Meet Chloe Asplin, a shift station manager at London Victoria station. Find out how she plays an important role in ensuring the station runs smoothly for its millions of passengers.
Can you tell me a little bit about your career background?
I graduated university with a degree in criminal psychology in 2020, but I always knew I wanted a career on the railway.
I’ve been with Network Rail for two years now. I first worked as a customer service assistant at London Charing Cross station in 2021. During that time, I had an eight-week secondment as a station facilitator. I then became a shift station supervisor in 2022 at London Victoria station and I now work as a shift station manager.
I loved working in the front line at a station, so I decided to work my way up to a shift station manager.
What do you like the most about your job?
I like that every day is not the same. It’s challenging and there are always opportunities to develop and learn further. It’s a lot of responsibility running a major station but I love the challenge.
Can you tell me a little bit about your role day to day?
I manage the day-to-day performance of the station team – that includes staff in security, mobility and reception. The station manager and I work closely together, alongside other shift station manager, to provide support and action to the team.
Holding shift briefings, allocating duties and ensuring they are completed are other important parts of my role. I respond to incidents and emergencies and lead the team during disruption. For example, if a trespasser is reported on the tracks near the station.
I also liaise with our train operator company colleagues and our station team to make sure the correct passenger information is displayed and communicated. We put our passengers first and help them get where they need to be.
What piece of advice would you give to anyone wanting to apply to apply for a role like yours?
Be yourself, be confident and hard work pays off. Thousands of people rely on our railway every single day and it is incredibly rewarding to get people to where they need to be and to deliver a safe and efficient service.
What sort of skills do you need to have to do your role?
There’s lots of different skills needed: adaptability, time management, good communication skills, incident management, collaborative working and conflict management to name a few. You also need to be able to diffuse challenging situations, be good at teamwork, have problem-solving skills and strong customer service skills.
What would you say is a career highlight for you?
Being nominated to be part of Network Rail’s 2023 International Women’s Day campaign was a career highlight. I was nominated under the category Listen, Learn, Improve for my work, my get-up-and-go attitude and for inspiring positivity in my colleagues.
Is it difficult to balance your family and work life?
No, I find Network Rail is good at respecting my time away from the business – whether it be in the evening or annual leave. I know when I finish work, I don’t need to take it home or think about it, answer emails or my phone. We get good annual leave entitlement too.
Which projects are you most proud of working on?
I am the lead at London Victoria for our homelessness project. We have a partnership with The Passage charity who support our street population around the station and regularly fundraise nearby. We can refer individuals needing help to the charity. It is really valuable to then see them get support for accommodation, jobs and turning their lives around.