Transport Planning/Management

[142094]

Hi,

I'm just wondering if anyone on the forums is involved in or has this job type. I spent a good 3 months at Metro in Leeds on a summer placement, which was very interesting. If anyone has got any more info on aspects of the job I'd be very grateful to hear it.

Shaun

 

[Mojo]

There are a number of people on the forums who do this as a University degree. Is this what you had in mind?

 

[142094]

Sure is, I'm currently in my 2nd year as an undergraduate at York, and I'd like to do a Masters probably back at Newcastle. At the minute I'm trying to get work experience for the summer holidays to beef up the CV. Netowrk Rail look to have a good graduate recruitment programme, as do TfL and some of the other PTEs, and they don't seem to have been too much affected by the recession.

Just wondering what type of work people in this field do as it looks very varied. Hopefully I'd like to get into the railway side of it but just depends on where the work is.

 

[Mojo]

Plenty to do, and it depends what side you can get into. Most of it seems to be geared to the more logistics side of things (eg. lorries and deliveries for supermarkets), but if you have good skills there are opportunities in transport planning (in areas such as sustainable development), the DfT & local authorities, planning for private companies (eg. train planning for TOCs) and general management (eg. station manager).

Be careful with NR and other engineering/infracos as many of the posts are after engineering people to manage engineering programs that could otherwise be the same for any other large construction project.

 

[142094]

Yeah, searching for "transport planning" jobs on the JobCentre website always seems to come up with HGV and haulage companies. Ideally I'd like to work for Nexus and the Metro, but their intake is very small compared to Network Rail. I quite enjoyed the 3 months in Leeds, although this was more to do with planning applications than transport planning itself. The rail development team there looked like a very interesting section to work for.

 

[Mojo]

I'd just added another paragraph to my original post before you read it.

Don't forget though that many of these graduate jobs are open to people from all areas; traditionally transport planners come from a civil engineering background, and managers could easily be business, geography or philosophy students.

 

[142094]

NR are taking some on for contracts/procurement and also project management, which would obviously be different than transport planning itself, but would be a good option to leave open. Nexus took on one transport planner this year, and TfL are taking some on next year. There does seem to be the jobs around, but would mean I'd have to move for a few years.

I'm doing Environmental Science, which is kind of geography, but is accepted for some jobs. I'm not entirely sure if places look for a BSc or an MSc straightaway, some seem to have their own systems for training upto MSc level, whereas some just state "graduates".

 

[bluenoxid]

It's going to be tough. My dissertation tutor is prediciting a major dry up of roles in the next few years. Some companies have pulled their Trans Plan graduate roles this year and will be making another decision in early 2010 about whether anyone will get them.

 

[brock]

Hi,

the best resource for Transport Planning is 'Local Transport Today', a fortnightly publication with a transport planning recruitment section.

'Local Transport Today', also has an A - Z list of Consultants and Specialists in the Transport Planning sector, you should send them you cv, as many of the consultancies are interested in taking on graduates,

 

[Mojo]

I too can recommend LTT - it's an excellent publication, if you go to their website you should be able to get a free trial.

 

[142094]

Used to get it at work, was always a good read. I'll probably get a subscription, would come in handy.

Re bluenoxid: There was some chatter at work, they used to find interns using the Transport Planning Society as a middle man, but last year TPS wasn't offering any so Metro went the direct route and advertised the role by themselves. They've just taken on one transport planner for a year, but they weren't sure about next year.

I graduate in 2011 so hopefully there will still be opportunites around then. I would prefer to stay up north but would be happy to go down to London if I had to.

 

[jackfrost]

I hear Network Rail are desperate for planning staff at the moment as they are moving their headquarters to Milton Keynes and not everyone wants to move so they are leaving.

 

[The Planner]

Fully staffed up now apparently, loads of the new starters are already on their training courses.