Who are we?

GWR is the proud custodian of Brunel's railway - one of the most prestigious networks in the world.  We have some of the newest trains in the country and exciting plans to extend our services.   With more than one hundred million passenger journeys each year, we carry people to over 275 stations in the South West, from Cornwall and South Wales to London, passing through beautiful country and some of the UK's top tourist destinations. 

We are transforming the way people think about train travel, empowering our team of over 6,000 people from all different backgrounds to make it a great experience for our customers.  Together, we will revalue rail as a very special way to travel – relaxing, fast, efficient, friendly and fun.

About the team

Working within the Stations Operations Team at Newton Abbot and Totnes, you will be part of a team of Service Delivery Assistants reporting to the Station Manager and Assistant Station Manager for South Devon.

About the job

The Service Delivery Assistant is a key customer facing role that ensures the safety of customers, colleagues and contractors on the station. You must be vigilant of all activity on the station and take action in the event of any unsafe behaviours or conditions observed. You are responsible for the safe and efficient dispatch of train services and managing the platform environment. A key member of the team, you will be involved in all aspects of the station and supporting colleagues in their roles. This is a challenging role that demands great customer service skills, flexibility and an ability to respond to the ever-changing demands of a busy railway station.

This is a unique position which requires a great deal of flexibility from you as the post is classed as ‘General Purpose Relief' which means that the position is there to cover any shortages within Newton Abbot and Totnes platform roster, whether it be through annual leave or sickness, which will mean that your roster will rarely be the same week-on-week. 

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Providing the highest levels of customer service and being proactive to customer needs
• Ensuring the safe and punctual departure of trains from the station, following correct dispatch procedures
• Providing information and assistance to customers
• Ensuring the safety of customers, staff, visitors and contractors is given the highest priority
• Ensuring the cleanliness of all areas of the station especially toilets, waiting rooms, platforms, stairs and subways
• Liaising with other key GWR departments to ensure accurate and timely information is given to customers, especially in times of service disruption
• Some lone working is involved which requires a high degree of self-motivation and confidence. 

You'll need to be:

• Able to deliver exceptional front line customer service
• A Self-starter with a can do attitude
• Confident when decision making
• Able to remain calm yet directive in a crisis
• Able to work to strict procedures

As a minimum you will need to have:

• The ability to work as part of a team or independently
• Evidence of numerical ability
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Experience of working in an environment where safety is paramount 

Location

Newton Abbot is a busy market town within the South Devon region. It has good transport links to the surrounding areas.  During the busy holiday periods due to the area's proximity to many popular tourist locations and venues will see large numbers visit this area.

Additional information 

This is a predictive advert to attract suitable applicants pending approval of future SDA vacancies at Newton Abbot. Candidates successfully shortlisted will be expected to undertake an ability assessment and competency based interview which will take place w/c 14th July 2025.  The successful candidate will be required to meet the medical standards for this role, including colour vision test.

Full training is provided at our Training Centre in Swindon.  Training lasts up to 3 weeks, Monday to Friday each week.  Travel and hotel accommodation will be provided.

The role requires shift working including weekend and bank holidays, and covers 24 hours, 7 days a week on a rolling roster pattern. Earliest start is at 0550. Latest Finish at 2350.

The Reward:

As well as a great team environment and comprehensive training, all GWR colleagues enjoy a range of benefits including on-going development, defined benefit pension scheme, free rail travel across the GWR network for you and your family, company-sponsored health care plan, discounted shopping and gym membership and an employee assistance programme.

We all belong at GWR. This is our vision for providing an inclusive environment for all our colleagues, 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 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 such as 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/