Your work experience and professional knowledge will determine the level of membership you will be awarded, and we welcome you to apply for the most appropriate level to suit your individual development journey. We will also take into account your progress on the Professional Operators Development (POD) framework.
If you are an employee of one of our Corporate Members, we are delighted to offer you an Associate membership upgrade free of charge.
You must be a member of the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators to apply for professional recognition. Join today and start your journey.
Martin Bloomfield MCIRO
These levels are designed as career milestones, so there is a level to suit you at any stage in your career. However you do not need to step from one level to another to reach your desired membership level, so choose the right fit for you.
Minimum operators work experience required
None
Knowledge
None
Relevant POD experience
None
Annual fees – employees of corporate members: FREE
Annual fees – standard: £36
Annual fees – fulltime education: £18
Annual fees – fully retired from employment: £18
Minimum operators work experience required
2 years
Knowledge
Your own organisation and locality
Relevant POD experience
Three sections to 30%:
Must include 3 &4
Plus either 5 or 7
Annual fees – employees of corporate members: FREE
Annual fees – standard: £48
Annual fees – fulltime education: £48
Annual fees – fully retired from employment: £24
Minimum operators work experience required
5 years
Knowledge
Local, regional and national working knowledge
Relevant POD experience
Eight sections to 50%:
Must include 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 & 11
Plus two from 2, 6, 8, 9, 10 or 12
Annual fees – employees of corporate members: £84
Annual fees – standard: £84
Annual fees – fulltime education: £84
Annual fees – fully retired from employment: £42
Minimum operators work experience required
7 years
Knowledge
Local, regional, national and international working knowledge
Relevant POD experience
Twelve sections to 80%:
Must include all sections 1-12
Three areas from an international perspective
Annual fees – employees of corporate members: £120
Annual fees – standard: £120
Annual fees – fulltime education: £120
Annual fees – fully retired from employment: £60
Jose Del-Prado MCIRO
There are various routes into Associate, Member and Fellow membership through your study. Completion of the following courses are linked to specific membership levels.
After graduating from CertHE (2020 cohort onwards) or DipHE in Railway Operations Management you will automatically be upgraded to an Associate member.
If you have passed a Train Driver Level 3 or Rail Infrastructure Operator Level 3 apprenticeship you will qualify for Associate level membership as set out in the apprenticeship standard. Please contact membership@railwayoperators.co.uk – you may need to provide your apprenticeship certificate.
After graduating from this course you will automatically be upgraded to Member level membership.
Once you have completed your apprenticeship you will be advised by CIRO L&D manager on how to upgrade your membership. This will involve submitting your CV to demonstrate your work experience. You may be asked for additional information.
If you already hold any of the above qualifications, and you would like your membership to be upgraded, please contact the membership team today at membership@railwayoperators.co.uk
Formal qualifications are not mandatory as you can use your career knowledge to apply for your upgrade. So you can apply for a higher level of membership by completing the upgrade experience assessment online. You can choose the level which is the right fit for you.
The experience assessment is an online application which is peer assessed. To apply for a membership upgrade, you will need to provide evidence of effective professional progression, plus confirmation of advancement on the Professional Operators Development (POD) framework.
Successful membership upgrades will require a fully annotated CV detailing your complete railway operations career, which spotlights your experience and progress against the POD framework. In addition, you will need a summary of your up-to-date knowledge and skill levels, detailing how it relates to the relevant POD sections.
You can find some useful tips on how to complete your annotated CV by clicking on the button below.
Karen Duffy FCIRO
Before you begin your upgrade, take a look at the Guidance Notes and Tips and Advice:
Once you are ready to begin your upgrade application, login to the Member’s Portal, click on ‘MEMBERSHIP UPGRADE’ from the menu, and click the ‘Start’ button on the relevant membership level.
There is a one-off administration fee of £27.00 for a membership upgrade application, which is payable once your upgrade has been awarded.
If you have any questions, contact the membership team at membership@railwayoperators.co.uk or call +44 (0)3333 440523 – we’re here to help.
Claire Volding MCIRO
You may also want to take a look at the video from an CIRO Area Event which talks about the membership levels and the upgrade process.
Our Membership Standards Panel is a sub-committee of the CIRO Board of Trustees. Its job is to ensure valid and consistent assessment of applications to ensure the professional standards of the Institution are met in every case.
Drawn from the industry with a wide-ranging knowledge of all railway systems and specialisms on track and train, the membership panel consider each application both individually and collectively. Their recommendations are moderated by the CIRO Board and are subject to quality assurance activity.
The Panel meets five times per year in February, April, June, September and November.
Rachel Heath FCIRO
