Home > News > January 2004 > 27-Jan-2004

Tube Lines aims to help combat skills shortage in signalling maintenance

Tube Lines is to spend £7.5 million in developing a specialist technical training centre at its Stratford Market Depot.

According to Tube Lines, developing the centre will enable the company to train 25 specialist signalling engineers every year which will help bridge a national skills shortage in this field.

The centre, to open in Autumn 2004, will provide bespoke signalling training to ensure new and existing Technical Officers have the specialist skills and knowledge required to maintain the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines. Tube Lines decided to take this step when the skills shortage became clear after it took over responsibility for the maintenance and upgrade of the lines in January 2003. It marks the company’s long-term commitment to expand upon and deepen this scarce skillset under its own roof.

Catalis Rail Training has been selected to provide the training in a ten year, £1.8 million contract. Working in close partnership with Tube Lines, Catalis Rail Training will provide specialist trainers and training course material to deliver the Signalling training.

Andy Good, Tube Lines Human Resources Director said: "It is a well recognised fact that the rail industry suffers from a shortfall in trained signalling maintenance staff. Their specialist skills and knowledge are much sought after and whilst we have an excellent body of 85 trained staff we fully intend to grow upon this in-house skill-set.

"With a 30-year commitment and £4.4 billion to invest in modernising the Tube we are now in a strong position to make real changes and bring people into the industry. Our decision to invest in a training centre for our staff is something I am personally really proud of. Bringing in permanent teams of Technical Officers will help secure long-term stability for our business and the rail industry."

Also commenting on this development is Roger Haines, Tube Lines Technical Manager who has worked for the Underground for the past 12 years: "The technical training centre will develop scores of Tube Lines staff in a specialism that can be applied directly where they can be of most benefit – on the Underground. A centre of excellence of this nature is something this industry has been lacking for years."

Tube Lines is about to launch a recruitment campaign to attract people with skills adaptable to signalling systems, and an extensive internal training programme to convert existing employees to fully qualified status in the signals area is already underway. The provision of signalling training at Stratford is the first stage in the
development of a training centre which will provide the complete suite of training courses for all Tube Lines staff in all business areas.

Since taking over responsibility for modernising the three lines, Tube Lines has already recruited an additional 281 employees into various functions across the business.

Training and development books

Discover books on a variety of training and development topics at the Training Reference Bookshop

Source suppliers

Visit the Training Reference Directory to view supplier details for a wide range of courses, products and services.

Sponsored links

Back to top