So what does a conductor do then..?

The vast majority of the public see the role of the conductor as the person who comes bugging you for tickets, makes announcements and presses that little buzzer to start the train from a station.

But there is a little bit more to it than that.

Firstly it's worth pointing out that all areas are different and each train operating company (TOC) will have different rules and job roles!

In Manchester we have two different types of conductor. The smaller operators have the traditional conductor, the bigger express companies have 'Train managers'. Whatever we are branded in the main we all do the same role.

Our top three priorities in the main are the same though. In this order.

Safety
Performance and punctuality
Revenue protection

and for that the role of the conductor can take around 12 weeks of basic training followed by another 7-8 weeks of depot specific knowledge.

So not quite the ticket checker and door closer now then!!

Guards have to follow a set of procedures set down in the national 'rule book' and then the rules laid down by the individual company they work for. In general a guard will have to learn and be tested competent in the following subjects.

•Personal Track safety (known as PTS)
•First aid
•Company specific rules
•Railway signs and what they mean (sounds simple?) take a look here first!!
British rail signs!


•The different types of signalling used on the railways and how to read signals correctly.
•Traction knowledge (that's knowing all about the trains you work) 5 types at my depot! Knowing them inside out so that when someone locks themselves in the loo you know which cupboard to go in and free them!
•How to operate the doors safety and communicate with the driver using the bell buzzer or platform staff.
•Protection of the train in an emergency. This is actually what you learn first but it is a vastly important part of the guards role and is drilled in at every opportunity!
•Route knowledge is next. Most people will say to you 'surely you just follow the track?' Again in the main we do. But signallers are also humans and occasionally make mistakes and if you take a 'wrong route' like for example taking a electric train down a non electric line.....well your all going to be moaning about delays arn't you now!!
For that reason we have to learn and be tested on every bit of line the we 'sign'!
We have to know every station, signal, junction, level crossing, viaduct, siding, loop and more so that we can keep you on the right track and more importantly so we can tell where we are in an emergency!
•Last but not least we learn 'revenue'.
If you've ever looked how to get from one place to another you'll know you can be presented with many routing options, fares and other supplements. We have to know all of our 'local' fares rules and also the rules of every ticket type, railcard, time restriction, OAP and disabled passes and also staff passes!

Thats just a brief snapshot of the role. There is still loads more than that but I hope this post goes to show that the role of the guard/conductor/train manager isn't all....."tickets and passes please!!"

As always questions welcome.
See you soon
The Guard