These are very different people: young people after colleges and technical schools, those who have worked on the railway all their lives. I always dreamed of this job, but I have two children, whom I had no one to leave with, so I had to do different jobs. Once I was traveling by train on vacation and decided to approach the conductor and find out how to get to Russian Railways. She replied that it is enough to complete the courses that are conducted in almost every reserve (as guides call the territorial department, usually located at the end points of the routes - approx. auto).
Perhaps, only long-distance sailors have a worse work schedule than yours...
Everything is not as bad as it seems from the outside. There is no one at home who doesn't want to. And usually guides go on two or three trips (depending on the distance of the route, this is on average from 7 to 15 days) and then spend the same amount of time at home. When production needs arise, management asks to work additional shifts, which can then be taken as days off instead of vacation. It lasts for 20-30 days... Many people categorically refuse, but I quit. I'm more interested in getting extra vacation time than more frequent or longer weekends.
Is it true that you have to pay a tidy sum for employment?
Yes, you will have to spend money. When I first found out about the courses, I refused them - the cost scared me at that time. Only a few years later I finally went to study, paying about 5-7 thousand rubles. In total, with a medical book and other expenses, it came out to about 15 thousand, however, the cost of passing the medical examination was returned immediately after official employment.
What are the responsibilities of a conductor?
We prepare the carriage for passengers - we make the beds, put things in order, are responsible for the cleanliness of dishes, public places, bed linen and towels, hand them over to the laundry at the final stations, receive freshly laundered items, and keep records. Then we meet passengers upon boarding.
We may not even let someone in, for example, drunk people. But this only happened to me once. The old man, who was clearly drunk and had beer flowing from his bag, flatly refused to show his passport and ticket, saying that he had just shown it at the ticket office, but I won’t show it to you! I said that I couldn’t let him into the carriage without a passport and a ticket, but he chased me along the platform with a crutch, seriously wanting to hit me. Naturally, the brawler did not board the train.
After boarding, we check tickets and tell passengers about the opportunities, goods and services that Russian Railways offers, and serve them throughout the journey.
How safe is this profession?
I never had any doubts about this. There are police officers on every train; at every station you can report a rowdy, a drunkard or a troublemaker, and they will immediately take action, including removing you from the train and detaining you.
How to avoid conflicts and improve relationships with passengers?
After each flight, a psychologist works with us. This is called “going to the “Smile”. You get tired, you really don’t want to go there, but you have to. And you leave as if you had a rest from everything that you experienced during the trip. We are taught to recognize different types of conflicting people and find an approach to them. For example, there are very squeamish people who do not hand over their passport. There are those who need to pour out their souls, and they try to attract attention all the way, which makes it difficult to work. But almost always and with almost everyone you can, if not find a common language, then somehow survive the communication.
We establish the first contact – visual – at the entrance to the car when boarding. Then - when we first enter the compartment to check documents. It is important to be polite, tactful, careful in words and actions so that people begin to trust you. There are 40 people in a confined space, with whom they will spend two or three days together. It’s easier to please everyone than to solve problems later.
But often people treat the guide as a lackey. They paid the money, and therefore have the right to do what they want. I have my own ritual: I check the ticket, talk about the services and add a personal request from myself: “Please, when your conductor has locked himself in the service compartment, do not knock unless absolutely necessary. We very, very rarely get a chance to sleep, and when I wake up, I will do whatever you want.” Surprisingly, everyone fulfills this request, even protecting their sleep if suddenly someone from the next carriage tries to disturb the conductor while resting: “What do you need? Just wait, come back in an hour, our guide will sleep a little for now.”
Is there really so little sleep?
This is probably the main problem in the work. At least for me. In general, two people are supposed to travel in a carriage and work in 8-hour shifts, taking turns. But in fact there are not enough people, you often travel alone for several days. There is a catastrophic lack of sleep, you simply collapse after a couple of flights.
There are rumors about fines, loss of bonuses and the need to pay for any loss in the carriage...
