About the role

The placements

Your placements will be varied, and typical roles in Track & Train will be in network, train and freight operations, station and train teams and customer service.

Each placement will include a series of objectives to ensure you get a thorough grounding and understanding of what keeps the railway running. As a result you’ll spend time with Network Rail, and train or freight operating companies and suppliers to the rail industry:

  • One six-month placement in Network Rail learning about how the infrastructure operates on one of 10 geographically based routes.
  • Two six-month placements with a train, freight or supplier company.

Your placements will give experience of customer service and you may get to spend some time in railway stations, dealing with the travelling public as well as getting involved in train operations. In fact a typical set of placements might include:

  • Working out of a local depot
  • Working in a customer facing role at a railway station
  • Working behind the scenes on a project with Network Rail

The majority of your experience will not be office based. In fact, you should expect to be working outdoors for a large proportion of your time as real experience of the railway will not come from looking out of a window.

Where you do your placements will be based upon where you live and your choice of location – this is for your convenience so that you don’t have to move, and will not affect the quality of your experience.

Training and Mentoring

Every graduate will be given a mentor who will look after your progress and provide advice during your placements. Your mentor will also write your end of placement progress report.

A series of training interventions on topics such as increasing confidence, leadership skills, presentation skills interviewing skills and CV writing, will be arranged during the 18-month programme. These will normally take place at the mid-point of each placement to maximise your learning.

At the end of the programme you will be given a certificate detailing what you have achieved which you can use as evidence when you apply for other jobs.