Rachel

"Tickets Please!" - what most people will think of first when considering the role of a Conductor or Guard. But with safety critical and customer service tasks there is no denying it is much more than that and at times, hard work with unsociable hours. Dealing with the public on a daily basis and being responsible for their wellbeing, comfort and timekeeping - being pulled in different directions, answering everybody's questions and being expected to know the answers - it is often a far cry from what people have previously done. I joined the railway in July 2005 on a two-year customer service work course, gaining experience on the platform and the ticket office before training for the Conductor role in 2008 (four out of six of us who did this course are now conductors).

The role of the Conductor is extremely involved, incorporating safety, customer service, time keeping and revenue protection / collection responsibilities. The overall aim of the initial training course is to ensure that you are able to consistently and professionally deliver each part of these responsibilities within the company and national guidelines, and as such there is a comprehensive four-month course based in Norwich, to give you the necessary skills and experience to qualify as a Conductor.

Members of the Conductor Management Team are always available for support and guidance - both during your training and throughout your railway career - and you will be allocated your direct Line Manager almost as soon as you start. However, as you work virtually alone and in charge of your own actions and timekeeping, you must be a responsible, conscientious and pro-active individual, with the desire to take on the responsibility of managing a train and its passengers, whether there are just a few on a small rural service, or up to 600 on a peak time ‘Intercity'.

No day is ever the same; on some days the sun is shining and everything goes to time, people are pleasant and everything works; on other days there are delays and train failures, disgruntled and unhappy passengers who expect you to resolve all their issues within minutes, not to mention what is causing the delays outside! But by not taking these complaints personally and being seen to be doing everything in a calm and orderly fashion, I have been able to consistently perform to a high standard and gain a Level 2 NVQ for my efforts as well as letters of praise and vouchers as a token of appreciation for my hard work.

A Conductors' role is the most interesting and varied on the railway; we are responsible for the safe movement of the train, its timekeeping, checking and selling tickets while smiling and giving great customer service - often being the only face of the company that our passengers interact with. People travel to get to a particular destination, whether it is for business or pleasure, and I always like to try and make the journey part of that experience relaxing and enjoyable, as mixing with the public and sharing their experience helps to make my day pleasurable as well. It is extremely rewarding and often very enjoyable, and at the end of the day you can go home with a feeling of a job well done, but without having to take the job home with you.