Ten minutes with RSSB's Barbara Smith
Barbara Smith, RSSB’s Principal Rail Operations Specialist, talks standards,starters, and Clockwork Orange
I started on Light Railway in 1994, on the Glasgow Subway, still affectionately referred to as the ‘Clockwork Orange’ thanks to the colour of the trains. I began as a station assistant, dealing with customer queries and platform duties. I worked there for two years before becoming a driver.
Glasgow Subway trains areo ATO—automatic train operation. You have to keep very vigilant in that scenario, but while I was in that role I took on a lot of study.
I became a station master first, but then saw an opportunity in the training and development side of the business and the ops management team. It was while I was a trainer, in around 2019, that RSSB came in to help us re-write our Rule Book. We were upgrading our signalling systems at the time, so welcomed their expertise. I got on so well with the people I dealt with that, when a job came up, I applied and was delighted when I got it.
It was! When I look back on it, it was quite a journey, from front line station work to the cab to the training room—all on light rail—and now in a crossindustry organisation focusing on heavy rail. It took a bit of adjustment, as the subway was both an infrastructure manager and a railway undertaking, so I was used to thinking about the railway as a single system.
At RSSB, when I am writing standards, it’s ‘either / or’, depending on who asks for the standard. I found this when working on Personal Track Safety (PTS) standards—to me with my background, PTS was PTS. But when you look from the Network Rail or operator perspective only, there are differences. The risk profile is different, for a start. It will be interesting to see how things change with the move to GBR, as the remarriage of track and train should be familiar to me.
Don't come in thinking that you're going to be in for a year, because you'll get into the work very quickly. I’d also say that it is a mistake for anyone to think that railway work is not skilled work, because it most definitely is. You will beenriched by working on the railway, by solving problems, working as a team. It can be very rewarding—you will meet some amazing people, with so much knowledge and understanding. Think longer term—the railway will be herefor you, and you can build a fantastic career if you listen, learn and apply your learning. The opportunities are all there.
Image credits: RSSB, Adobe stock
