Network Rail operates and maintains the railway infrastructure 24/7 365 days a year. Our purpose is to connect people and goods with where they need to be and our vision is for a simpler, better, greener railway.

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Our North West route covers Cheshire to Cumbria, including key cities like Liverpool and Manchester, and destinations such as Blackpool and the Lake District. Major stations include Crewe, Liverpool Lime Street, Preston, and Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria

This busy region sees 1.3 million daily passengers and moves 700,000 tonnes of freight weekly, with 571 stations making up a quarter of Britain's rail network.

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Are you interested in Railway Track Maintenance?

Do you enjoy hands on problem solving, fault finding and inspection?

Then this might be a role for you!

We are looking to recruit for a number of Operatives roles within our Track team based out of our depot next to Manchester Piccadilly Station.

As part of the role, you will undertake inspection, track maintenance and track renewal. An Operative is the first step in a Track maintenance career but there are progression opportunities into Technician then Team Leader roles and above.

You will be enrolled on a 12-to-18-month training programme, which involves classroom and practical hands-on learning experiences. You will also be partnered with an experienced member of staff to help aid your training. Once this training has been successfully completed, you will have gained the experience and training required to progress to a technician role and beyond.

Track maintenance offers a dynamic and diverse role based on mechanical engineering skills. There is a variety in tasks, from walking the tracks to finding faults to taking the track apart and putting back together, in a limited timeframe to ensure the trains can begin running as scheduled once the work is completed. This ensures that no two days are the same.

You will be working on tasks such as:

• Track inspection – walking the tracks to find faults and fix before they become an issue

• Track maintenance – attending faults and carrying out manual repairs

• Support OTM’s – provide support to on track machines such as tampers and stoneblowers

We value individuals with transferable skills, a willingness to learn and want to develop new skills. This includes people who have experience with:

• General labouring skills, such as using petrol powered machinery

• Mechanical problem-solving, for example car mechanics or metal working

• Basic IT knowledge, such as using an iPad

Whether you’re new to the field or bringing experience from another technical discipline, there are plenty of opportunities for growth and advancement within Network Rail.

Please Note: There may be a requirement to work on call in this role if you opt to take the Standard Maintenance contract

You’ll be responsible for maintaining, inspecting and repairing the track network, (also known as the Permanent Way or P-Way) to keep the railway safe and efficient. This is a very manual role as you’ll be working with rails, sleepers and ballast that support the trains, together with their associated drainage and ancillary structures.

Operative Position - You will be a key member of the team, carrying out tasks as directed by the Team Leader. You’ll be responsible for ensuring that work is completed safely, efficiently, and to the required standards.

You’ll also check that vehicles, plant, tools, equipment and materials under your control are fit for use and are used/stored and disposed of correctly.

This role is essential for maintaining the smooth functioning of operations, and it sets the foundation for career progression into more technical or leadership roles within Track.

Essential Criteria

• Able to work as part of team

• Able and willing to drive vehicles as required by business need

• Have interest or experience in Mechanical Engineering

• Be willing to work outdoors in all weather types at any time of the day

• Be willing to learn and maintain competence from a variety of differing training methods

• Desire to always improve yourself and make things better

Desirable Criteria

• Already hold a valid PTS

• Have previous Permanent Way / Track experience

• Hold qualifications of Mechanical engineering from either further education or from previous employment, or be able to demonstrate these principles from experience

This role requires working a varied working pattern, with the majority of shifts likely to fall during nights and weekends. Please be aware that you may be scheduled to work up to 10 out of every 13 weekends.

This is also a safety critical role so subject to drug and alcohol testing and passing of the relevant medical assessment.

You must also live within a 60 minute driving distance from the location you will be working from.

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Salary and benefits:

• Salary as below per role:

• Operative IMC25: £31,444

• Pro-rata annual leave entitlement

• My benefits – our discounted online shopping site

• A range of discounted offers including, childcare vouchers, healthcare offers – cycle to work, healthcare club discounted membership and other benefits

• Subsidies of up to 75% on rail and underground season tickets

• 75% discount on leisure travel

• A choice of contributory pension schemes

• 2 weeks paid reserve leave for our Armed Forces community

Want to find out about what fantastic benefits we offer? Find out here

Network Rail adheres to a structured pay framework, any salary offered will be within the pay range advertised.

All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Click here for more information

Closing date: 12th September 2025. Assessment Centre’s will take place on for these roles on 6th October 2025 in Manchester Square One. Late applications may not be accepted.

Safe behaviour is a requirement of working for Network Rail. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their awareness of our safety vision

We will endeavour to offer a diverse interview panel wherever possible.

Drugs & Alcohol test: All prospective candidates offered a conditional role will be required to undergo and pass a drugs and alcohol test. Your application will be rescinded if you record a positive test. All positive drugs and alcohol test results for prospective candidates will be securely held on Sentinel database and a 5 year suspension from applying for a safety critical role, a role which requires PTS certification or a Key Safety role on Network Rail Managed Infrastructure will be enforced.