Network Rail

The overview

Network Rail owns and is responsible for the maintenance of the track, signalling and many of the major stations on Britain’s railway network. It is essentially a public company run as a commercial business and operates on a not-for-dividend basis, with any profits being reinvested back into the business, rather than given to shareholders. It was set up following a period during which maintenance of the network had become fragmented in the wake of the railway privatisation of the 1990s.

New sections of rail and new station buildings

New construction is critical to the company’s strategy.

The company is also involved with the construction of new sections of rail and station buildings. Its primary customers are the train operating companies that operate the services and actually own the rolling stock for both passenger and freight services. Its customers need the infrastructure to be kept in good order to avoid delays.

Higher capacity

New construction is critical to the company’s strategy, and it is trying to address a huge increase in demand for railway transport, with further significant increases predicted. The railway network is currently carrying more people than it did in the 1920s, when it was approximately twice its present size.

So far, this has been managed by packing more trains with higher capacity into the available space. However, several pinch points are now starting to appear on the network and it will be necessary to upgrade these over the next few years in order to cope with the predicted 140 per cent increase in freight and more than doubling of passenger numbers forecast in the next 30 years.

The company is currently involved in several major upgrades:

• The electrification of the London to South Wales line
• The rebuilding of Birmingham New Street Station
• Major upgrades of the infrastructure in the north of England, improving services out of Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds

Rankings and awards

• Ranked 52 in the 2011-12 Times Top 100 list of the most popular graduate employers.
• Number one in the JobCrowd top 50 best companies to work for.
• Achieved a gold rating in the Business in the Community corporate responsibility index.
• Awarded two 'big ticks' in the 2010 Business in the Community excellence awards, for its staff training and community work.
• Several of its projects won Green Apple Awards for sustainable development in 2011.

Salary and benefits

Graduate scheme starting salary for Network Rail:

• £26,900 (for staff working within 16 miles of Charing Cross)
• £25,890 (for working over 16 miles, but less than 40 miles from Charing Cross)
• £24,500 (for the rest of the UK)

Graduate scheme benefits

• Welcome bonus of £3,000
• 28 days annual holiday excluding public holidays
• Holiday buy/sell scheme – up to two days per year
• 70% discount on season tickets (rail and underground) up to a maximum of £2,100 per year
• Interest-free season ticket loan
• Defined contribution pension scheme
• Company bonus scheme