Help needed - PTS - Track work

Alright lads, I am just creating this topic because I'm very interested in doing my PTS test, to work on the tracks as soon as possible.

I am currently in employment, but I am looking into track work, as someone I work with recommended taking a look.

The trouble is at this time I cannot afford to pay the Fee for the PTS test, I believe its in the region of £750 - £800. I've been told that you can ask companies to sponsor you to do your PTS, or have I got it totally wrong?

Is there anybody on here that works on the tracks that could give me a little help? Point me in the right direction so to speak?

Thanks, Shane!

Anybody?

I take it no one has any advice then.

No worries, was worth a try.

Whats PTS? If you were out of work the Welsh Assembly would part fund any training for you. Hope this helps?

The test depends on what your doing on the tracks and how far you want to go with it ie (coshh or basic ac&dc ). My test was about £400 but you need to do a medical first plus drink and drug test just to get accepted onto the course thats another £150 if i remember right .
The medicals are held normally in cathedral road in cardiff , the guys who test you normally come to your area on an arranged couple of days when they have a few bookings . Mine was down the docks by the helipad .
You cant do it without a registered sponsor , a sponsor is a company who is allready pts approved because until they think you have enough experiance to go out you need to be withing a certain distance of an experianced pts worker .your card will have a green patch on to show how experianced you are and you will need to wear blue hard hats at the test due to the practical side being trackside with a coshh . The blue hard hats show other workers you are inexperianced trackside .
The test is very very boring lol but not that hard to be honest as you get to right notes and use them during the actual test .
If i remember right you need a cscs card to do it aswell
Hope that helps

Whats PTS? If you were out of work the Welsh Assembly would part fund any training for you. Hope this helps?

Im sure it stands for Personal Track Safety.

Im currently in work, so I would have to fund it myself, I think.

The test depends on what your doing on the tracks and how far you want to go with it ie (coshh or basic ac&dc ). My test was about £400 but you need to do a medical first plus drink and drug test just to get accepted onto the course thats another £150 if i remember right .
The medicals are held normally in cathedral road in cardiff , the guys who test you normally come to your area on an arranged couple of days when they have a few bookings . Mine was down the docks by the helipad .
You cant do it without a registered sponsor , a sponsor is a company who is allready pts approved because until they think you have enough experiance to go out you need to be withing a certain distance of an experianced pts worker .your card will have a green patch on to show how experianced you are and you will need to wear blue hard hats at the test due to the practical side being trackside with a coshh . The blue hard hats show other workers you are inexperianced trackside .
The test is very very boring lol but not that hard to be honest as you get to right notes and use them during the actual test .
If i remember right you need a cscs card to do it aswell
Hope that helps

Sent you a PM mate.

Shane,
I've been working on the tracks for nearly 12 years, and there are a lot of changes in the way you can get your PTS done. There are now three options of PTS, a 2 day course which allows you to work on certain types of jobs, mostly civils jobs, an extra day added to the 2 day to allow you to work on lines with electrified conductor rails, and a 10 day full PTS with track induction which will allow you to work on jobs which affect track geometry, sleeper changing, re-rails, relays etc....
If you can afford to do the 10 day, you will have more opportunities of being able to get work.
A 2 day PTS is about £300, a 10 day PTS is about the £1000 mark.
You will need to do a drugs and alcohol test and a medical before you can take a PTS course, which is about £150.

Thomasblue has got his wires crossed on a few things he has tried to explain to you, I won't go into detail on what he has got wrong, (no need to show him up).
Some rail training companies can sponsor you to do your PTS course ( but not pay for )( you'll need to pay yourself because your working).
One of the companies that I have worked for can sponsor and train you, they can give you more info, than I can about training dates and prices, and other info you wish to know.

Just call 1st solutions training and recruitment on 0844 5617419 and tell them your looking to do your PTS and want to know how to go about it.

Just message me and I will give you advice if I can.
Ps ( maybe slow getting back to you ).
Ta ra for now!!!!

Shane,
I've been working on the tracks for nearly 12 years, and there are a lot of changes in the way you can get your PTS done. There are now three options of PTS, a 2 day course which allows you to work on certain types of jobs, mostly civils jobs, an extra day added to the 2 day to allow you to work on lines with electrified conductor rails, and a 10 day full PTS with track induction which will allow you to work on jobs which affect track geometry, sleeper changing, re-rails, relays etc....
If you can afford to do the 10 day, you will have more opportunities of being able to get work.
A 2 day PTS is about £300, a 10 day PTS is about the £1000 mark.
You will need to do a drugs and alcohol test and a medical before you can take a PTS course, which is about £150.

