Career Profile: Signal Maintenance Technician
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Steer your career towards the rail industry with one of these rewarding possibilities.
What is a signal maintenance technician?
The primary objective of the Signal Maintenance Technician is to provide reactive and preventative maintenance of signalling equipment and systems for the rail network.
A signal maintenance technician can also carry out planned maintenance and inspections of train control signalling and associated communications to provide safe reliable operation of the railway.
Signal maintenance technician are the main point of contact when responding to breakdowns and faults.
What might a signal maintenance technician do?
Tasks include:
- Carry out routine inspections and maintenance on the signals and track points
- Testing and commissioning of rail signals
- Attend signalling failures to analyse, repair and report on cause of signal failures
- Perform maintenance and installation of work on signalling and communications equipment either individually or in a team environment
- Conformance testing associated with signalling systems
- After-hours call out, attendance to signal system failures and incidents affecting train services
- Construction and installation of signalling equipment and systems
The type of people
- High-level communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills to work with station staff, contractors, engineers, train crews, clerical staff, yard/depot staff and train controllers.
- Be able to identify and analyse risks, and make corrective actions
- Computers skills to use and maintain administrative systems
- time management skills to schedule work priorities and meet deadlines.
Where and when is the work?
Signal maintenance technicians generally work on signalling and communication equipment to install, repair, modify, test and investigate the signalling equipment and infrastructure ranging from outdoor rail corridors or indoors on computer management systems.
Shifts are generally on a rotating roster – evenings, weekends and public holidays.
What is the pay?
In 2019, the signal maintenance technician salary can vary between $65,000 to $110,000 according to level of skill, experience, employer and geographical location.
Opportunities
To start your career as a signal maintenance technician, you’ll need a training qualification Certificate IV in Electrical Rail Signalling and preferably to have completed a Certificate in Electrotechnology.
Once in the rail industry, to progress in your career, you will need to complete additional studies or authorisations based on operational and state requirements.
With experience, you could become a signalling supervisor or manager.
You may have opportunities to work with rail partners on large infrastructure projects, like the Level Crossing Removal Project, including working on the regional rail and metropolitan rail network.
Contact us
If you have any questions or are interested in finding out more, please contact us:
Email address: railcareers@levelcrossings.vic.gov.au