Despite his “railways background”, his path to work on the railways was by no means straight. “My father was a train dispatcher. He often took me to the station as a kid, but he did not direct me towards the railways as a profession,” says Hynek Richter. Instead of railways, he studied ICT. “But when I finished school and was choosing a job, railways were my first choice.” Hynek is a witness to the powerful attraction of the railways.

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The task of a train controller is to supervise the operation of the trains and ensure compliance with the schedule. He also makes sure all train operators and cabin crew are at the right place at the right time, and oversees the condition and deployment of trains… Although he spends most of his working hours looking at his computer monitor, his work is by no means boring. His responsibilities also include response to unexpected issues – and there are plenty with the current rate of construction and closures.