You will need

• - application form for admission;
• - medical certificate;
• - 6 photographs 3x4 cm;
• - copy of passport;
• - a copy of the work book;
• - a copy of the education document (certificate, diploma);
• - copy of TIN;
• - a copy of the pension insurance certificate;
• - military ID;
• - a copy of the medical policy.

Instructions

Find out about the opportunity to undergo training as a railway car conductor at your local Russian Railways, in the personnel department of the passenger depot. You can get it in specialized educational institutions(colleges, schools) or at short-term conductor courses organized at railway universities or colleges. In educational institutions, obtaining a profession will take 9-10 months. Courses depending on curriculum, can last 1-3 months. Women aged 18 to 45 with secondary education are also accepted for training. But it is better to clarify the conditions directly upon admission. In most cases, future guides are trained completely free of charge.

Sign up for a preliminary interview. You do not need to take any exams to enroll in the courses, but it is important to make a good impression on the admissions committee. The future guide must give the impression of a balanced, responsible and careful person. Pass the medical examination and pass everything necessary documents. The guide must be in good health and resistant to stress. Be realistic about assessing your own health.

After studying the theoretical part, you will have to get acquainted in practice with the structure of the carriage, the duties of the conductor, and then pass exams, after which you will be allowed directly to work. Complete an internship while traveling with a guide. Before the internship, fill out a health certificate and go through all the necessary doctors. After successfully completing the internship, you will be awarded a 3rd class railway carriage conductor certificate. As a rule, conductor courses provide assistance in finding a job (both temporary and permanent).

With your conductor ID, you can contact any Russian Railways branch and find out about available vacancies. After completing advanced training courses two years later, increase your rank to 4th, which will give you the right to travel on branded trains and will have a positive impact on wages.

Sources:

• Moscow Railway College
• how to find a job as a conductor

The conductor of a railway carriage is a complex and interesting profession simultaneously. It is surrounded by a certain romantic aura and there are many rumors and speculations about this work. In fact, any adult can try himself as a guide after he has undergone special training. So what are the responsibilities of a passenger carriage conductor on Russian trains?

Passenger service along the way

In short, the main responsibility of the conductor is to ensure maximum passenger comfort during the entire trip. At first glance, it may seem that there is nothing complicated in this work. However, there is a whole list of functions adopted by the management of Russian Railways, which each conductor is required to perform.

First of all, this is checking tickets when passengers board the train. If necessary, the conductor is obliged to provide assistance during boarding and disembarking from the carriage.

The conductor is obliged to collect and check the bed linen no earlier than half an hour before arriving at the destination station. Providing bedding to newly arrived passengers is also included in the list of responsibilities of the conductor. People are already accustomed to the fact that they have to line the shelves on trains themselves. In fact, if desired, this work can be done by a conductor. This service is also included in the list of his responsibilities.

At least three times a day, the conductor is obliged to walk through the carriage and offer passengers tea, coffee and confectionery. Passengers have the right to order drinks at any time of the day, and a Russian Railways employee must bring the order directly to the passenger seat.

The conductor must, at the request of the passenger, provide him with the opportunity to charge his mobile phone, call a waiter from the dining car and bring drinking water (hot or cold).

After 23.00 and before 06.00, the conductor’s responsibilities include organizing and maintaining silence and waking up passengers at least half an hour before their arrival at their destination.

Maintaining order in the carriage

In addition to serving passengers, the conductor must constantly monitor the vestibule and the carriage. The titanium must be at a certain temperature around the clock so that there is always hot water.

The conductor's responsibilities include mandatory wet cleaning of the carriage, toilet and vestibule several times a day. He also needs to check and replenish hygiene products in the toilets every hour: soap, toilet paper, paper towels. At technical stations, the conductor must take out the trash. The conductor wipes the handrails in the vestibule before arriving at each station, and monitors the cleanliness of the signs on the car.

