Construction and engineering roles within the railway transport sector are widely available across the UK and cover a range of type of role. The UK railways require a wide range of engineering employees; from apprentices and school leaver trainees to experienced engineers with expertise within rail operations and other industries.
The UK’s 21,000 miles of railway track and more than 2,500 stations require a constant programme of maintenance, expansion and upgrades, and thus there is a steady requirement for construction and engineering employees across the UK.
Network rail jobs with a major employer in the industry.
For example, Network Rail in the UK is one of the UK’s largest engineering companies, and they are responsible for running, developing and maintaining the entire rail infrastructure across the UK. Engineers might be working on simple overnight repairs, laying replacement track, or helping design the practical layout of a new or redeveloped station. Opportunities include the graduate scheme, for those who have graduated with a minimum of a 2:2 degree, or for more experienced engineers there are both full and part time railway engineering careers on offer.
For those with engineering experience in another sector, the engineering conversion programme can offer a simple route into a new career in rail, and those with limited qualifications can also start their engineering career with an apprenticeship. For example, a railway engineering technician would install the mechanical and electrical systems in trains and rolling stock, and would start on around £12-£15k as an apprentice.
An ongoing programme of major projects creates a steady stream of rail jobs.
Looking at more specific types of role will give prospective rail engineers some good insight into the typical types of role available within the rail sector. For example, a major project that is employing significant staff at the present time is Crossrail. This construction scheme will create a high capacity, high speed railway across London from east to west, and up 14,000 jobs will be created in construction for Crossrail in the key construction period of 2013-15. As an example of the scope of available opportunities, Crossrail needs to train some 3,500 employees in underground construction alone over the period of the project.
Railway people.
In London, there is a continual requirement for engineers to work within London Underground. For example, surveyors are continually in demand as stations and track are expanded and upgraded, with salaries in excess of £50k available for experienced surveyors. For example, Tube Lines, the company responsible for maintaining and upgrading the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, is planning to spend £5.4 billion over the next few years to improve the stations and track which will require a wide construction and engineering workforce including apprentices and graduates.
Structural engineers are also frequently employed within the rail sector across the UK, on larger projects such the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street station which will be ongoing until 2015, as well as smaller developments such as the Hitchin Flyover and Lincoln footbridges.
