The Opportunity
If you're looking for an opportunity to take ownership of live operations and make decisions that have a direct impact on service delivery, this is the kind of role that places you at the heart of the action.
As part of a newly established Service Delivery Centre, you'll join a team responsible for coordinating and controlling freight operations across the South region. Bringing together planning, rostering, and control functions under one roof, the new operation is designed to deliver faster decision-making, greater operational oversight, and improved service performance.
This is more than a traditional control role. You'll be responsible for the real-time running of freight services, making operational decisions, responding to disruption, and implementing recovery plans to keep trains moving safely, efficiently, and reliably.
You'll be part of a newly created operation where processes, standards, and ways of working are still evolving, giving you the opportunity to influence how the control function develops from the outset. At the same time, you'll gain exposure to a complex and operationally critical environment that plays a key role in supporting the movement of freight across the network.
Whether you're an experienced Train Controller or bring transferable control room experience from aviation, emergency services, utilities, ports, or another safety-critical environment, this role offers the opportunity to take ownership, make an impact, and build a rewarding career within rail operations.
Train Controller Responsibilities
Operational Control: Managing the real-time running of freight services, maintaining situational awareness, identifying emerging issues, and making decisions to support safe and efficient operations.
Service Recovery: Responding to disruption, adjusting operational plans, setting priorities, and implementing recovery actions to minimise service impact.
Driver & Operational Communications: Issuing operational instructions relating to departures, routing changes, regulated running, and other operational requirements.
Stakeholder Coordination: Working closely with drivers, depots, planning, rostering, and operational teams to ensure effective communication and coordinated responses to operational challenges.
Incident Management & Reporting: Maintaining accurate records of decisions, communications, and operational incidents while ensuring compliance with operational standards and procedures.
Ideal Train Controller
Real-Time Operational Control Experience: Proven experience managing live operational movement, network regulation, service flow, or control room activities within a fast-paced environment.
Safety-Critical Decision Making: Comfortable making timely decisions that directly impact operational safety, service performance, and business outcomes.
Incident & Disruption Management: Experience coordinating responses to operational incidents, delays, disruptions, or unexpected events.
Communication Skills: Able to communicate clearly, confidently, and concisely with a range of operational stakeholders, particularly in high-pressure situations.
Problem Solving & Prioritisation: Strong ability to assess situations quickly, prioritise competing demands, and implement effective solutions.
Transferable Industry Experience: Relevant backgrounds may include rail operations, aviation operations or flight dispatch, emergency services control rooms, utilities network control, port and terminal operations, or public transport control environments.
Location & Working Arrangements
Location: Swindon
Working Pattern: This role operates on a rotating shift pattern, providing 24/7 operational coverage as part of the Service Delivery Centre team.
Train Controller Salary
£43,252–£57,670 depending on experience.
About Ford & Stanley Group
Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group are in the business of people and performance. Our mission is to create one million better workdays through facilitating great recruitment, leadership and occupational mental fitness. We support our clients in their most challenging business areas – recruiting, developing and retaining the best talent from shop floor to boardroom.
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Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group Ltd is a Disability Confident employer that is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all opportunity seekers. We shall adhere to such a policy at all times and will review on an on-going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. We will treat everyone equally irrespective sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief or political beliefs and we place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy.
Ref: Train Controller
Salary description
£43252.00 - £57670.00 per year