Winter is the hardest time. At this time of year, the responsibilities of guides expand. Now he also needs to maintain the optimal temperature in the carriage, and regularly clear the vestibules and filling pipes of snow and ice, as well as flush the toilet and sink drains with boiling water.

It should be remembered that conductors also carry financial liability for the carriage entrusted to him, and he will have to compensate for all kinds of damage and losses from his own pocket.

Every time we go on a business trip, travel, visit relatives or friends, we use the services of companies that provide passenger transportation. One of the most popular is the Russian Railways company, since traveling by train is the most budget option. Such trips are usually long-term and take several days, but how much romance there is in each of them!

Along the route, passengers are necessarily accompanied by conductors, who, contrary to the opinion of many people, bear enormous responsibility for everyone who travels in the carriage. However, there are many advantages to this profession. Reconomica I talked with an experienced passenger carriage conductor and in this article tells the story of Stella, who described in detail her entire path in the profession from the beginning to the present day.

Profession PPV

Hello, my name is Ivasyuk Stella Semyonovna, I am 28 years old, I am a conductor of a passenger carriage. My place of work is the passenger carriage depot of Khabarovsk, LVChD -1. My work experience is 5 years.

A passenger carriage conductor is a very responsible and complex profession. It contains a whole combination of skills. I must be a sociable person, vigilant along the way and, above all, a subtle psychologist who knows how to find a common language with different categories of people.

It often seems to an ordinary passenger that our job is small - to check a ticket, bring a bed and offer hot tea. But in fact, the duties of a guide also include a lot of other concerns in addition to the generally accepted service.

Throughout the entire route, you need to listen to your car, each wheel pair, in order to identify a slide or chip in time; monitor electrical equipment and water supply; heat titanium in a timely manner and monitor the water level in it; fill out the train log and prevent passengers from passing the station; bear responsibility for the failure of the stop valve and be ready at any moment to become a signalman during an emergency train stop.

Khabarovsk.

A small start to a long journey

For those who want to put on a railway uniform, I would like to advise you to look inside yourself and understand: could you clean up the waste of unscrupulous citizens (there are a lot of different cases)? Are you ready to restrain your emotions during inappropriate behavior of a passenger? Would you find a smile in response to boorish treatment?

The profession itself is not as difficult as the difficulties that people cause.

And if you are still ready to join the ranks of those “traversing the country,” then there is little work left to do. Training does not require huge costs, time and effort. I took PPV courses at state university railways (DVGUPS) for 3 months. There are a lot of railway technical schools in Russia that provide this type of training on a paid basis. In total, no more than 30 thousand rubles came out.

Knowledge, of course, was also rammed into my head using the express method. It was necessary to learn a huge amount of material, starting with the basic provisions, the structure of the car (malfunctions, equipment, electrical equipment, heating system) and ending with a decent list of various fire extinguishers and train documentation.

Wheelsets are a must-learn.

Getting settled on the railway

Finding a job in your specialty is not the easiest task. Despite the huge staff turnover in in this direction, the employer does not seek to hire people without work experience.

Therefore, a little advice for those who have nevertheless chosen this track: when choosing PPV courses, focus on ensuring that subsequent employment is provided for.

This condition guarantees that after completing the training and passing all exams you will be provided workplace. But, as a rule, you can’t do without a small “but”. The medical commission is the root of evil and staff rejection. Medical workers at railway hospitals are very great comedians who love to organize various quests and runs from one floor to another. You must be ready to open every corner of your body, soul and brain to them, usually more than once.

I would also like to add that all costs for the medical examination will be refunded to you in a short time. Regarding monetary relations, here railway I have to give it my due. In five years of work, I have not encountered delays in salary payments.

Flight

Before setting off on a long journey, the conductor needs to accept a shift. Together with the delivery team, my partner and I must count all the inventory. The number of mattresses and pillows, buckets, brooms, dustpans, and also check the presence of all glasses, cup holders and spoons; inspect the boiler room and water supply system; accept tea products on delivery note and a mountain of bags with clean bed linen; make sure that all train documentation and signaling equipment (flags, flashlights, firecrackers) are available; check seals for integrity; supply the carriage with coal and water. All this must be completed in a certain amount of time before the train is sent to the station.