No one has ever fined anyone. At least in my memory. Bonuses can be revoked for serious misconduct. You can actually make up for the loss: if you don’t have two towels for three flights, please return them. But I don’t see this as a big problem, it’s natural. As for the inspection in principle, it is carried out before departure, they look at the cleanliness, order, and readiness of the carriage. Practice shows that the smaller the reserve, the more thoroughly they check. In St. Petersburg, for example, they hardly look at all sorts of little things, but in smaller towns, sometimes they even look at the cups to the light so that there are no fingerprints left.
Do you have a plan for selling branded products?
Again, it all depends on the reserve in which you work. In some places it is not necessary to sell at all, in others there is a plan - in each city it is different. But the same psychologist teaches that you cannot impose yourself on people, you only need to offer it once. If anyone needs anything, he will always be there. But in fact, there is also unprofessionalism when the conductor divides all the products into parts and first walks through the carriage, offering slippers and hygiene products, then soft drinks, then sweets and confectionery... This bores the passenger, and he will definitely not buy more.
Do you remember the most unusual case from practice?
From the latter - during bad weather in Rostov-on-Don, when the doors were opened from the platform, water rushed into the carriage. We didn’t expect this at all, we had to quickly wipe everything off... It also happens that they demand or ask us to carry cargo or hand over a parcel. This is strictly prohibited - they check and punish. Taking into account the consequences, you won’t want any money for the transfer; the issue will be resolved up to and including dismissal and administrative liability.
What else are they punished for? Who is contraindicated for work?
Alcohol abuser. Almost all such “amateurs” have already been “asked” from the railway. Also absolutely true - homebodies and...
Why, despite all the shortcomings of the profession, do you, like many others, love it so much?
The railway is like a drug. Once you go on a trip, you can’t stop, it’s addictive. Only people who are madly in love with the road remain here.
What if we put aside the romance?
Many people think that we have romance here... In fact, there is no romance on the trains, it’s just hard and thankless work. But they pay well for it, and you can see the world. We are going, for example, to Adler. I seem to be at work, but I have a few hours to see the city and swim in the sea. I traveled all over Russia: north to Arkhangelsk, east to Novosibirsk. I go on vacation a couple of times a year, and one of them I can go by train anywhere in the country for free.
In addition, in the trade union you can purchase a ticket to a sanatorium and instead of 80 thousand rubles, pay only 17 thousand for it. It's nice. The Russian Railways system has very good doctors, you can get examined in any city and quickly. Since my employment, I have been treated only in specialized clinics, because the result is really better than in ordinary ones. Plus it's free.
By the way, about salary...
It can be very different, it’s even difficult to name the order of the numbers. Assistant conductors in the regions can receive 10-15 thousand rubles, experienced conductors on branded trains with good hours - up to 50-55 thousand rubles. It depends on what kind of reserve you work in, how much time you spend on the road, whether you are traveling alone or with a partner, on the class of the car (reserved seats are cheaper, SV more expensive).
How are the road and personal life compatible?
For some - not at all. On the railway there are many single people, divorced people, those whose children have grown up long ago, or, conversely, young people who do not yet have them. Few people manage to keep their family together while constantly traveling. But someone deliberately earns money: you are away from home for 10-12 days, then the same long weekend, when you can spend as much time as you can with your loved ones. But they know what they are working for - they will get more. But there are also those who find their soulmate right on the train. We play a wedding here, and then they continue to work together. At the request of both spouses, they are not only placed on the same flight, but also in the same carriage.
Does the guide have career prospects or professional development?
After studying, you come as an assistant or junior guide. If you wish, you can work at each level for the rest of your life, but I decided to study further, took advanced training courses within the company, and then another and another. Now I can travel on any type of train - even in a reserved seat, even in SV or branded ones.
There is an option to become a train foreman - this is something like a boss over the conductors. New double-decker carriages have now been launched. It seems that there is twice as much work there, but in fact everything is so systematized and automated that human participation is minimal. I’m afraid that we will soon find ourselves without work, because robots will “assist” us. Although they cannot smile at a passenger, they already cope with many things no worse than the conductor.
