Civil Engineering Graduate Scheme

Network Rail; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading railway infrastructure company in the UK offers a 2-year Civil Engineering graduate scheme with a salary of £32,000 and a £2,000 welcome bonus. The program includes varied placements, focusing on railway asset management and professional development towards becoming a qualified Chartered Engineer or Incorporated Engineer. High communication and problem-solving skills are essential. Start date is September 2026.

Benefits

Coverage for ICE registration costs

Structured progression towards CEng/IEng

Continual professional development support

Leadership training modules

Qualifications

• Must be a diverse and logical thinker with creative problem-solving abilities.
• Resourceful and hardworking with good self-motivation.

Responsibilities

• Gain an understanding of the railway system through various placements.
• Contribute to major investment and learn to manage railway assets.

Skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Time management

Flexibility

Teamwork

Education

ICE accredited Civil Engineering degree (2:2 or higher)

Job description

Overview

Our 2-year Civil Engineering graduate scheme will give you the tools and experience to kickstart your engineering career at Network Rail. The scheme focuses on developing your knowledge, experience, and ability across all aspects of your chosen engineering discipline while improving your awareness of the impact your decisions will have on our passenger and freight users. You will have a genuine impact on the UK’s drive towards Net Zero through the sustainable management of railway infrastructure as the network adapts to the changing climate.

Locations

Basingstoke RG21, Cardiff CF10, Edinburgh EH12, Glasgow G2, Glasgow G21, Middlesbrough TS1, Milton Keynes MK9, Motherwell ML1, Perth PH2, Rugby CV21, Shrewsbury SY3

Salary and Start Date

Salary: £32,000 plus a £2,000 welcome bonus. Start date: September 2026.

What you’ll be doing

• Business familiarisation to gain an awareness and understanding of the railway system across a broad range of disciplines and departments.
• Longer formal placements within your chosen discipline, contributing to the delivery of major investment and learning how to manage and maintain the railway asset efficiently and effectively.
• Exposure to a wide variety of placements and activities across your discipline.
• Choosing from a range of asset disciplines including Track, Structures and Geotechnics, experiencing everything from how the railway infrastructure is assessed, maintained, designed, and renewed.

Qualifications

• At least a 2:2 in an Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) accredited degree.
• Flexibility to occasionally travel to attend training opportunities at various locations.
• State you are a diverse and logical thinker who can find creative solutions to challenging problems.
• Resourceful, hardworking, good at managing time and motivating yourself.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to engage with people at all levels, building relationships with peers and colleagues.

What you’ll get out of it

• Coverage for registration with, and costs for, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
• Structured progression towards becoming either a qualified Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Incorporated Engineer (IEng).
• Quarterly and annual reports submitted to your Supervising Civil Engineer for assessment against attributes and sign‑off in your development action plan.
• Continual professional development (CPD) record supporting a trajectory to IEng or CEng in 3–4 years and 5–6 years respectively.
• Four modules of technical training – an overview of engineering disciplines and safety qualification, with remaining modules specific to chosen disciplines.
• Leadership modules to help develop soft skills and support future leadership roles.
• Ongoing support from your Supervising Civil Engineer post‑scheme as you transition into your first appointment.