Signalling and telecommunications (S&T) roles cover everyone who designs, installs, tests and maintains the systems that keep trains safely apart. On Britain’s railways the main groups are installers, signalling works testers (graded from Mod 5 Test Assistant up to Mod 1 Tester in Charge), maintenance testers working to the SMTH, and the engineers and managers responsible for the work.
Key facts
- Testing grades run from Mod 5 (Test Assistant) through Mod 3C (Verification Tester), functional testers (Mod 3BI, 3BL and Mod 4) and Mod 2 (Principles Tester) to Mod 1 (Tester in Charge).
- Two handbooks govern signalling testing on Network Rail: the Signal Works Testing Handbook (SWTH) for new and altered installations, and the Signal Maintenance Testing Handbook (SMTH) for maintenance testing.
- IRSE licences are the industry-recognised way to show competence in S&T roles, with licence categories for design, installation, works testing, maintenance and management.
- Moving from Mod 5 to Mod 1 typically takes two to four years of courses and on-site experience, according to training provider Signet Solutions.
What do signalling installers do?
Installers build and alter signalling equipment on site, from cabling and location cases to signals and points. The IRSE licence categories for installation include:
- Signalling Assistant Installer: works under supervision on installation tasks.
- Signalling Installation Operative and Installation Technician: carry out installation work with increasing independence and responsibility.
- Point Fitter: installs and adjusts the equipment that operates and detects points, such as point machines, back drives and stretcher bars.
- Signalling Team Leader: leads an installation or maintenance team on site.
Above them, installation supervisors and managers plan and coordinate the work, manage the team and interface with the project.
What are the signalling testing grades?
Every new or altered signalling installation must be tested before it is brought into use. Testers work to the Signal Works Testing Handbook:
| Grade | Role | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Mod 1 | Tester in Charge (TIC) | Leads and is accountable for the testing of an installation, including commissioning |
| Mod 2 | Principles Tester | Checks that the design and logic, such as control tables and interlocking, follow signalling principles |
| Mod 3BI, 3BL, Mod 4 | Functional Tester | Tests that equipment and circuits work as the design intends |
| Mod 3C | Verification Tester | Verifies that what has been installed matches the design |
| Mod 5 | Test Assistant | Supports testers; the first step on the testing pathway |
Who carries out signal maintenance testing?
Signalling equipment is maintained and tested to the Signal Maintenance Testing Handbook (SMTH). SMTH testers test signalling equipment after maintenance, faulting and renewal work, such as track renewals that disturb signalling equipment. G110 Authors and Checkers build on SMTH testing competence and prepare and check the testing arrangements for these works. The IRSE maintenance categories include Assistant Maintainer and Maintenance Tester.
Who manages S&T engineering work?
- Contractor’s Responsible Engineer (CRE): accountable for the day-to-day management and coordination of the technical and engineering activities in their discipline on a project, under Network Rail’s engineering management arrangements.
- Engineering managers: the IRSE has management licence categories for installation, testing and design.
How do people show they are competent?
Most S&T roles on Network Rail infrastructure need a relevant IRSE licence, assessed in the workplace by accredited assessors, alongside the track safety competences needed to work on or near the line. Testers also need the relevant Mod competence for the work they are testing.
S&T at RSS Infrastructure
Our Signalling Services team, led by Signalling Manager Deryk Patterson, delivers SMTH works across all Network Rail routes, provides G110 Author/Checker supervisors and lead testing, and supports S&C builds, factory inspections and commissioning handovers. We also have our own IRSE-accredited assessors.
Sources
- Rail Engineer: Signalling maintenance testing improvements
- Signet Solutions: Railway signalling career pathways
- Trackwork: IRSE licence categories
- Network Rail: Station design principles (definition of the Contractor’s Responsible Engineer, PDF)
- IRSE: IRSE Licensing Scheme (licence categories, applying for and checking a licence)