You must bring your own person to the start of passenger boarding. appearance clean up and dress in appropriate uniform.

Along the way, across the expanses of Russia, I had the opportunity to see and experience a lot. The most common thing I had to deal with was drunken rowdy behavior. As a conductor of a reserved seat carriage, I have seen my fill of such concerts. I am glad that most of the passengers are still normal, friendly people. Thanks to my profession, I have made acquaintances and friends in different cities of our country.

A break before landing.

Negative points

There have also been quite sad cases in practice, for example, suicide. Some citizens, following the example of Anna Karenina, create a lot of problems. After an emergency stop of the train, I, as the conductor of the tail car, have to walk a kilometer to install signal firecrackers on the rails. In the winter season this is not the best activity. In addition, a train delay leads to indignation of passengers and a huge loss of money for every minute of downtime. Also in old-type carriages in winter period There is a pressing problem - the toilet. Armed with a heating pad with boiling water and a crowbar, I, shivering from the cold, beat off and warm up the ingenious invention at almost every major station in the frozen country. And this is not all the “delights” of our work.

On the railroad, for every worker there are five bosses, and everyone pulls the blanket on himself. During the one-way trip alone, respected auditors visit at least four times.

Salary

The most enjoyable moment in any job. The railroad pays workers decently and has no habit of delaying timely payments. Average income conductor fluctuates around 25 thousand. A lot depends on the season and the number of hours worked. It also matters what time of day you were on shift. Night hours are paid more. My partner and I divided the day in equal parts: from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. - my shift.

Northern bonuses are paid depending on the area of ​​employment. Auditors also play a very important role: the shortcomings they find negatively affect salaries. Missing inventory will also be deducted from your total.

But for all the disadvantages there are also advantages. Russian Railways provides a full social package, additional payments at the birth of a child and free travel to railway transport, and once a year a free trip around Russia is provided for the whole family.

Prospects

If you want to work and advance your career, you have a good chance of becoming a train manager. Higher education and work in different sections of railway traffic are sufficient components for growth.

On average, 5 years is enough to leave the working compartment and move to the staff car.

The salary also gets increased, as does the list of new responsibilities.

Romance or torment

In general, of course, the job has both its pros and cons. I consider it a good bonus to be able to see your country, the vastness of forests and rivers, the grandeur of cities and the variety of train stations, to meet interesting people and just plunge into the Russian Railways system.

Everyone chooses what they like. As for me, being a passenger carriage conductor is not a dream profession. Difficulty and constant stress, frequent absence from home and, as a result, absence of family. All this does not have the best effect on health and mental balance. But if you are the opposite of my type, capable of finding a way out of different situations, enjoying sudden adventures, then this is your path. Feel free to jump into the car and move forward without regret.

Conductor work many people find it romantic - long-distance trains, different cities and random interlocutors. It’s not difficult to get a job here: Russian Railways accepts everyone with a secondary education, you just need to take preparatory courses. But the work is quite hard, and the salary is low. We asked a young man who dreamed of becoming a conductor and now works on a train, how he feels about his work, how much he earns and what he spends his money on.

How to become a guide
I was born in Biysk, Altai Territory, later my family moved to Moscow, where they lived for only a year and a half, but I really fell in love with this city. Then I had to travel a lot public transport, and I really wanted to become a driver. Then we returned to the Altai Territory again. After the ninth grade, with a burning desire to become a driver, I entered the specialty “rolling stock mechanic, passenger car conductor, car inspector-repairman, operator” at the Novosibirsk technical school (since the family budget would not have been able to afford training in Moscow). I studied for four years, and in the summer of my second year I had the opportunity to try myself as a guide and earn extra money. After that, I lost all desire: there was a terrible team, it was unclear how the money was paid - in two months it came out to 47 thousand rubles. After studying, I was assigned to Russian Railways. Thanks to my good grades, I had a choice, and I chose the job of a passenger carriage conductor. In the future I want to move to Moscow.

