Brief Description
Who are we looking for?
As a timetable planner you are tasked with crafting train timetables, carefully analysing and balancing a wide range of factors – ultimately, you make vital decisions that impact on millions of people and organisations.
You will be great at solving complex problems, working as part of a supportive team you will balance the needs of our customers to maximise capacity and performance of the rail network.
About the role (External)
About the function..
System Operator are passionate about capacity. We craft tomorrow's railway to meet future needs of the rail industry. By understanding what the future requirements of the railway are, we can plan the long-term capability of the network, promoting the efficient use of network capacity. We improve the railway for the millions of people who use it every single day.
The routes trains travel, and the times at which they do so, must be carefully and intricately planned. By making sure trains follow the right paths at the right times, we make sure passengers and freight arrive at their destinations safely and on time. This keeps customers happy and supports the national economy. We produce national timetables which cover the journeys of over 20,000 trains, every day and night. Building these plans is a huge task. It's also hugely rewarding.
What does the average day look like?
In this role, you will be building train timetables. Put simply, whether it's getting commuters to work on time or making sure freight makes a clear journey to its depot, you help Britain to run more efficiently.
Constantly assessing timetable data, you'll know exactly what services you can offer. There are several important factors to carefully consider and balance. There are rigorous rules and guidelines to ensure trains are scheduled safely and efficiently that you need to know and follow. You'll need to take account of our critical maintenance and improvement work. Along the way, you'll help us develop innovative solutions to the challenges of complex capacity analysis and optimisation. You'll also contribute to improved ways of working. What's more, you'll speak directly to our customers, explaining and negotiating the best possible schedules for them.
In your first 16-18 weeks you will be part of an extensive training programme where our training team and technical experts will teach you all you need to know. You will be supported by our development specialists with on the job as well as classroom training to help you achieve the competencies to fulfil this exciting and crucial role. On completion of this training, we will award you with a professional accreditation by the Chartered Institute of Railway Operators.
Essential Criteria
·Good analytical skills
·The ability to quickly learn to use sophisticated train planning software
·A flair for negotiation and persuasion
·Ability to engage with customers, and build collaborative relationships with stakeholders
·Experience in delivering to agreed timelines and standards