Track Engineer Review

My role as a track engineer is to ensure the track is suitable and safe for trains to run. As part of a team, we carry out maintenance and renewals on a daily basis as well as a nightly basis. On a day to day basis I may be required to carry out tasks such as replacing sleepers or packing ballast to ensure no voids occur under the sleepers

I have learnt a variety of new skills on the railway, some of the skills are how to replace rails and how to replace sleepers and also replacing switches as well as the mathematical side that goes along with it which can be things such as calculating how to lift the track if there is a twist etc.

I enjoy the program to a very large extent. The training facilities which are at your disposal and the training staff are second to none and the job as a whole is a brilliant career path to go down if you’re interested in railway engineering or engineering in general.

The program is fairly well structured. The first 6 months of your apprenticeship consist of you going to Network Rails training facility near Coventry called Westwood for 5 months. In this time you are split into classes and depending on what discipline you are in (electrical/mechanical) you carry out different topics which are specific to that discipline

As an apprentice I believe you receive a very large amount of support. Network rail has a host of places and people to contact if you are in need of support and have a free service for every employee in the company called vallidium which can help with any problem which could vary from things such as addictions or family bereavements.

When carrying out training courses or courses which are done at Westwood to help with your qualification, you receive a terrific amount of support if you need it. Teachers are willing to stay behind to help if you have any problems or issues in regards to theory or practical work.

I believe that my qualification through the training provider helps me perform better in my role as they teach me new inivative ideas and methods which I can bring into the work place as the railway is ever evolving and is constantly looking for new ways to do things which can benefit the future

As far as I’m aware, there are no extra curricular activities to get involved with outside of Westwood except to cycle to work scheme. However, at Westwood, there are a range of activities to take part in such as “house events” which can include events such as house football, swimming, basketball etc. Where people take part to win points for their house

Yes

I’d highly recommend network rail to a friend as the opportunities you get are fantastic, if you’re willing and driven then there is no limit on where you can end up. Also, the skills you take out of the skills are very handy skills to have and for the job you do, it is extremely well paid

Ensure that you do research of the company and look into what they are, what they’re responsible for, a little bit of the history and also important rules in the company such as the life saving rules if you are lucky enough to get through the interviewing stage and ensure you take part and contribute ideas when it comes to the team exercise. Make sure that you have questions on hand to ask as well as that’s another thing they like to see.