Crossing Keepers
Play a vital role in moving passengers and freight through the UK.
Take control of our crossings and enable our railway to run safely.
What is Signalling?
Signalling is how we keep thousands of trains moving safely across our railway. Our Crossing Keepers keep track of trains, maintenance work and any unexpected issues to ensure the safety of our passengers, the public and our colleagues. They operate across rural footpath crossings to high-tech public road crossings to reduce the risks that level crossings present.
Without signalling, our railway wouldn’t function.
What does it involve?
As a Crossing Keeper, you’ll be responsible for controlling the movement of crossing barriers along your section of track. Raise barriers to let the public cross tracks when safe, maintain barriers and other crossing equipment to ensure safety, and respond quickly to any faults or risks with effective solutions. You’ll need to react to difficult situations and be comfortable challenging unsafe behaviour.
Our Crossing Keepers work a variety of shift patterns, including nights, evenings, weekends and bank holidays, and you’ll usually be working alone. It’s not for everyone – but you’ll finish the day knowing the work you’re doing have helped millions reach their destinations safely.
Your Training Matters
You’ll be continuously assessed throughout your first 3 years as a Crossing Keeper at Network Rail. In your first month as a Crossing Keeper, you’ll undertake some classroom-based training where you’ll learn more about our railway and how to ensure the safety of our passengers, staff and yourself. After this, you’ll be learning on the job at one of our Rail Crossings where you’ll be taught everything you need to know to become an independent Crossing Keeper.
As a Crossing Keeper, you’ll go home knowing you’ve kept our passengers and colleagues safe each day.
Is it right for you?
You don’t need any specific experience to start a career as a Crossing Keeper. It’s more important that you’ve got the right transferable skills and behaviours. Here are the key non-technical skills that matter in this role.
- Communication – You’ll need to be able to communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in written format, and comfortable delivering safety critical information to colleagues in a clear, structured way.
- Willingness and ability to learn – You’ll be motivated to develop yourself, retaining, applying and sharing knowledge and skills. It’s about the drive to maintain and develop your own skills, recognising that there are always opportunities for improvement.
- Working alone – You’ll need to be comfortable operating efficiently and making safety critical decisions alone.
- Working with Others – You can build key relationships with people internal and external to Network Rail, enabling us to work together to get the job done safely and effectively.
- Decision Making – You can make risk-based decisions in a timely fashion, to maintain a safe and efficient running railway.
- Conscientious – You’re able to work diligently, deliver high quality work through following procedures, and be willing to take responsibility for your actions. You’ll work in accordance with the standards, by taking a systematic and thorough approach to what you do without the need for constant supervision.
- Attention Management – You’ll be able to remain alert and focussed, to manage distractions, and keep an awareness of the overall situation.
- Workload Management – You’ll be able to prioritise demands, analysing information coming from a number of sources, carry out multiple tasks quickly, sometimes at the same time and switch your attention between tasks and sources.
- Controlled Under Pressure – You’ll be able to think in a controlled manner under pressure, effectively dealing with stressors, and adapting to changeable conditions
Feel like a match?
Safety matters
We’re committed to keeping our tracks, staff, and passengers safe, so it’s important that you’re always alert when you’re working as a Crossing Keeper. To help manage fatigue, you must live within a 60-minute commute of your chosen location, excluding any public transport. When you apply, you’ll be asked to confirm that you are able to commute to your chosen location, whether by car, bike or foot, in under 60 minutes.
If successful, you will be required to undergo and pass a drugs and alcohol test. All positive drugs and alcohol test results for prospective candidates will be securely held on Sentinel database and a 5 year suspension from applying for a safety critical role, a role which requires PTS certification or a Key Safety role on Network Rail Managed Infrastructure will be enforced.
Our Grades and Salary
As our Crossing Keeper roles are very similar throughout the railway, when you join us as a Crossing Keeper you will be in a grade 1 role, and you will join us on a salary of £29,364.
As a Crossing Keeper, whilst you’re not able to progress to a higher grade in the same role, you will have a career pathway into Signalling roles within Network Rail,. If you decide that you would like to progress into becoming a Signaller, we’ll support you in this process.
Our Application Process
Our application process is very similar no matter which role you apply for. As part of your application, you’ll go through a number of stages, including online testing, a safety and risk questionnaire, and an interview. We’ll keep you updated about your progress throughout the recruitment process. And we’ll keep things moving as quickly as we can.
If you have any questions about our application process, or are looking for some tips, you can visit our Top Tips page.