Sentinel serves as an Authority to Work<\/strong> system, ensuring only properly trained and certified individuals are permitted on the railway. Managed by Network Rail<\/strong> on behalf of the industry, Sentinel operates under a set of standards known as the Sentinel Scheme Rules<\/strong>, which outline responsibilities, policies, and consequences for non-compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sentinel card<\/strong>\u2014formerly known as the Personal Track Safety (PTS)<\/strong> card\u2014proves that an individual has completed the necessary training and is employed by or sponsored by an approved company. Without a valid Sentinel card, Network Rail cannot confirm that someone has met training requirements or is working for an authorized employer. The card simplifies the process of verifying workers\u2019 qualifications. On-site, workers must present their card to gain access. If they cannot present a valid card, they will not be permitted to work. This system ensures that only individuals with up-to-date training and the required skills<\/strong> are performing critical work on the rail network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sentinel has been in use since 1999<\/strong> to ensure that individuals working on or near Network Rail infrastructure possess basic competencies and meet medical fitness standards. Originally a paper-based system<\/strong>, it provided a centralized method to track qualifications like PTS<\/strong>, Industry Common Induction (ICI)<\/strong>, and Drug & Alcohol<\/strong> certifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the paper-based model had limitations: card reissues were frequent, and verification was difficult and rarely completed fully, even with a telephone hotline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2013<\/strong>, the system was overhauled. New cards with embedded electronic chips<\/strong> were introduced, enabling real-time verification through smartphones, computers, or QR code scanners. By 2014<\/strong>, Transport for London<\/strong> became the first external rail entity to adopt the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Continuous improvements have been made since 2016<\/strong>, focusing on user experience<\/strong>. In 2021<\/strong>, Network Rail (High Speed)<\/strong> also adopted Sentinel, extending its use for managing Authority to Work on their infrastructure<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n To get a Sentinel card, you must be sponsored by an approved employer<\/strong>. Here’s the typical process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is Sentinel? Sentinel is a leading safety management system used throughout the UK rail industry. It provides rail workers with a secure \u2018passport\u2019 to access and work safely on the rail infrastructure. Designed to be smart, safe, and simple, Sentinel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9679","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ionman.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ionman.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ionman.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ionman.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ionman.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9679"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/ionman.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10337,"href":"https:\/\/ionman.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9679\/revisions\/10337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ionman.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What Is a Sentinel Card and Who Needs One?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A Brief History of Sentinel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ionman.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/sentinal-PTS.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nHow to Obtain a Sentinel Card<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\u00a0Note: You do not need to already have a job. A company can still sponsor you for\u00a0entry-level training, such as Personal Track Safety (PTS).<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"