working in the industry
Sometimes the chance to work for a heritage line comes up, but for most people, working in the industry means the national network. First things first. Are you employable? Take the test and be honest. You'd be surprised how many apprenticeships or first jobs end in tears because, had they taken this test, they'd have got below 80%. These basic "soft skills" matter! You can learn more about soft skills and their importance to the rail industry on the gyermekvasut page.
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Driving trains is only one tiny part of working in the national network. All sorts of jobs are needed to keep the railways running. There might be things you’d enjoy and be good at that you don’t know about or haven’t thought of.
So, do your homework!
On this page you will find links to all sorts of sites that are trustworthy knowledge.
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Check them out carefully and make a list of the ones that might interest you.
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Make a note of what the entry requirements are.
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Draw up a plan of where you are now and how you could become the person they are looking for.
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This matters a lot
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The more carefully and throughly you do it, the better your chance of success
Be prepared - a word of warning. There are good careers in rail, often well paid with good security (and pension. . . you'll need it one day!)
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But it can be very competitive. Lots more people apply for jobs than jobs are available.
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Some rail careers will require a good university degree
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For others they, are more interested in aptitude and medical fitness.
You neeed to check out aptitude tests and medical exams. Make sure you know what to expect for the career that interests you, and that you can meet the standard
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Network Rail rather like Situational Judgement Tests (amongst others) Check this out.
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There are several websites that help you with test and interview preparation. There's usually a £charge for this that you might consider paying once you are certain of what you want to do and have reached the age and stage for applying (not yet!) No harm in a look at this one for drivers, or this one for signallers to get the flavour. They are absolutely packed with information. Take time to read it all.
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Perhaps the best use of your time at this stage is to click each of the icons below and really go through them carefully and thoroughly
Do you actually know what an apprenticeship is? For some people, this might be better than going to college or uni (becoming a graduate)
Use this government search engine to find out the latest currently available apprenticeships. (Don't forget to type "rail" in the box!)
STEM Subjects
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STEM stands for Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (you probably knew that). Did you really? Engineering is only one of four operational areas on Network Rail but there are good careers to be had with prospects of good salaries if you enjoy and are good at STEM subjects. It is said that there is a growing shortage of good STEM graduates, which can put you at an advantage. Check this out for STEM shortages and apprenticeships. You might consider a STEM career outside the rail industry. You can still build a good model railway and/or volunteer on a heritage line! This is a good site for checking out graduate STEM careers
You may not have thought about old cars, but there's a route to good apprenticeships through the Heritage Skills Academy. It's worth checking out. Many of the engineering skills are transferable to rail and there may be jobs in restoring old cars when there aren't with trains. Schemes on railways, where they operate at all, tend to be smaller. It's worth enquiring at the Severn Valley or North Yorkshire Moors railways, both of which have offered similar heritage apprenticeship schemes.
Be patient, plan and act ahead
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We can show you where to start looking on this site but ultimately, it's all down to YOU to make it happen. Of course, a good record from school is important, nobody is saying play trains when you should be revising GCSEs, but you are going to need more than this. If you can show evidence of willingness, employability, adaptability (learning from mistakes) competence and safety awareness (these afre the two "biggies" for the rail industry) gained on a heritage line, you're in with a much better chance than somebody who just drifts until they hit the rocks.
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Getting on the bottom rung of the ladder at a heritage railway can be a really good way of showing that you have proved that you are willing, employable, a quick, adaptable learner and above all competent and safety aware. (think you've got that message now?)
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