The PTS Card, or Personal Track Safety Card, enables individuals to legally secure railway jobs on or nearby United Kingdom Network Rail train tracks. The card is issued by Network Rail’s chosen identity card scheme, called Sentinel. The Sentinel card is valid for 5 years, and it is the doorway to TFL careers, network rail careers, HS2 careers, and other rail jobs. But the PTS card endorsement is only valid for 2 years, after which the worker will have to do a PTS refresher course. The Personal Track Safety Course, or PTS Course, covers a series of safe working practices that protect workers against being hit by trains, electrocutions, trips, and falls. Having a PTS card makes you more employable within the railway. If you’re new to Track Safety, it’s best to start by knowing what a PTS card actually is. Technically, when people refer to the PTS card, they’re really referring to having the PTS competence on their Sentinel card. Anyone looking to work on or near the railway line requires a Personal Track Safety card, which is obtained by completing the Initial Personal Track Safety Course, or PTS, from an approved training provider. When you’ve completed your PTS course, your Sentinel profile will be updated, and updates will be uploaded to your Sentinel card to reflect your new competence, allowing you to access work trackside. Who Needs a PTS Course? Any rail staff who wants to work near or on the railway line in the UK will need a PTS card to do so. It is not possible to work trackside without it. This will need to be presented to the Controller of Site Safety (COSS) via your Sentinel smartcard to gain access. How Long Is The PTS Card For? Currently, Personal Track Safety competencies are valid for two years, at which point you’ll need to take a PTS Renewal or re-certification course, which will take one full day to complete, unlike the initial PTS course, which lasts for 2.5 days. How Much Does the PTS Card Cost? If you’ve never taken or completed a PTS course before, you’ll need to take the PTS Initial, which will consist of e-learning modules and a practical day being tracked before being certified. The cost of this course is about £200.00. If you already have taken a PTS course but it has expired and need a renewal, the cost is about £15.00. How to Apply for a PTS Card You need PTS sponsorship—this can be the rail company you work for, a company you would like to work for or a rail recruitment and training company. You will need to undergo and pass a medical, drugs and alcohol test before attending a PTS course. Attend and pass the Initial Personal Track Safety course. This will be 2.5-day course covering a practical and written exam. Upon passing both exams, you’ll need to provide proof of your ID and 2 passport photographs. Your Sponsor will initiate proceedings to order your Sentinel card, which can take up to 11 working days to arrive once the order has been placed. Training Course for the PTS Card As part of obtaining your Sentinel PTS card, you need to complete the Initial Personal Track Safety Course. The training course takes 2 days to complete. By the end of the training, you should have an understanding of the Sentinel Scheme and how the Track Safety Handbook is relevant to you. The contents of the Initial PTS Course will help you stay safe and maintain a safe working environment around tracks. The units include: Introduction to working on the track Accessing and Exiting the Track Working Safely Communication and Teamwork skills Emergency Procedures safe system of work AC Electric Equipment DCCR Electrification Equipment Network Rail E-Learning module for PTS Before taking the Initial PTS Course, you are required to complete a network-based learning module. This will be sent by your training provider once you have booked your course. The Initial Personal Track Safety Course is assessed by both a practical assessment and a written assessment. You will need to pass both to pass the course. Course eligibility To be eligible for the Initial PTS Course, you will need to be above the age of 16, have passed a medical test and a drug and alcohol screening, as well as have a sponsor from an approved company. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a Personal Track Safety (PTS) card, which shows your competence to work track-side. You will need this to apply for your PTS Card from Sentinel.
Getting a network rail pts job becomes easy once you have your PTS card