In general, this is a job for people 35–45 years old who have extensive experience in another field. There are even special three-month courses for such people. To start working, a conductor needs to pass a medical examination, register with the human resources department, and pass occupational health and safety exams. You also need to pass a test with more than 250 questions. There you need to quickly and correctly calculate, remember numbers, solve a puzzle, and so on. It happens that some people do not pass it.

Features of work
The conductor must be able and know everything: seat the passenger, give him a set of linen, write him down on a strict reporting form, warn him 40 minutes before his departure, drop him off. Monitor the cleanliness of the cabin: clean the carriage at least twice per trip, and the toilet at least four times. It's like the Sims game where the characters have an indicator: if it's green, then everyone is happy. So are the passengers: I almost didn’t follow, and immediately became dissatisfied.

The conductor has many professions - for example, a loader, a waiter, a psychologist. Large thick bags of dirty laundry need to be carried into your compartment. You need to walk around with a tray and tell passengers that tea products and souvenirs are on sale. You also need to be a bit of an encyclopedia - at each station passengers ask: “What area are we in?” or “What river flows here?”, “What is the population of this city?” and so on. Sometimes you resolve a quarrel between passengers or they come to talk themselves, because several days on the train are hard for them. Many passengers come up to me and ask about my work - whether I like it or not. In general, we can’t criticize our work, but I answer as it is, that I don’t get paid much and that you wouldn’t wish working as a guide to your enemy.

It's cold outside now, and the first thing passengers ask about is air conditioning. I had a case when in Rostov-on-Don passengers did not have time to board at the station, and only their 14-year-old son remained in the carriage. He didn't know the phone numbers. The head of the train contacted the station, the parents eventually went to catch up with the train by taxi, and paid 5 thousand rubles. And on our last trip, our locomotive caught fire between stations, the driver made an emergency brake, and all my dishes fell and broke. The passengers jumped up and began to panic. After 40 minutes we set off, although it seemed that the locomotive had not yet been extinguished: if there had been more downtime, the entire crew would have lost their bonus.

This is how I prepare for the trip: a day before departure, I go to the store to do some shopping. It comes out to about 3 thousand rubles, and so on twice a month. The next day at the appointed time (eight hours before the train departs) I arrive at the park for a planning meeting. I have a suitcase, a bag and a large bag of food with me. The planning meeting is attended by the head of the train, the instructor and the conductors with whom I will go on the flight. The head of the train scatters us among the carriages, usually in a boy-girl pair. I have been working recently, and all my partners are new to me. They also say what class we will travel in - reserved seat, compartment or SV. I loved the reserved seat, because all the passengers are visible, I know who and where, and it’s easier to get out. Then we go to the carriages; I am happy when I see that the carriage is new. We receive the carriage - we count the inventory, we receive cleaning products, garbage bags, soap, paper and goods that will be sold. But a team doesn’t happen every once in a while; sometimes people have more swear words than ordinary ones.

Then the head of the trip walks around the train and checks that everything is in order. We arrive at the station in an hour, and boarding begins 30 minutes later. I must be dressed strictly in uniform and be the face of the company. Now it gets dark early, and you still need to turn on the lights in time and switch from evening to night, adjusting to local time. The big minus is that on the road I eat very little, a lot of unhealthy food, and I lose weight (but for women it’s the opposite).

The one-way trip takes four days. The climate, time zone and passengers are changing. On the last day of the journey, the guides do a report and clean up. Upon arrival, we go to the shower, to the store for groceries, sometimes souvenirs, and on the same day we leave back with new passengers. But they shouldn't see our fatigue. Upon arrival, we also don’t sleep for a day: after all the passengers have disembarked, we start counting the inventory again; in case of a shortage, a certain amount can be deducted from the salary. If the train arrives at 09:45, then I get home at 15:45, if I'm lucky. All this time is not paid, only the travel time is paid.

