Railway Station Assistant

Also known as:

Station Assistant, Railway
Station Platform Assistant

Introduction

Railway station assistants undertake a range of duties in and around stations. Duties include dealing with passenger queries, helping with the loading and unloading of trains and displaying information.

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Work Activities

Railway station assistants carry out a range of general duties in and around stations. This includes dealing with passenger queries and assisting passengers with their luggage.

Railway station assistants may signal to the driver that all passengers are safely aboard the train. They help load and unload trains, display posters and timetables, and alter information boards when necessary. They are also responsible for making sure that customers are aware of any last minute departure time and platform changes.

In some cases, they may shunt wagons into sidings.

Station assistants must keep the waiting areas and platforms clean and well presented. In some stations, they also collect passengers' tickets. Station assistants work indoors and outside, usually under some form of cover.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

You should have an interest in providing good customer care. An approachable, confident and helpful manner is essential for this type of work. You must have a reasonably smart appearance and be willing to wear a uniform.

You should have a strong sense of responsibility and awareness of health and safety issues. You should be able to deal calmly with emergency matters.

You will need to be quite fit, as some lifting and carrying is involved.

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Pay and Opportunities

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Railway station assistants earn in the range of £14,500 - £17,000 a year, rising to £19,000 - £22,000 a year.

Railway station assistants usually work a 40 hour week, which will include shift work, early mornings, evenings, weekends and public holidays. Overtime is common and there can be split shifts.

In Scotland the main employer is First Scotrail which currently operates 341 stations across the country. You would be based in a large or a small station, a rail depot or a freight yard. Your duties might involve working both indoors and outdoors.

Train companies (TOCs) operating elsewhere in the UK include Network Rail and Eurostar.

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Adult Opportunities

It is now illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Many train operating companies require people to be 18 or over. This is due to shift work regulations.

Previous experience in dealing with the public and customer service work is an advantage.

• 10% of those in occupations such as railway station assistant work part-time.

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