A typical day operating requires up to 30 volunteers, so if you have a little spare time on your hands why not sign up and become part of Peak Rail.
Volunteer work on Peak Rail is divided into basic sections. Firstly, there is the ‘front of house’ side that deals with the public in roles such as:
- Ticket Inspector – Travel the line inspecting tickets and answering questions
- Ticket Office – Selling tickets and answering questions
- Gift Shop – Serving in the station shop
- Station Tea Rooms – Assisting our catering manager serving hot and cold drinks and food
- On-Train Refreshment Service – serving hot and cold drinks and snacks
- Special Event and Christmas Volunteers
- Raffle ticket sellers – Help raise funds for the Peak Railway Association
These jobs all require contact with the public so you will need to enjoy meeting people and have the patience and friendly disposition necessary to help them enjoy their day. There is a lot of satisfaction to be had from sorting out someone else’s problems especially so when they come back at the end of the day to thank you for a lovely day out. You need to be smart and tidy – our visitors have come to a top-quality attraction and expect to see top quality staff too. Customer care and satisfaction are our top priorities in these positions.
Then there is the side that deals with operating the railway, all these roles below are safety critical and require intensive training so you will also need to pass examinations in any of your chosen position.
- Footplate Crew – Steam Locomotive Driving/Firing/Cleaner
- Diesel Driving/Secondman –
- Signalman – currently we have two operational boxes at Darley Dale and Church Lane
- Guard – responsible to the smooth operation and safety of all aspects of train operation
- Station Master – Rowsley South, Darley Dale and Matlock Platform 2
Please don’t think you are away from the public eye in these jobs as you are an important part of the daily operation of the trains. Customers are inquisitive and really appreciate it when you take the time to talk to them about what you are doing or by helping them to get the photograph they want. A locomotive sitting on the front of a train at Peak Rail so that visitors can speak to the crew and photograph it really makes their day. It is equally important that both you and your train are well presented when they arrive at the station. The cleanliness of trains is often underestimated but goes a long way to enhancing passengers’ enjoyment of their journey.
Lastly, there is the important side that is so often forgotten
- Permanent Way – Track maintenance and repairs
- Station Maintenance – Painting, carpentry and building repairs
- Gardeners and Lineside – Help our maintenance team look after the station gardens and lineside
Not everyone wants to be in the public domain. Perhaps you do that every day in your professional job or maybe you just prefer to work alone or with a small team.
Without the above jobs, there would be no railway for us to enjoy. Many of them give you the chance to get outdoors, learn a new skill and have the satisfaction of seeing the efforts of your labour at the end of the day.
All the tasks provide the opportunity to be part of the railway family and gain the enjoyment of being part of a busy team. For all sorts of reasons, a wide cross section of people (of all ages) find working on the railway not only satisfying, but very fulfilling, making new friends and expanding their social lives alongside the pleasure of a day’s work well done.
For further details about any of these positions please contact our membership department on 07564 308418 or email: membership@peakrailwayassociation.co.uk