Passengers' linen must also be returned; any shortage will also be deducted from the salary. Then we go to the standardization officers, they schedule the next flight, name the date and direction. In a special regime (in the summer, when trains run every day), rest takes 30–50% of the time (for example, after an eight-day trip, three to four days of rest), in usual time- after eight days of travel, seven to nine days of rest.

Salary and expenses
There was no way to relax in the summer: you sleep for two days, go to the store the next day, and then go on a trip. Now I have more rest, but there are fewer hours, so, accordingly, the salary is lower. Salary depends on the time spent on the road. In a good month I receive 34 thousand rubles, in a bad month - 14–17 thousand rubles. On average it comes out to 22 thousand rubles. In August I drove 222 hours - that’s 16,198 rubles plus a 20% coefficient and an advance for the previous month - 7,700 rubles. This amount does not suit me. I want to move to Moscow and become a metro driver.

My mother and I rent an apartment, and I pay half - 7 thousand rubles. I spend 6 thousand rubles on groceries for a trip. I also eat fast food, and when we come to a city, I buy souvenirs there. There is no opportunity to go to classes or the gym, and you can forget about healthy eating. Other expenses include transportation (500 rubles) and telephone payments. After this there is almost no money left. Last month I paid a lot of money for temporary registration. And I save the rest for something good; I have to pay at least 5 thousand rubles for the same clothes.

People choose the profession of passenger car conductor for a number of reasons. Some are attracted by the opportunity to travel around the country and even abroad. Others hope that the list of their job responsibilities will be limited to distributing bed linen and serving tea. There are those who believe that you don’t need any special education to work on a train. In fact, you can only get a position in railway transport if you have the appropriate diploma. The conductor must also have specialized skills and knowledge, and certain personal qualities.

Tasks of conductors and job description

To be completed official duties The carriage conductor starts even before the train departs. He takes part in the preparation of the site entrusted to him, attends briefings and planning meetings. The employee receives bed linen, cleaning supplies, food and other consumables. He often takes part in cleaning the carriage, inspects it for problems and calls a team to fix them.

While the train is moving, the train conductor must:

• place passengers in the seats indicated on the tickets;
• monitor the operation of electricity, lighting, ventilation, heating, bathrooms;
• provide passengers with bed linen, tea and other things depending on the type of carriage;
• inform passengers about the arrival of the train at its destination or final destination;
• if necessary, the conductor must be able to provide first aid medical care and report the incident to the head of the train;
• conduct training for interns or young professionals;
• clean the premises entrusted to him using dry or wet methods;
• on international trains, conductors hand out customs declarations, prepare road reports.

At stations, train employees ensure the smooth flow of passengers. During the train's journey, they ensure that order is maintained in the carriage. If necessary, call the police or the train manager via intercom.

Requirements for applicants

Qualified conductors are accepted by Russian Railways, service and transport commercial and state companies, metro. To get a job, the applicant must complete his studies at a specialized educational institution and obtain a health certificate. The novice specialist is initially hired as a second guide. An experienced supervisor must teach a young colleague over several trips practical nuances service, after which he becomes independent.

To work in your specialty and have a chance for career growth, you must have the following personal qualities:

• punctuality, organization, ability to make quick decisions;
• responsibility, communication skills;
• ability to show high performance results in the absence of external control;
• communication skills, teamwork skills;
• frequent exposure to moving and vibrating trains requires physical endurance, therefore, when planning to study to become a conductor, you should check your health;
• accuracy, attentiveness, ability to clearly assess the situation and analyze large amounts of information;
• Frequent stay in a moving and vibrating train requires physical endurance, therefore, when planning to study to become a conductor, you should check your health.

