Training

Ptarmigan offer high quality specialist railway commercial training courses at a competitive price.

Ptarmigan courses are designed to ensure staff are fully capable of selling the entire range of UK rail products accurately, impartially and with confidence, in a way that maximises your company’s revenue.

Ptarmigan-trained staff are knowledgeable, courteous and highly motivated teamworkers who will delight your customers and be excellent ambassadors for your company.

Our modular courses can be tailored to include your company’s corporate vision and values.

We ensure that candidates understand where they fall short in any areas and how they can improve their attainment levels.

We offer trainer-led courses on the following topics:

CORE COMMERCIAL SKILLS

• Rail Retailer – UK rail tickets: available in Fujitsu Star, Shere SMART, Cubic FasTis,
  Tribute v10+, Crouzet, and Avantix versions (12-day course)

• Induction for Rail Industry New Entrants – tailored to include your company’s corporate vision and values. Includes modules on Drugs & Alcohol Policy, Health & Safety, Basic Fire Fighting & First Aid, Equal Opportunities and Harassment Policy, rail geography, timetables, fares manuals, security and customer service excellence (4-day course)
  
  
• Revenue Protection Officer – with or without Penalty Fares modules. Includes Successful Presentation of Evidence, Irregular Travel, Conflict Avoidance, gateline operation, Railway Law and Security (5-day course)
  
  
• UK Rail Geography Foundation (1-day course)
  
  
• Accurate and Impartial Retailing (1-day course)
  
  
• Barrier Management – includes station security, customer service and a revenue protection module (1-day course)
  
  
• Rail Journey Information System (RJIS) – available in 1-day (beginner) and 2-day (expert) versions
  
  
• Commercial Introduction for Platform Staff – includes timetables, UK rail geography, how to cross London, disabled etiquette, correct use of wheelchair ramps, engineering notices, crowd control, Passenger's Charter, National Conditions of Carriage and Rail Byelaws
  (4-day course)
  
  
• Retailing Refresher for Managers – an overview of rail retailing for management, available in Fujitsu Star, Shere SMART, Cubic FasTis, Tribute v10+, Crouzet, and Avantix versions (1-day course)
  
  
• Advanced Retailing Skills – refreshes and reinforces clerks’ knowledge of all those ticketing issues they don’t meet every day. Includes Ireland, Isle of Man and Isle of Wight fares, ATOC Mystery Shopping issues, remote origin tickets, Animals & Accompanied Articles, Cycle and Sleeper reservations and more (1-day course)
  
  
• Successful Service Delivery – ideal for bus and rail service delivery managers and supervisors. Includes : customer service, contractor management, successful service delivery, disaster management, tricks of the trade, emergency services, security and a table top exercise
  (1-day course)
  
  
• TRUST and TOPS: a beginner’s guide (1-day course)
  
  
• European Rail geography (1-day course)

TICKETING SYSTEMS

• Fujitsu Star – (2-day course)
  
  
• Shere SMART – (2-day course)
  
  
• Tribute (version 10+) – (2-day course)
  
  
• Cubic FasTis – (2-day course)
  
  
• AVANTIX – (2-day course)
  
  
• Shere Fast Ticket use and operation (½-day course)
  
  
• Oyster Pre-Pay and Handheld Terminal Use (1-day course)
  

SOFT SKILLS

• Delivering Customer Service Excellence – on board or at the station (1-day course)
  
  
• Retail and Sales Skills (1-day course)
  
  
• Up-selling – how to build sales in the field: suitable for onboard catering crews and ticket office clerks (1-day course)
  
  
• Disability Awareness – includes What is Disability?, disabled etiquette, arranging assistance, correct use of wheelchair ramps, DDA compliance (1-day course)
  
  
• Retailing to Disabled Customers (1-day course)
  
  
• Public Address Excellence – Ptarmigan’s award-winning public address course ensures you know what to say and just how to say it in a multitude of different scenarios. Ideal for traincrew, station staff and station announcers (1-day course)
  
  
• Conflict Avoidance – stay safe in the workplace and enhance your customer service skills. This course shows you how difficult situations arise and how to avoid them (1-day course)
  
  
• Basic IT skills: includes Introduction to Windows XP/2000, using Word and Excel, using the internet and sending/receiving e-mails (1-day course)
  
  
• Foreign Language Skills for Transport Staff (1-day course), choose from: French, Spanish, German and Italian
  
  
• Train the Trainer course (1-day course)
  
  
• Presentation Skills and Public Speaking (1-day course)

HEALTH & SAFETY

• Personal Track Safety (2-day course)
  
  
• Guard's Rules (15-day course)
  
  
• Platform Dispatch Staff Rules (4-day course)
  
  
• Traction Training (1-5 days)
  
  
• Train Evacuation training for non-traincrew – includes dealing with fires on trains
  (1-day course)
  
  
• Track Appreciation (1-day course)
  
  
• Introduction to Signalling for non-operational staff (1-day course)
  
  
• Basic Food Hygiene (1-day course)
  
  
• Railway Rules Appreciation (2-day course)
  
  
• Manual Handling (1-day course)
  
  
• Fires and Emergency Procedures (1-day course)
  
  
• Basic Health & Safety includes Manual Handling, Security, Train and Station Safety Awareness (1-day course)
  
  
• COSHH Appreciation (1-day course)
  
  
• REHIS Food & Hygiene
  
  
• REHIS Health & Hygiene

MANAGEMENT TRAINING

• Management Development: Turning Managers into Leaders (3 modules)
  
  
• Internal Check Foundation (1-day course)
  
  
• Team Building Skills (1-day course)
  
  
• Environmental Awareness for the Rail Industry – how green are you? (1-day course)
  
  
• Railway Studies – a short series of 1 day courses
  
  
• Railway Experience Course (3-day course): this highly practical course provides an introduction to the basic operating procedures of a railway and is designed for all levels of staff, including managers, trainers and graduate entrants who require a basic understanding of the operational railway. The course is particularly suitable for those entering the rail industry for the first time, as it provides an awareness of industry requirements, enhancing effectiveness and contribution. The programme includes Signalling Appreciation and Train Movements, Track Appreciation, Managing Emergencies, Basic Logistics, Radio Protocols, SPADs, Introduction to Maintenance Requirements, Industry Bodies, TOCs and UK Rail Geography. The course offers a balanced combination of theory and practical skills learnt by ‘hands-on’ working on the railway, making this a unique and effective learning experience. It allows the principles being explained and demonstrated to be aligned to the delegates’ own workplaces.
  

All courses can be tailored to include your company’s corporate vision and values,including any other specific modules of your choice.

We can create and deliver new courses at your request – please ask for details.

All courses are offered at your premises or ours, or we can arrange suitable venues.

Courses are suitable for a classroom-based event with up to 12 delegates, but we are happy to visit smaller groups in the workplace where appropriate.

Call us now on 020 8878 6313 or 01738 493962