Rullion strengthens ties across East Anglia with Ipswich office and Chamber membership

A Guide to Careers in the Rail Industry

If you’re thinking about a new career direction or wondering where your engineering or technical skills could take you, the rail industry is well worth a closer look. It’s one of the UK’s most stable sectors, it’s growing, and it’s going through one of the biggest modernisation periods in its history. Which makes it an ideal time to explore careers in the railway industry and wider rail sector. Is the rail industry a good career path? Yes. UK rail infrastructure quietly powers everything else in the UK. People rely on it. Businesses rely on it. And with investment flowing in from every direction, the demand for talent is only getting stronger. Why choose a career in rail? In 2025, the rail industry is in the middle of a major period of change. Large parts of the network are being upgraded, with old infrastructure being modernised and there’s a strong push towards a greener, more efficient rail system. That means a steady flow of railway career opportunities across engineering, operations, sustainability, project delivery, asset management, and more. And while some flagship programmes, like HS2, have been re-phased, the wider industry continues to move forward. Projects like Northern Powerhouse Rail, East West Rail, and Network Rail’s ongoing renewals and upgrades are still progressing at pace, creating sustained demand for skilled engineers, technicians, and project specialists. For anyone looking for job security and progression, careers in the rail industry offer both. What types of jobs are available in the UK rail industry? If you want a sector where you can actually grow, rail is a strong pick. One of the best things about rail is how broad it is. People often start in hands-on careers in the railway industry, maintenance, track, signalling, and operations and move into senior technical, project, or managerial roles over time. You’ll find roles in: Engineering and infrastructure: civil, mechanical, electrical, systems, signalling Operations: drivers, signallers, controllers, planners Maintenance: track operatives, technicians, asset inspectors Project delivery: project managers, planners, site supervisors Support and digital: procurement, IT, data, cyber, commercial roles What is the salary for railway jobs? Careers in the rail industry are generally well paid, and salaries often rise quickly with experience. Here’s a few common examples: Track/Maintenance Operatives: £28k–£38k Signalling Technicians: £35k–£50k Project Engineers: £40k–£55k Civil/Track Engineers: £45k–£65k Train Drivers: £55k–£70k Project Managers (Infrastructure): £55k–£75k (Sources: Network Rail, Glassdoor, and Prospects.ac.uk) What qualifications or skills do you need for a career in rail? The rail sector values both formal qualifications and on-the-job learning. Common routes include: NVQs or Level 3 qualifications in engineering, construction, or electrical work Apprenticeships with Network Rail, Transport for London, or major contractors Degrees in civil, mechanical, or electrical engineering for professional roles Sentinel training and safety certifications for operational work Deep dive into 'What is Sentinel and why do you need it?'. Just as important are the interpersonal and behavioural attributes that keep teams effective and safe: Strong communication and teamwork Problem-solving under pressure Attention to detail and adherence to safety protocols Adaptability, especially with new digital technologies How to get a job in the rail industry There isn’t one “right” way to start careers in the railway industry. A lot of people join through: Apprenticeships Graduate schemes Trainee technician routes Direct entry with trade experience (electrical, construction, mechanical) Via specialist transport recruitment agencies Working with a specialist agency can be especially helpful because you’ll get guidance on background checks, Sentinel training, and access to roles that aren’t always advertised publicly. Switching tracks into the rail industry Maybe you’re coming from construction, defence, automotive, energy, manufacturing, or even something completely different. Rail loves transferable skills. If you’ve got the foundations, organisations will often train you in the rail-specific parts. This is exactly how programmes like Train to Deploy work, taking experienced professionals, reskilling or upskilling them, and deploying them onto major rail projects. What background checks are needed for rail jobs? Because rail is a safety-critical environment, you’ll go through a few essential checks before you start working: Right-to-work and ID verification Reference/employment history checks Medical assessments Drug & alcohol screening DBS checks Sentinel competency verification if you’re working trackside Many employers use specialist background screening partners to speed things up and keep everything compliant. If you end up working with a rail & transport recruitment partner who understands the sector, they’ll usually guide you through the checks and help you get everything sorted without the stress. The future of railways There’s a very real buzz around the future of railways. As the rail network modernises, we’ll see more digital tools, better connectivity and a stronger focus on sustainability. All of which are creating new opportunities across engineering, operations and project delivery. The next decade is going to bring: Digital signalling and smarter control systems Greater automation Data-led maintenance More electrification and sustainability-focused projects Increased focus on diversity, accessibility and new talent pipelines All of this means long-term opportunity. If you want a career that lets you be part of something evolving and genuinely shaping the UK’s future, the rail industry is a brilliant place to be.

