Friends of the Bure Valley Railway

So you think that you would like to be a guard? If you like the public and are confident in dealing with them you have the basics.

However guarding is not just about blowing a whistle and waving a flag – far from it. You, as guard, are in charge of the train and are responsible for the safety of your passengers.

From my own experience I would suggest that your first move would be to call in at the Railway to speak to either Andrew Tunwell or Neal Cummings saying that you are considering training as a guard and asking them to allow you to spend a day with a guard mainly in an observation capacity observing what goes on and chatting to the guard. At the end of the day you will have a pretty good idea as to whether or not you wish to proceed further.

Assuming that you do then advise Neal accordingly and ask for an “availability form” to be sent to you. On this form you are informing the roster clerk of which dates you will be available for in the forthcoming month and in due course you will receive the roster. By now you should have received a copy of the rules book and will have been advised of what to wear whilst under training- basically to be of smart appearance. You will have to do a minimum of twenty operating turns probably with several different guards during which time, as your experience builds up, you will take on more of the guard’s duties, always under supervision. After your twenty operating days have been passed and when you think that you are ready and your guards think the same then Neal will take you for your guard’s exams which includes route and rule knowledge. Sometime before that you will have taken your Line side Competency exam.

Once you have been “passed out” you will be able to guard a train on the Bure Valley Railway on your own.