When using materials from the site, an indication of the author and an active link to the site are required!
From the point of view of a passenger and an “ordinary” person, the profession of a carriage conductor looks rather primitive: checking tickets, cleaning the carriage, distributing and collecting bed linen, turning titanium on and off, making tea. However, this employee must be the owner of the carriage in all aspects: from posting the carriage number to providing first aid to passengers. Therefore, he must have the appropriate knowledge and skills.
In addition, the conductor of a passenger carriage works not only during the trip itself, but also fully prepares the carriage for it, and then delivers the carriage “safe and sound”.
Places of work
The position of conductor is available in Russian Railways, international railway transport or service and transport companies.
History of the profession
This profession appeared relatively recently - simultaneously with the advent in 1829 and the subsequent development of railway passenger traffic.
Responsibilities of the conductor
The job responsibilities of a conductor in a passenger carriage include a lot of tasks, we will list only the main ones:
- servicing passengers en route (boarding and disembarking, linen, tickets, customs declarations, documents, additional services);
- maintaining the carriage in proper condition (cleanliness, heating, light, water, toilets, etc.);
- providing first aid to passengers;
- accounting of material assets and equipment, preparation of documentation;
- reporting to the train manager.
The conductor of the last car has additional functions - ensuring safety during forced stops and monitoring the serviceability of the tail signal lights.
Requirements for a conductor
The basic requirements for a carriage conductor on a train look something like this:
- specialized education in the specialty “passenger carriage conductor”;
- work experience (however, they often hire a second conductor without experience);
- health book.
On international flights, knowledge of foreign languages may be required.
Trainer resume sample
How to become a guide
Becoming a conductor is quite simple - you need to undergo training at a school, college or technical school in the specialty “passenger carriage conductor”. Sometimes it is enough to complete a three-month course. If you are interested in career growth - for example, to become a train manager, then you will need to get a higher education and work in various sections of the railway service.
Conductor salary
To understand how much conductors receive, it must be said that their earnings are calculated based on the hourly tariff rate established by the government, which currently amounts to 57 rubles per hour. Taking into account the fact that according to the rules of Russian Railways, an employee must rest no less than work - i.e. the ceiling is 15 working days per month, the salary is also limited.
As a result, the average salary of a carriage conductor is around 18,000 rubles per month. The rates are slightly higher only on international flights and on branded trains, of which there are not many.
At the same time, somewhere there are bonuses for fulfilling the sales plan, for length of service, for direction, but this does not really help the situation.
Working as a train conductor is a difficult but interesting profession. Many people have had this dream since childhood - to work as a conductor. The profession is steeped in romance and fantasy. Surely everyone has their own original story about the train conductor.
Any adult citizen, even those without higher education, can apply for this position. What kind of profession this is, why it is attractive and difficult, will be discussed further.
Qualities you need to have
To go to work as a guide, it is important to have certain personal qualities:
Advantages and disadvantages of the profession
A guide, like all professions, has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include:
- the need for the profession in society;
- high on branded trains;
- no age restrictions;
- a large number of different benefits.
The disadvantages of the profession are:
Where and how to study
To find out about the vacancy of a train conductor, you need to contact the nearest branch of the railway station.
The passenger depot trains personnel to service the wagons. For the device, you must contact the HR department with documents. Typically the list of required documents includes:
- passport;
- certificate or diploma;
- employment history;
- a statement that can be written on the spot.
After the documents are accepted, an interview is scheduled with an HR employee or manager. During the interview, it is important to show yourself as an open, sociable person without bad habits. If it was possible to make such an impression and the candidacy was approved, the applicant is sent for training.
Train conductor training lasts three months, training is carried out daily, a full 8-hour day, except weekends. Once the training is completed, examinations are conducted. First, they are accepted. Then the future train conductor is sent to practice - on the first flight, paired with a qualified employee. During the voyage, the student keeps a diary where he records all the events of the journey. It will need to be submitted to the training center. After the trip, a final exam with tickets is taken. When passing the exam with a score of more than three points, the student is considered enrolled in the state.
