After earning a place in Alstom’s Apprenticeship and Graduate Programme, Johan Almgren knew he wanted to be part of an organisation with a global network in a role with a highly technical focus. He started his full-time position in March 2021, which provided him with an exciting opportunity to divide his time between Stockholm and Bangkok within the first year.
“I was in Bangkok for six months. It was great fun. Our focus was on the expansion of their Skytrain transportation system. I worked with system integration and made sure that all systems worked in harmony,” he recalls.
It was Johan’s first time working with subway systems. Needless to say, it was an invaluable learning journey.
“A big focus during my time there was getting all the transformers up and running so that the line could be electrified,” he explains.
“I learned an awful lot about the industry overall. It was also extremely instructive to work in a different culture on another site.”
As Head of Trackside System Engineering, Kristian Blemmer manages a team that designs and implements railway signalling systems. It’s a varied and stimulating role but not one he had in mind when he joined Alstom in September 2021, as Team Leader for service-level agreements. At the time, he had several years of consulting experience designing signalling systems and a year at Denmark’s national railway maintenance agency, Banedanmark, under his belt.
“My goal was to work with technology,” he says.
After just a few months an opportunity to try out a management position came up. Now he’s glad he took the leap, and he finds that he likes leaving his comfort zone.
“I’m challenged almost every day in different areas,” he says.
Kristian hasn’t had to abandon his inner tech nerd either as he sees his role as the interface between the technical and management sides.
“My technical background allows me to help these two areas talk to each other,” he adds.
Trackside System Engineering delivers end-to-end projects, including equipment for the very large ERTMS signalling programme, Alstom will deliver in Denmark and a remote management solution to local railway projects in Norway.
“There are lots of opportunities to work in different projects but also in different countries,” he says.
