The railway networks in most of the developed countries are very complicated, so you can easily imagine that there is lots of effort going on in the background to make certain that your train trip or visit to a train station is a safe experience. One of the most responsible jobs in the background personnel is that of the train control and signal inspector.
However, these people do not merely work within the confines of the nation's railway stations. They are also responsible for the lights and signals at train-crossings outside the cities, where millions of cars and pedestrians cross railway lines every day.
A train control and signal inspector will usually be responsible for an region like a police officer or fire department and within this area the train control and signal inspector will have to check, maintain and keep running all the lights and signals on a routine basis, but also if anything is reported as out of order by one of the train crew, passengers or anyone else.
Of course, health and safety makes up a substantial part of the duties of the train control and signal inspector, so it is no surprise that they are also frequently responsible for training other members of staff in health and safety.
The public at large as well has to be taught how to cross railway lines safely, because lots of the accidents involving trains occur at crossings.
One of the stupidest accidents that happens time and time again is at crossings without automatic, drop-down railings. Drivers see the flashing warning lights but think that they may have time to cross anyway. Quite a few people die 'running the lights' like this each year - normally teenagers.
Another of the responsibilities of the train control and signal inspectors is to visit these grisly accident scenes and strive to work out what went wrong.
Were the hazard lights flashing? Did the railings come down, if there were any? Is it likely that the driver (or pedestrian) ignored the alerts or did not notice them? Etc..
This knowledge is then collected, studied and used to improve or at least make recommendations about future enhancements to safety features at similar sites. This means lots of paperwork, so an the train control and signal inspector has to be able to deal with this aspect of the job too.
The job of a the train control and signal inspector is quite diverse, so it is an interesting one for the right kind of person. The individuals who are correct for this kind of job can pay attention to detail, commit details to paper, communicate with people well and work long hours. They may also have to travel far, if their area is a rural one
However, the rewards are fairly decent. A train control and signal inspector is well-paid in general terms,although the hours and degree of responsibility justify that. The career is rewarding, knowing that you are making the railways a safer place and so are saving lives as well.
However, these people do not merely work within the confines of the nation's railway stations. They are also responsible for the lights and signals at train-crossings outside the cities, where millions of cars and pedestrians cross railway lines every day.
A train control and signal inspector will usually be responsible for an region like a police officer or fire department and within this area the train control and signal inspector will have to check, maintain and keep running all the lights and signals on a routine basis, but also if anything is reported as out of order by one of the train crew, passengers or anyone else.
Of course, health and safety makes up a substantial part of the duties of the train control and signal inspector, so it is no surprise that they are also frequently responsible for training other members of staff in health and safety.
The public at large as well has to be taught how to cross railway lines safely, because lots of the accidents involving trains occur at crossings.
One of the stupidest accidents that happens time and time again is at crossings without automatic, drop-down railings. Drivers see the flashing warning lights but think that they may have time to cross anyway. Quite a few people die 'running the lights' like this each year - normally teenagers.
Another of the responsibilities of the train control and signal inspectors is to visit these grisly accident scenes and strive to work out what went wrong.
Were the hazard lights flashing? Did the railings come down, if there were any? Is it likely that the driver (or pedestrian) ignored the alerts or did not notice them? Etc..
This knowledge is then collected, studied and used to improve or at least make recommendations about future enhancements to safety features at similar sites. This means lots of paperwork, so an the train control and signal inspector has to be able to deal with this aspect of the job too.
The job of a the train control and signal inspector is quite diverse, so it is an interesting one for the right kind of person. The individuals who are correct for this kind of job can pay attention to detail, commit details to paper, communicate with people well and work long hours. They may also have to travel far, if their area is a rural one
However, the rewards are fairly decent. A train control and signal inspector is well-paid in general terms,although the hours and degree of responsibility justify that. The career is rewarding, knowing that you are making the railways a safer place and so are saving lives as well.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a lot of subjects, but is currently concerned with Polar Express train sets. If you would like to know more about train sets for kids, please go over to our web site for some fantastic deals.
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