Network Rail Logo

Network Rail |

Feature image Network Rail

We are Network Rail. We matter to millions. We design stations, we repair tracks, we code software, we do finance, we do more than you think.

Who We Are

Network Rail’s role is to run a safe, reliable and efficient railway, serving customers and communities. We exist to get people and goods where they need to be and to support our country’s economic prosperity.

Our vision is Putting Passengers First.

This means becoming a company that is on the side of passengers and freight users; that is easy to engage with and is an efficient and dependable partner; a company people are proud to work for; instinctively recognised as an industry leader.

We’re an organisation where people matter. You matter to us, and you’ll matter to millions.

Culture & Values

The scale and scope of our organisation and the opportunities we offer is huge. But despite our size, you’ll find we work as a close, supportive team. And as one of many graduates on our scheme, you’ll not only be able to define your own career direction, you’ll also be able to share your growing experience and knowledge with our wider network of graduates - potentially building friendships and professional relationships that will last a lifetime.

Choose a graduate career with us and you’re choosing a career with real meaning. You’ll be part of a large and growing UK organisation that genuinely cares about its people and the world around us. We’re driven
by service, not profit. And we want to create a safe and sustainable
future for everyone.

Benefits

We offer a whole host of benefits including discounted travel , money off your shopping and comprehensive pension and much more

You'll get 28 days annual leaving plus bank holiday and another 5 volunteer leaving day

Recruitment Process

Apprenticeships
Application process and advice
Applying for a Level 3 Engineering apprenticeship
Applying for a Graduate scheme or undergraduate placement
Application process and advice for our Graduate scheme and undergraduate year in industry and summer placements.
Making an application
We strongly recommend that you read the below information on the various steps of the process before starting your application, to give yourself the best chance of succeeding.

Step one - Match-me quiz
Our online Match-me quiz is designed to show you what it’s like at Network Rail, and based on your answers, give you an indication as to whether you’re likely to be a good match for one of our roles.
You’ll need to register to do it but it’s not part of your application and you don’t have to go on to apply if you don’t want to. You can also skip straight to the application form if you don’t want to do this.

Step two - Online application
Our application form is quick and easy. There are no complicated questions, we just want to collect the information we need and see that you meet the minimum criteria.

Step three - Online testing
If you meet our minimum entry requirements, the next phase is to complete several short activities which relate to the scheme that you are applying for.
These activities will test for the behaviours and skills you will need to succeed on our programmes.

Our top tips are:
Re-read the job advert for the scheme you have applied for. Think about the type of skills and behaviours a person would need to do well on our programme
Take your time to read each activity carefully. Don’t think about the scenarios for too long, Its usually most effective to read the scenario and go with your first reaction so you’re giving your natural response.

Step four - Video interview
If you’re successful in the online testing, the next stage is a video interview.

You’ll be asked to record your responses to questions which are designed to help us find out a bit more about you, what you’re interested in, what motivates you and how you go about things. We’re looking for people who align with our values and have the potential to succeed with Network Rail.
Step five - Assessment centre
The final stage in the process is the assessment centre. We might invite you to a virtual assessment centre or invite you to one of our offices. The number of candidates we invite to assessment centre is based on the number of places we have to fill so will change during recruitment period.

You’ll be asked to take part in different assessment exercises and an interview. We’ll give you more information about it nearer the time so you know what to expect. It’s a chance for you to meet some of our leaders and current graduates, to ask us questions and see whether a career at Network Rail is right for you.

female engineer
male engineer
female engineer

Equality & Diversity

Everyone matters is our diversity strategy for CP6. By 2024, we want to be an even more open, diverse and inclusive organisation that is better at reflecting the communities that we serve. By putting our passengers first, our strategy will help us to provide a more accessible and more inclusive experience for you.

We want to demonstrate that we are open and inclusive by encouraging more of our people to share their own diversity data, especially our disabled colleagues, employees who are carers, people of different faiths and beliefs, and colleagues from the LBGT+ community.

We have set targets for each area of our strategy, and we want to increase the diversity across the leadership of our business, as this will help to reduce our gender and ethnicity pay gaps. More diversity will also facilitate more innovation, and we will listen more and ensure everyone is involved and respected, which will encourage an inclusive working environment that values everyone.

Wellbeing

Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway. We carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion-pound Railway Upgrade Plan, expand the nation’s railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
Whilst we achieve this we also need to see that our workforce, who are an integral to the success of our organisation, remain healthy and are not negatively impacted by work.

Sustainability

Our environmental sustainability priorities
We’re focusing on four areas that will make the most of the positive impact rail can have to the lives of our passengers, our society and our economy while minimising any negative impact on the natural environment.

A low-emission railway
Helping plants and wildlife flourish
A reliable Recycling and reusing everything

We’ll cut our carbon dioxide emissions so that the railway is carbon neutral by 2045 in Scotland and by 2050 in the rest of Britain. This also means cleaner air for our passengers, colleagues and neighbours.
We’ll continue to look after nature around the railway and help it flourish. By protecting and maintaining their habitats, we’ll enhance biodiversity across rail’s landscape by 2035.
We’ll make our railway more reliably resilient to climate change and severe weather by 2050. We’re already the first railway in the word to have set ambitious, science-based targets to help us get there.
We’ll waste less and recycle more – slashing the amount of materials we use. To do this, we’ll reuse, repurpose or redeploy anything we don’t need. By 2035, it’ll be business as usual for us to only use materials that are made sustainably, don’t pollute, last longer, and can be re-used and recycled.

Latest opportunities

Latest opportunities

  • Network Strategy, Planning and Analysis Graduate Scheme

  • Finance Graduate Scheme

  • IT and Business Services Graduate Scheme

View all