As a Crossing Keeper, you’ll play an important role in keeping people safe and trains running on time by managing the safe operation of level crossings across the railway network.
Level crossings connect railways with roads, footpaths and local communities. You’ll operate barriers and crossing equipment in line with train movements, ensuring crossings are closed and secured before trains approach and reopened only when it is safe to do so.
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.
What does a Crossing Keeper do?
You will work independently at a local crossing. Your focus will be protecting the public, supporting the safe movement of trains, and helping to keep the railway running efficiently.
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 has helped millions reach their destinations safely.
Role & responsibilities
Crossing Keeper roles are aligned to our Signaller grades (Grades 1 and 2). Details on this roles Grade and Salary are show in ‘key information’ section (top right) of this page.
As a Crossing keeper you will:
- Monitor crossing activity and respond to changing conditions in real time.
- Close and reopen crossings at the appropriate time to support the safe passage of trains.
- Operate barriers, warning systems and other crossing equipment.
- Use CCTV and monitoring systems to manage one or more crossings.
- Communicate clearly and professionally with Signallers, colleagues and members of the public.
- Make timely, safety-critical decisions when circumstances change.
- Identify faults, hazards or unsafe behaviours and take appropriate action.
- Follow operational procedures accurately and consistently.
- Maintain focus and attention throughout your shift to ensure safe operations.
Specifics of this role
- Check your travel distance from the role location – we do not accept relocators, so you’ll need to be within 60 minutes travel distance of CM4 0BW.
Pay and Benefits
- The FLEXI Crossing Keeper role also attracts a 4% flexibility premium. You’ll also receive an Outer London Allowance of £1,942 per annum.
About the role and the location
- This role sits in the Anglia Route & is a vital safety-critical role at the heart of one of the busiest parts of the rail network.
- Once qualified your primary responsibility is to monitor and operate a level crossing effectively, making real-time safety decisions to allow the safe passage of trains while protecting road users and pedestrians.
About Flexi roles:
- Our railway is always open. This means that you’ll need to be able to work shifts which will include nights, weekends, and bank holiday.
- Our crossing keeper (Flexi) current shift pattern is 12 hours 7am to 7pm & 7pm to 7am. This will include Bank Holiday, Christmas and Sunday Working.
- Rosters are published by 12:00 on the Thursday before the relevant week. Rostered turns falling on Bank Holidays are expected to be worked unless not required.
- As a flexi crossing keeper you will receive a flexibility premium to compensate you for unsocial hours and the unpredictability of the role (see above). Due to this unpredictability, the company has the right to change your rostered shift with a minimum of 48 hour hours’ notice.
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.
This is a vital safety-critical role at the heart of one of the busiest parts of the rail network. Crossing Keepers take control of our crossings and enable our railway to run safely.
Make sure you also check out other Frequently Asked Questions on our FAQs page .
Age; You need to be 18 or over to apply for all our Operations roles. There is no upper age limit.
Right to work; These roles are not eligible for skilled worker visa sponsorship.
Whatever your role you’ll get a personal development plan from day one. As you grow with us there will lots of opportunities to keep learning. From professional development to mentor programmes, industry secondments to funded professional subscriptions, development at Network Rail is built around you.
Discounts
From gym memberships to shopping, wellbeing apps to cycle to work schemes. Whatever you like doing outside of work there’s a discount for it in our benefits platform.
Pension
It’s not just your future at Network Rail we’ll support you with. We’ll help you to prepare for life after work, with free financial advice and a choice of three pensions.
There’s a whole rail network waiting for you. You’ll get 75% off your season ticket to work and leisure travel for you and your family.
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Grade 2 Crossing Keeper employer: NETWORK RAIL
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