Thomasblue has got his wires crossed on a few things he has tried to explain to you, I won't go into detail on what he has got wrong, (no need to show him up).
Some rail training companies can sponsor you to do your PTS course ( but not pay for )( you'll need to pay yourself because your working).
One of the companies that I have worked for can sponsor and train you, they can give you more info, than I can about training dates and prices, and other info you wish to know.

Just call 1st solutions training and recruitment on 0844 5617419 and tell them your looking to do your PTS and want to know how to go about it.

Just message me and I will give you advice if I can.
Ps ( maybe slow getting back to you ).
Ta ra for now!!!!

What did i get wrong ? you just said basically the same as me just in more detail .I said i wasnt sure if he could do it without a sponsor thats all ? tbh i dont think he can anymore
Then again its been a whilst and tbh you prob would know more than me im not trackside anymore mainly station work now so dont use it much, was trying to help the guy slightly seeing as nobody else replied .

Shane,
I've been working on the tracks for nearly 12 years, and there are a lot of changes in the way you can get your PTS done. There are now three options of PTS, a 2 day course which allows you to work on certain types of jobs, mostly civils jobs, an extra day added to the 2 day to allow you to work on lines with electrified conductor rails, and a 10 day full PTS with track induction which will allow you to work on jobs which affect track geometry, sleeper changing, re-rails, relays etc....
If you can afford to do the 10 day, you will have more opportunities of being able to get work.
A 2 day PTS is about £300, a 10 day PTS is about the £1000 mark.
You will need to do a drugs and alcohol test and a medical before you can take a PTS course, which is about £150.

Thomasblue has got his wires crossed on a few things he has tried to explain to you, I won't go into detail on what he has got wrong, (no need to show him up).
Some rail training companies can sponsor you to do your PTS course ( but not pay for )( you'll need to pay yourself because your working).
One of the companies that I have worked for can sponsor and train you, they can give you more info, than I can about training dates and prices, and other info you wish to know.

Just call 1st solutions training and recruitment on 0844 5617419 and tell them your looking to do your PTS and want to know how to go about it.

Just message me and I will give you advice if I can.
Ps ( maybe slow getting back to you ).
Ta ra for now!!!!

What did i get wrong ? you just said basically the same as me just in more detail .I said i wasnt sure if he could do it without a sponsor thats all ? tbh i dont think he can anymore
Then again its been a whilst and tbh you prob would know more than me im not trackside anymore mainly station work now so dont use it much, was trying to help the guy slightly seeing as nobody else replied .

I wasn't knocking you, it was just a few things that you got a little twisted that's all. I didn't go into detail because I can see you were only trying to help. Just maybe trying to put to much information in that's not really needed to know at this point.

Fair point it was a rushed response . The reason i mentioned the blue hats and should have put oranges was because 3 guys turned up without them on my course and failed for it due to not being able to do the practical side so i thought it was relevant seeing as hes just going for it and may not have them ..
I just tried to put a basic reply in to help , if i had time i would go into detail but as you would know theres a lot to learn and would take ages to type properly .

There are places and organisations that can fund you in doing your PTS. But in my experience of hearing these sorts of things it's normally from the unemployed.

You need to do track induction course mate pts will not get you aything
try these
Tracksafe Training & Assessments Ltd
Unit 2, Ely Industrial Estate, Williamstown, Tonypandy, Mid Glamorgan

Tonypandy

CF40 1RA
01443 431265
cost about 1000 with medical they can also provide work

I wouldn't bother the money as gone out of the rails a couple of years ago

Fair point it was a rushed response . The reason i mentioned the blue hats and should have put oranges was because 3 guys turned up without them on my course and failed for it due to not being able to do the practical side so i thought it was relevant seeing as hes just going for it and may not have them ..
I just tried to put a basic reply in to help , if i had time i would go into detail but as you would know theres a lot to learn and would take ages to type properly .

Agree with that.

I wouldn't bother the money as gone out of the rails a couple of years ago

The money never really went, just the amount of work available.
When the credit crunch finally caught up with the rail, companies started taking advantage and dropping pay rates or hours paid.
Things are definatly getting better with major investment and electrification projects.
A lot of it has to do with who you know, if your face fits and being in the right place at the right time, and picking the right road to follow.