Employee salaries on international flights are significantly higher than on domestic flights. To work in this area, knowledge of foreign languages ​​is additionally required.

Advantages and disadvantages of the profession

The main advantage of this destination in Russia is its demand. The number of domestic and external flights is systematically increasing in order to create schedules that are as convenient as possible for the population. Even novice employees can easily find a job within 2-3 months after receiving their diploma. Some of them receive such offers already during their studies.

Here are a number of other advantages of being a conductor of passenger cars:

• no requirements for age indicator- even old man is allowed to work subject to normal physical condition;
• to learn to become a conductor, it is enough to receive a specialized secondary education in this profile;
• high level of salaries for conductors who work on branded trains and are allowed on international flights;
• social benefits and additional bonuses.

The profession also has several significant disadvantages. Firstly, the employee’s salary is formed in such a way that in order to receive a solid financial reward for work, they have to travel a lot. Secondly, you need to constantly communicate with a large number of people, including not the most pleasant ones. Thirdly, the conductor bears financial responsibility and is responsible for his passengers. Finally, we must not forget about the effect on the body traveling work, a high rate of injuries in transport and little time for rest during the voyage.

How to become a guide and advance your career

To obtain the profession of a passenger carriage conductor, you must enroll in a technical school, college or school for the specialty of the same name. The duration of study after 9 grades is 3-4 years, after 11 grades - 2-3 years, depending on the characteristics of the field. People with higher education It is enough to take specialized courses.

The second approach is optimal for those who count on career growth. Experienced conductors get paid well, but promotions increase these numbers. Those who have proven themselves on local flights move on to long-distance trains. This is followed by work on branded compounds. For this entire cycle, with a responsible approach to job responsibilities you can spend 1-2 years. Next, you need to take advanced training courses to become a train captain. This is followed by positions such as shift supervisor and station director.

Salary and contents of the social package

How much novice conductors and workers with experience receive depends on their level of production, position, length of service, and place of service. Each organization that employs such employees provides bonuses. When applying for a job, it is extremely important to evaluate all these points in order to understand what conditions you can expect.

Payroll principle

In Russian Railways, the salary of conductors is calculated based on the number of hours worked. There is a level below which you cannot go. There is also an upper limit that is not recommended to be crossed, since the time spent working should not exceed the rest periods. All figures are calculated so that conductors earn on average 18–20 thousand rubles per month. On long-distance trains and branded trains, these figures are significantly higher. Additionally, there are bonuses for length of service, direction, seasonality, and implementation of transportation plans. As a result, experienced employees can earn up to 50-60 thousand rubles per month, provided they work 15 out of 30-31 days.

IN large companies, such as Russian Railways, provide significant bonuses. No matter how much you get specific employee, once every five years he is paid a bonus in the amount of 3-4 monthly salaries. This is a tradition, not a company obligation, so the situation may vary depending on commercial success organizations.

Additional bonuses and incentives

Often, applicants for the position of conductor are more interested in the fullness of the social package. A significant increase in pension upon reaching length of service and medical care in special clinics are guaranteed. Certain groups of employees can count on financial assistance when going on vacation, preferential terms for trips to a sanatorium for themselves and for a child to a camp. Travel from the depot to your place of residence is also provided, and once a year a free round-trip train ticket within the territory of the Russian Federation.

A retired railway employee with 20 years of experience retains the right to preferential travel once a year for life. He is also entitled to a “dacha” ticket - free travel on commuter trains (no more than 150 km from his place of residence).

Trade unions provide preferential working conditions for conductors. Through the efforts of these people, an interesting and responsible profession becomes more and more attractive every year. It is taught in many mid-level educational institutions, and universities allow employees to improve their skills and move up the career ladder.

These are very different people: young people after colleges and technical schools, those who have worked on the railway all their lives. I always dreamed of this job, but I have two children, whom I had no one to leave with, so I had to do different jobs. Once I was traveling by train on vacation and decided to approach the conductor and find out how to get to Russian Railways. She replied that it is enough to complete the courses that are conducted in almost every reserve (as guides call the territorial department, usually located at the end points of the routes - approx. auto).

