those decisions, such as drawings, plans, schedules, safe systems of work, permits, relevant stakeholders and experts.
  • The principles of personal responsibility in a safety critical work environment.
  • When and how to challenge others to ensure compliance with safety regulations and procedures.
  • Factors that affect decision making when working under pressure in planned, unplanned and emergency situations
  • Strategies for effective decision making, such as informed prioritisation, compliance with procedures, and training.

  Skills

  • Apply risk-based safety principles to ways of working and decision-making.
  • Operate and manage train control and information systems to support the operation of a railway system.
  • Apply statutory and company environmental safe working practices during planned, unplanned and emergency situations.
  • Operate and manage the train service in accordance with the train plan. Respond and adapt when disruptions occur to the planned service.
  • Identify, report and record information, using correct terms, standards, templates, and protocols.
  • Produces and manages a train plan, resource plan or engineering works programme.
  • Maintain safety and security of own work environment.
  • Identify and manage personal mental and physical fitness for duty, and role model mental and physical fitness for duty for others in the context of maintaining safety.
  • Negotiate with colleagues or stakeholders, for example to access equipment or arrange system outage.
  • Respond to and resolve common complaints.
  • Communicate with others, for example internal and external stakeholders, colleagues, and managers.
  • Identify, carry out and record role and industry related CPD activities to improve own practice.
  • Respond to and act upon information received regarding incidents and delays to manage the disruption to train services and return them to the scheduled timetable.
  • Implement initial response and incident management plans to match the scale of the situation and minimise the impact to the wider network, stakeholders and experts.
  • Initiate and facilitate investigations into incidents and events. Adhere to reporting procedures for different types of investigations including unplanned and emergency incidents or events.
  • Work collaboratively with internal and external parties as appropriate to resolve problems and deliver an efficient train service.
  • Explore and gather information from a range of sources needed to support operating activities and decisions.
  • Takes responsibility for the safety of themselves and others in a safety critical work environment.
  • Challenge others and escalate safety issues to comply with safety regulations and procedures.
  • Prioritise workload, for example balancing incident and event recovery with maintaining other services.

  Behaviours

  • Puts safety first for themselves and others.
  • Takes responsibility for the quality of work and enables others to work to high standards.
  • Supports an inclusive workplace, for example respectful of different views.
  • Embeds their organisations commercial, operational, ethical, and safety priorities into their own practice over time.
  • Willingness and ability to learn.
  • Adapt to, and resilient in, challenging or changing situations.
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Transport and logistics
• Qualification level: 3; Equal to A level
• Course duration: 18 months
• Maximum funding: £15,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Control room operators
  • Service controller
  • Signallers
  • Station control manager
  • Traffic controllers
  • Traffic manager
  • Train service control manager
  • Train service manager

View more information about Rail infrastructure operator (level 3) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.