Building Workforce Readiness: Train to Deploy vs. Traditional Hiring

If you’re facing urgent capability gaps, recruitment might feel like the fastest fix. But for critical infrastructure organisations, traditional hiring alone doesn’t build the depth or resilience you need. As roles evolve and technical demands rise, hiring needs to shift from finding talent to developing it. This shift is leading organisations to adopt workforce strategies like a Train to Deploy solution, one that’s designed to meet capability challenges at their core. Why Traditional Hiring Falls Short for Critical Roles Even with a strong recruitment function or trusted agency partners, the reality is this: finding the right person for a complex, evolving role is becoming harder. The market is tighter, the skills are more specialised, and the stakes are higher. Here’s what we’re hearing from teams across critical infrastructure: Hiring fills seats, but capability stays static In many organisations, hiring isn’t the problem; capability is. Without structured development, organisations are locked in a cycle of reactive hiring. Short-term gaps get filled, but internal capability doesn’t grow. That creates long-term risk when projects scale or specialist knowledge walks out the door. Filled roles don’t equal work-ready teams Time-to-hire might be improving, but time-to-productivity isn’t. Even experienced hires often face long onboarding, steep learning curves, and gaps in system, compliance, or industry knowledge. Traditional hiring misses high-potential talent When roles are critical and evolving, it’s not always about who’s done the job before. Traditional CV-led hiring often overlooks candidates with the behaviours, learning agility, and mindset to thrive. Without new ways to identify and assess potential, you risk filtering out tomorrow’s best performers before they even get a look-in. Diversity and inclusion efforts stall without new pathways If you’re still using the same hiring channels and criteria, you’ll keep reaching the same talent. That makes it difficult to move the dial on DEI, especially in sectors under pressure to reflect the communities they serve. Truly inclusive hiring takes more than intent; it takes infrastructure. Without new pathways into skilled roles, you limit both who you hire and how you grow. How Train to Deploy Builds Aligned, Work-Ready Talent Instead of recruiting for a role and hoping someone fits, you identify the capability you need and Train to Deploy builds it. Here’s how it works: Match-to-train We identify high-potential individuals based on behaviours, mindset, and learning agility, not just what’s on their CV. This opens up new talent pools and removes the traditional filters that limit inclusive hiring. “We call this inclusion without limits. If someone has the right mindset and behaviours, we build the skillset.” Bespoke, role-aligned training Rather than generic upskilling, TTD pathways are tailored to your business. Meaning training covers the tools, standards, systems, and compliance frameworks your teams use every day. Compliance and day-one readiness From regulated safety training to industry accreditations or project-specific onboarding, readiness is built into the process. No long ramp-up. No onboarding lag. Just hires that are ready to contribute from day one. Deployment into real roles Once trained, talent is deployed directly into your teams. Coaching and mentoring continue through placement to ensure confidence, cohesion, and long-term value. Scalable to match demand Train to Deploy gives you the ability to plan and scale talent pipelines in advance of need. Seasonal peaks? Project launches? Evolving capability requirements? Your workforce is ready to flex without the lag. The Business Impact of a Train to Deploy Strategy The Train to Deploy model provides a fundamental shift in how you build the capability your business needs to deliver today and adapt to tomorrow. Rather than competing for scarce talent, with Train to Deploy you’re able to develop talent on your terms. You gain the ability to grow your own workforce with people aligned to your values, trained to your systems, and ready to contribute from day one. Here’s how a Train to Deploy solution adds value: Faster productivity: role-specific training is delivered up front, meaning new hires arrive work-ready. This significantly reduces onboarding lag and avoids costly ramp-up periods. Improved retention: when you hire for mindset and train for the role, people are more engaged and more likely to stay. That means lower churn and reduced long-term cost of repeat hiring. Inclusive, high-potential pipelines: With a focus on sourcing based on behaviours and potential, not just experience, Train to Deploy opens doors to talent often missed by traditional recruitment. Helping you meet social value, DEI, and ESG targets in a way that’s measurable and sustainable. Reduced contractor reliance: building internal capability ahead of demand reduces the need for short-term, high-cost labour. That gives you more budget control and a more stable, aligned workforce. Strategic workforce resilience: TTD enables you to build flexible, future-fit teams without needing to start from scratch each time. This is great for when you’re looking at scaling for a new project or backfilling retiring expertise. Explore our full guide to building a business case for a Train to Deploy solution to find out more. Recap: How Train to Deploy Drives Workforce Readiness In summary, a Train to Deploy solution builds workforce readiness by combining behaviour-first hiring with role-specific training to deliver aligned, job-ready teams from day one. This workforce strategy helps organisations: Develop talent aligned to real operational needs Reduce time-to-productivity through targeted onboarding Build internal capability for future project demands Improve retention and diversity by hiring for mindset, not just CVs