A professional skills competition for the railway company's employees was held over two days at the Uba station. Competing for the title of "Best," more than 30 specialists took a theoretical test and completed tasks designed to assess their practical proficiency.
Freight and baggage acceptance clerks practiced identifying commercial defects during railcar inspections. Station duty officers competed in operating a centralized switch within a set time and identifying switch malfunctions.
Train assemblers inspected for defective brake shoes and, working alongside locomotive engineers, performed a task involving the coupling of two groups of railcars.
The most spectacular part of the event was the test of the diesel locomotive engineers' practical driving skills; to gauge the smoothness of the coupling between the locomotive and a gondola car, glasses filled with colored water were placed on the automatic coupler. The task was considered successfully completed if the water did not spill and the glass did not tip over during the coupling process. Almost all participants handled this challenge admirably. The engineers also practiced troubleshooting skills.
Based on the results of all the tests, the top performers were:
- cargo and baggage clerk – Ekaterina Chaplygina,
- railway station duty officer – Olga Mikhailova,
- train shunter – Denis Zlygostev,
- diesel locomotive engineer – Roman Nikityuk.
"I entered the train assembler profession from the construction industry five years ago. After completing my training, I immediately joined TEK Meret. When carrying out operational tasks, I strictly adhered to communication protocols and safety regulations. Our primary objective is to execute shunting operations and assemble trains accurately and on schedule, while ensuring the safety of everyone involved in the shunting process on the tracks," says Denis Zlygostiv.
It is worth noting that he has successfully participated in the professional skills competition for three consecutive years. Denis won the competition last year, while his first attempt earned him a second-place diploma.
In the course of their work, trains often consist of 72 cars—the maximum load for the company's locomotives. It takes Denis more than an hour to assemble one such train.
Train assemblers perform their duties in any weather and at any time of day or night.
Roman Nikityuk is an experienced locomotive engineer, though this was his first time participating in a professional skills competition: "I have over 30 years of experience in the railway industry, and for the past four years, I’ve been working at TEK Meret LLC. The job offers a stable schedule and a great team. This was my first time entering the competition, but neither the theoretical nor the practical tests posed any significant challenges. I am confident in my work, having dedicated so many years of my life to it."
Winners and runners-up in the competitions were awarded certificates of merit and vouchers for cash prizes, while all participants received letters of appreciation.
Experts note that the annual professional skills competition not only gives employees the opportunity to demonstrate their professional qualities and ambitions but also enables them to share experience, implement best practices, and enhance the prestige of railway professions.
