Rail track maintenance worker
Railway worker
Rail track maintenance workers inspect and repair railway tracks, bridges, tunnels and viaducts.
Salary range: £18,000 to £34,000
How to become a rail track maintenance worker
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
College
You’ll find it useful to take an engineering qualification at college before looking for work. Relevant courses include:
- Level 2 Certificate in Mechanical Engineering
- Level 2 Diploma in Maintenance Engineering Technology
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
More information
Apprenticeship
You could get into this job through an intermediate apprenticeship like:
- rail infrastructure engineering: track maintenance
- rail engineering operative
These are offered by companies like Network Rail and Transport for London.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
More information
- equivalent entry requirements
- guide to apprenticeships
- Network Rail apprenticeships
- Transport for London apprenticeships
Direct application
You could apply directly to work as a rail track maintenance worker. You’ll usually start as a trainee. You’ll find it useful to have:
- GCSEs including English and maths
- experience of manual work in a related role like construction or engineering
More information
Further information
You can find out more about becoming a rail track maintenance worker from Network Rail and Transport for London.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You’ll need:
- knowledge of building and construction
- the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
- physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
- sensitivity and understanding
- the ability to work well with others
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- to be flexible and open to change
- leadership skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day tasks may include:
- installing and renewing track, tunnels, embankments, cuttings, level crossings and bridges
- checking sections of track are the correct distance apart and right height
- inspecting tracks for defects
- reporting and clearing potential obstacles, for example after bad weather
- surveying sections of track to identify maintenance needs
- reporting accidents and incidents
- performing lookout and hand signalling duties during trackside operations
Working environment
You could work on rail tracks.
Your working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers.
You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could be promoted to supervisor or team leader. With further training, you could become a track inspector, engineering technician, track designer or manager.