Rail switchperson to shunter
A rail switchperson already meets 20% of what the shunter role asks for. The move turns on 26 required skills not yet in the profile.
83.9/ 100
1 How much of what a shunter is expected to do is already part of a rail switchperson’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the shunter role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A shunter role treats 7 of its required skills as things a rail switchperson already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- enforce railway safety regulations
- follow switching instructions in rail operations
- operate railway switches
- operate switching locomotives
- shunt inbound loads
- shunt outbound loads
What stands in the way is 26 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A shunter role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a rail switchperson background worth leading with.
- already held follow switching instructions in rail operations communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held operate switching locomotives working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held operate railway switches working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held shunt rolling stock in marshalling yards working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held shunt outbound loads working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held enforce railway safety regulations assisting and caring
All 7 carried skills, including the 7 the shunter role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 32 missing skills fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn perform wagon coupling required
- still to learn control train movement required
- still to learn operate railway communication systems required
- still to learn operate railway warning systems required
- still to learn perform maintenance on locomotives required
- still to learn drive vehicles required
- still to learn operate radio equipment required
- still to learn operate railway vehicles required
- still to learn test the braking force of trains required
- still to learn assess railway operations required
- still to learn check train engines required
- still to learn read railway circuit plans required
- optional, not held compare shipment contents with waybill optional
- optional, not held keep written records of cargo optional
- still to learn rail infrastructure required
- still to learn mechanics of trains required
- still to learn principles of mechanical engineering required
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring plans optional
- still to learn comply with railway safety standards required
- still to learn oversee operational safety on trains required
- still to learn deal with challenging work conditions required
- still to learn perform rail track inspections required
- still to learn perform routine maintenance on railway engines required
- still to learn dangers of marshalling activity required
- still to learn train operating procedures required
5 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a shunter role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 perform wagon coupling practise this
- 02 test the braking force of trains practise this
- 03 use hand signal for transport procedures practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 7 skills that carry over
- already held enforce railway safety regulations skill
- already held follow switching instructions in rail operations skill
- already held operate railway switches skill
- already held operate switching locomotives skill
- already held shunt inbound loads skill
- already held shunt outbound loads skill
- already held shunt rolling stock in marshalling yards skill
The 5 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn railway framework legislation required
- still to learn use hand signal for transport procedures required
- still to learn physical characteristics of railways required
- still to learn operate railway control panels required
- optional, not held assist in the movement of heavy loads optional
- optional, not held load animals for transportation optional
6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held compare shipment contents with waybill optional
- optional, not held assist in the movement of heavy loads optional
- optional, not held keep written records of cargo optional
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring plans optional
- optional, not held load animals for transportation optional
14 held skills the shunter role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply signalling control procedures skill
- not needed by the target role cooperate with colleagues skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with railway regulation skill
- not needed by the target role execute working instructions skill
- not needed by the target role follow strict level crossing operating procedures skill
- not needed by the target role handle stressful situations in the work place skill
- not needed by the target role keep task records skill
- not needed by the target role level crossing regulations knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage rail yard resources skill
- not needed by the target role operate railway lever frames skill
- not needed by the target role signal box parts knowledge
- not needed by the target role use handbrake skill
- not needed by the target role use rigging tools skill
- not needed by the target role use waterway traffic control systems skill
9 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn dangers of marshalling activity required
- still to learn physical characteristics of railways required
- still to learn rail infrastructure required
- still to learn railway framework legislation required
- still to learn train operating procedures required
- still to learn mechanics of trains required
- still to learn principles of mechanical engineering required
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held electrical wiring plans optional
Other moves recorded from rail switchperson
Common questions about this move
Can a rail switchperson become a shunter?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A rail switchperson already covers 20% of what a shunter is expected to do: 7 skills carry over, 7 of which the shunter role treats as required.
What skills does a rail switchperson need to become a shunter?
26 required skills are missing, plus 6 optional ones. They fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is perform wagon coupling.
How hard is the move from rail switchperson to shunter?
Its learning distance is 83.9 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.