Perhaps, only long-distance sailors have a worse work schedule than yours...

Everything is not as bad as it seems from the outside. There is no one at home who doesn't want to. And usually guides go on two or three trips (depending on the distance of the route, this is on average from 7 to 15 days) and then spend the same amount of time at home. When does it occur production necessity, management asks to work additional shifts, which can then be taken as days off instead of vacation. It lasts for 20-30 days... Many people categorically refuse, but I quit. I'm more interested in getting extra vacation time than more frequent or longer weekends.

Is it true that you have to pay a tidy sum for employment?

Yes, you will have to spend money. When I first found out about the courses, I refused them - the cost scared me at that time. Only a few years later I finally went to study, paying about 5-7 thousand rubles. In total, with a medical book and other expenses, it came out to about 15 thousand, however, the cost of passing the medical examination was returned immediately after official employment.

What are the responsibilities of a conductor?

We prepare the carriage for passengers - we make the beds, put things in order, are responsible for the cleanliness of dishes, public places, bed linen and towels, hand them over to the laundry at the final stations, receive freshly laundered items, and keep records. Then we meet passengers upon boarding.

We may not even let someone in, for example, drunk people. But this only happened to me once. The old man, who was clearly drunk and had beer flowing from his bag, flatly refused to show his passport and ticket, saying that he had just shown it at the ticket office, but I won’t show it to you! I said that I couldn’t let him into the carriage without a passport and a ticket, but he chased me along the platform with a crutch, seriously wanting to hit me. Naturally, the brawler did not board the train.

After boarding, we check tickets and tell passengers about the opportunities, goods and services that Russian Railways offers, and serve them throughout the journey.

How safe is this profession?

I never had any doubts about this. There are police officers on every train; at every station you can report a rowdy, a drunkard or a troublemaker, and they will immediately take action, including removing you from the train and detaining you.

How to avoid conflicts and improve relationships with passengers?

After each flight, a psychologist works with us. This is called “going to the “Smile”. You get tired, you really don’t want to go there, but you have to. And you leave as if you had a rest from everything that you experienced during the trip. We are taught to recognize different types of conflicting people and find an approach to them. For example, there are very squeamish people who do not hand over their passport. There are those who need to pour out their souls, and they try to attract attention all the way, which makes it difficult to work. But almost always and with almost everyone you can, if not find a common language, then somehow survive the communication.

We establish the first contact – visual – at the entrance to the car upon boarding. Then - when we first enter the compartment to check documents. It is important to be polite, tactful, careful in words and actions so that people begin to trust you. There are 40 people in a confined space, with whom they will spend two or three days together. It’s easier to please everyone than to solve problems later.

But often people treat the conductor as a lackey. They paid the money, and therefore have the right to do what they want. I have my own ritual: I check the ticket, talk about the services and add a personal request from myself: “Please, when your conductor has locked himself in the service compartment, do not knock unless absolutely necessary. We very, very rarely get a chance to sleep, and when I wake up, I will do whatever you want.” Surprisingly, everyone fulfills this request, even protecting their sleep if suddenly someone from the next carriage tries to disturb the conductor while resting: “What do you need? Just wait, come back in an hour, our guide will sleep a little for now.”

Is there really so little sleep?

This is probably the main problem in the work. At least for me. In general, two people are supposed to travel in a carriage and work in 8-hour shifts, taking turns. But in fact there are not enough people, you often travel alone for several days. There is a catastrophic lack of sleep, you just fall exhausted after a couple of flights.

There are rumors about fines, deprivation of bonuses and the need to pay for any loss in the carriage...

