Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to improve quality of life, by bringing people together to get the most out of life.

SWR is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London. FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier.  FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport.

About the team:

Our people are at the heart of our business! You will be joining a team of people that are dedicated to safety and have a passion for delivering exceptional experiences for our customers.

About the job:

As a Guard you will be the centre piece of our on-board service, going above and beyond for our customers, whilst getting them safely to their destination. Every day you will face new challenges whilst managing the train autonomously, this means you will need to be adaptable and proactive. Our highly skilled Guards need to be safety conscious, self-motivated, personable with the ability to multitask, ensuring that all duties are carried out to the highest standard.  

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Staying alert to danger and ensuring the safety of our customers and colleagues at all times.
• You will be an ambassador for SWR and must strive to exceed our customers' expectations.
• Guards must be visible throughout journeys, proactively helping our customers, ensuring that everyone has a great & safe journey.
• Providing regular announcements, keeping everyone onboard the train up to date with any changes.
• You will manage the operational safety of the train, not limited to; customers safely boarding / alighting the train, safely dispatching the train from platforms & maintaining safety for all passengers whilst on-board.

In emergency situations, our Guards are responsible for getting the right help to the right people, this can mean walking on uneven terrain for sustained periods of time.

You'll need to:

• Be able to multitask and work systematically both in a team environment and autonomously.
• Enjoy interacting with customers and colleagues while going over and above to provide a great customer experience.
• Be able to recognize and act on changing safety and customer requirements.
• Maintain excellent focus and self-motivation for long periods of time.
• Undertake manual handling activities whilst moving through the train & help passengers board / alight the train when needed.

Working pattern:

On average you will work 37 hours per week over 4.5 days.

This will include a mixture of early and late shifts across 7 days. 

Additional Information:

Because we always need to be alert, we have very strict requirements around drugs and alcohol and you will need to pass a medical checking your general health and eyesight to be able to be a guard.

Your travel time to the depot you have applied for must not exceed 60 minutes, as public transport will not always be available, a car is preferred.

You must be over the age of 18 and if applicable, you must have a minimum of 18 months on your visa at the time of appointment. 

If successfully, there will be a period of training in Basingstoke, travel to and from the training centre will be in addition to your working day, however, you will have free travel on SWR services.

Please note that if you are successful at the screening stage you will be invited to attend an assessment in Southampton.  Please note that once a date is agreed you will be sent a complimentary travel invite.

The Reward:

£24,450 per annum rising in increments to £35,257 per annum, after completion of training and a further 12 months fully qualified. Plus, annual regional allowance of £951.

As well as a competitive salary we offer a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employee
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependant)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• An annual leave entitlement of 30 days
• Full training and support with development
• Large range of exclusive retail offers
• Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR. FirstGroup's vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below.  We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/

Please note South Western Railway do not recruit for the position of Conductor, we recruit Guards to manage our trains. You may notice the description of Conductor in assessments, however, the positions that we recruit for are Guards (both Metro & Commercial). This is not a security Guard position, it is similar in role to that of a Conductor.