Alan started on British Rail in 1979, initially at Didcot Yard while he waited for a Guards course. In 1984 he moved to Hither Green as a guard before leaving the railway in December 1988. Alan rejoined British Rail in 1990 as a guard/trainman at Didcot. In 1991 he contacted the Signalling Manager, Mr Tony Barry, who sent him to signalling school at Crewe. After passing his exams he joined the crew at Reading as a Relief Signalman.
While at Reading, Alan managed to get a secondment to Royal Oak as a Production Department PICOP/ODM for the Paddington Remodelling. When that job finished it was back to Reading Panel for a while before moving to Hayes in 1994 as a Mobile Operations Manager. In 1999 Alan moved to Swindon Control as a Reading Area Controller. He is still in the Control at Swindon, though now as a Contracts Controller.