At the end of the training, the conductor is given a certificate of completion of the course. In addition, to get a job you will need to undergo a medical examination and obtain a health certificate, as well as certification for occupational safety. All documents are provided to the HR department.
Career stages
Immediately after completing training, a train conductor has the third qualification category. And there are four of them in total. The first two are for the cleaners of the passenger train. The third and fourth are for guides. The fourth can be obtained after advanced training. Such conductors usually operate in
A train conductor can rise through the ranks. To do this, you need a higher education or completing a course for foremen. Just below the foreman is the train mechanic, but this position is only for men.
There are also such career levels as shift manager and station manager.
Beginning of work
After training, the guide is ready to start working. He is given a special uniform, which must be kept clean and tidy. A photo of the train conductor demonstrates it.
At the beginning of the first work shift, the contractor forms a team. The guide may be asked which direction he prefers. Perhaps your wishes will be taken into account, but this is not at all necessary.
Flights are:
- long-distance (more than 24 hours);
- local (up to 12 hours).
The local train service schedule is 10 working days, then 10 days off. In long-distance carriages, the schedule is determined by the number of days on the trip.
Before the departure of the flight, a planning meeting is held, where the necessary documents are read out to the conductors and their readiness for the flight is checked. At the planning meeting, the teams are informed about the composition of the teams, given instructions, and asked to sign the necessary logs.
On flights crossing the border, the conductor needs a passport.
At the planning meeting, the conductor is assigned a carriage in which she will need to work. Once in his carriage, the conductor meets an employee there who has worked his shift and is about to go home. The carriage is being accepted. Every little detail is taken into account, because the conductor is personally responsible for the entire carriage.
At a certain hour, the conductor begins boarding. Here it is important for him to act strictly according to the instructions. If passengers express dissatisfaction, the conductor cannot meet them halfway, since he is limited by instructions.
You also need to be very careful when handling tickets. There are fines for any mistakes in the work, so it is in the interests of the conductor to comply with everything and be responsible.
Explorer functions
The work of a conductor includes two directions. The first is service work with passengers. This includes:
The second area of responsibilities is related to car maintenance. The conductor ensures the external and internal cleanliness of the carriage entrusted to him. The carriage is wet cleaned twice a day and the toilets four times. Garbage is removed. When the carriage arrives at the station, the conductor wipes the handrails and loads coal onto the train.
In winter, the conductors clear the carriage of ice and also defrost the toilet and washbasin using boiling water. Their responsibilities include maintaining the required temperature in the car.
The conductor has financial responsibility for all the property entrusted to him (dishes, bedding, all equipment for work), as well as for all breakdowns and damage in the carriage.
Wage
The level of a conductor depends on the number of hours worked. The standard for a month is 176 hours. In addition, odds, bonuses and other additions may be added. On average, a conductor earns from 10,000 to 25,000 rubles per month. In winter, the average salary is 15,000 rubles, in summer - 25,000 rubles.
There are also employees who manage to earn up to 55,000 rubles per month, but this is the exception rather than the rule.
Privileges
Despite the low level of wages and high workload at work, many strive to go to work on the railway. This is primarily due to the benefits that each conductor of long-distance trains has, and the conductors, of course.
These include:
- free delivery from the depot to the station closest to your place of residence;
- annual discounted round-trip rail travel for yourself and two minor children;
- one round trip on your own road.
The trade union can award referrals for treatment, as well as a camp voucher for children. Conductors receive free medical care in special railway hospitals. In difficult situations, the company can pay for the employee’s treatment.
Every five years, good bonuses are provided for loyalty to the chosen cause. They can be 3-4 monthly salaries.
After 20 years of service or more, a conductor retiring also has the right to preferential railway travel.
If you are still interested in working as a train conductor, positions are always open, you just have to want it.