No one has ever fined anyone. At least in my memory. Bonuses can be revoked for serious misconduct. You can actually make up for the loss: if you don’t have two towels for three flights, please return them. But I don’t see this as a big problem, it’s natural. As for the inspection in principle, it is carried out before departure, they look at the cleanliness, order, and readiness of the carriage. Practice shows that the smaller the reserve, the more thoroughly they check. In St. Petersburg, for example, they hardly look at all sorts of little things, but in smaller towns, sometimes they even look at the cups to the light so that there are no fingerprints left.

Do you have a plan for selling branded products?

Again, it all depends on the reserve in which you work. In some places it is not necessary to sell at all, in others there is a plan - in each city it is different. But the same psychologist teaches that you cannot impose yourself on people, you only need to offer it once. If anyone needs anything, he will always be there. But in fact, there is also unprofessionalism when the conductor divides all the products into parts and first walks through the carriage, offering slippers and hygiene products, then soft drinks, then sweets and confectionery... This bores the passenger, and he will definitely not buy more.

Do you remember the most unusual case from practice?

From the latter - during bad weather in Rostov-on-Don, when the doors were opened from the platform, water rushed into the carriage. We didn’t expect this at all, we had to quickly wipe everything off... It also happens that they demand or ask us to carry cargo or hand over a parcel. This is strictly prohibited - they check and punish. Taking into account the consequences, you won’t want any money for the transfer; the issue will be resolved up to and including dismissal and administrative liability.

What else are they punished for? Who is contraindicated for work?

Alcohol abuser. Almost all such “amateurs” have already been “asked” from the railway. Also absolutely true - homebodies and...

Why, despite all the shortcomings of the profession, do you, like many others, love it so much?

The railway is like a drug. Once you go on a trip, you can’t stop, it’s addictive. Only people who are madly in love with the road remain here.

What if we put aside the romance?

Many people think that we have romance here... In fact, there is no romance on the trains, it’s just hard and thankless work. But they pay well for it, and you can see the world. We are going, for example, to Adler. I seem to be at work, but I have a few hours to see the city and swim in the sea. I traveled all over Russia: north to Arkhangelsk, east to Novosibirsk. I go on vacation a couple of times a year, and one of them I can go by train anywhere in the country for free.

In addition, in the trade union you can purchase a ticket to a sanatorium and instead of 80 thousand rubles, pay only 17 thousand for it. It's nice. The Russian Railways system has very good doctors, you can get examined in any city and quickly. Since my employment, I have been treated only in specialized clinics, because the result is really better than in ordinary ones. Plus it's free.

By the way, about salary...

It can be very different, it’s even difficult to name the order of the numbers. Assistant conductors in the regions can receive 10-15 thousand rubles, experienced conductors on branded trains with good hours - up to 50-55 thousand rubles. It depends on what kind of reserve you work in, how much time you spend on the road, whether you are traveling alone or with a partner, on the class of the car (reserved seats are cheaper, SV more expensive).

How are the road and personal life compatible?

For some - not at all. On the railway there are many single people, divorced people, those whose children have grown up long ago, or, conversely, young people who do not yet have them. Few people manage to keep their family together while constantly traveling. But someone deliberately earns money: you are away from home for 10-12 days, then the same long weekend, when you can spend as much time as you can with your loved ones. But they know what they are working for - they will get more. But there are also those who find their soulmate right on the train. We play a wedding here, and then they continue to work together. At the request of both spouses, they are not only placed on the same flight, but also in the same carriage.

Does the guide have career prospects or professional development?

After studying, you come as an assistant or junior guide. If you wish, you can work at each level for the rest of your life, but I decided to study further, took advanced training courses within the company, and then another and another. Now I can travel on any type of train - even in a reserved seat, even in SV or branded ones.

There is an option to become a train foreman - this is something like a boss over the conductors. New double-decker carriages have now been launched. It seems that there is twice as much work there, but in fact everything is so systematized and automated that human participation is minimal. I’m afraid that we will soon find ourselves without work, because robots will “assist” us. Although they cannot smile at a passenger, they already cope with many things no worse than the conductor.

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