Engineer [Track]

Network Rail; Stratford-upon-Avon; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Defined benefit pension

Rail/underground season ticket subsidy

Discounts on leisure travel

Travel loan

Hybrid working

Volunteer leave

Healthcare scheme

GymPass discounts

Cycle to work

Job summary

Network Rail High Speed Ltd. (NRHS) is responsible for operating and maintaining the UK's only international high-speed railway, HS1. The role focuses on track engineering, inspection and asset management across HS1 assets, supporting risk-based maintenance and renewal decisions.

The team collaborates with maintenance and project teams to deliver safe, efficient high-speed rail infrastructure, with flexible/hybrid working arrangements and extensive employee benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience of track engineering, inspection or asset management in a railway environment.
• Understanding of permanent way assets, track geometry, switches and crossings.
• Ability to analyze asset data and inspection records to support risk-based decisions.
• Strong written and verbal communication to produce technical reports.
• Knowledge of railway engineering standards, safety management and QA requirements.
• Relevant track safety competence and site access.

Responsibilities

• Support inspection planning, data capture and condition assessment across HS1 assets.
• Contribute to investigations, standards development and data-led improvements.
• Provide technical summaries and recommendations based on evidence.

Job description

Who We Are

Network Rail High Speed Ltd. (NRHS) is responsible for operating and maintaining the UK's only international high-speed railway, High Speed (HS1).

The 109km HS1 infrastructure consists of a diverse range of railway assets such as the track, signalling, overhead line, lineside buildings, depots, viaducts and long tunnels. NRHS is also responsible for operating and maintaining three international stations; St Pancras, Stratford, Ebbsfleet International.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd, NRHS is privately financed under an agreement with our client 'HS1 Ltd', undertaking a diverse range of activities from railway infrastructure maintenance and operations - through to station facilities management and retail on behalf of our client.

Our Vision - to deliver the best High Speed rail customer experience.

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/network-rail-high-speed/

Our passengers and freight users are at the heart of everything we do. We help connect people to their friends and families and get goods to their destination safely and efficiently. We're an organisation where people matter.

When you're part of our team, you matter to us and you matter to millions.

In addition to the above, we can offer you a rewarding career with excellent benefits, including:

• Generous annual leave (28 days plus statutory days) with the option to buy/sell days
• Defined benefit pension scheme
• 75% subsidy on rail and underground season tickets
• Up to 75% off leisure travel
• Interest-free travel loan for train and car park season tickets
• Discounts at some stations with your Network Rail pass
• Flexible/hybrid working arrangements
• Volunteer leave to make a positive impact
• Healthcare scheme, GymPass discounts, cycle to work scheme - plus more
• We offer generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave to support our employees during¿significant life moments

About The Role

What does the average day look like?

No two days are quite the same. You could be working nights alongside maintenance teams, carrying out planned, reactive or advanced inspections of high speed track assets and gathering condition data from across the infrastructure. On other days, you may be reviewing inspection findings, monitoring outputs and maintenance records to identify deterioration, repeat defects and emerging risks.

You will also contribute to engineering investigations, the development and application of standards, and improvements in how asset information is captured and analysed. It is a varied role that combines practical site experience with technical analysis, helping to support risk based maintenance as well as renewal and intervention decisions across the high speed network.

A Little Bit About The Team...

The Head of Track Engineering team provides engineering governance, technical assurance and support for the safe and compliant management of high speed track infrastructure. The team works closely with maintenance, asset management, project teams and other engineering disciplines to make sure that asset condition, technical risks and inspection findings are properly understood and acted upon.

As the team expands, you will have the opportunity to contribute to new inspection methods, digital tools and data led approaches that improve the way high speed track assets are inspected, maintained and renewed.

We encourage you to review our Safety Vision, as safety is an important part of the culture at Network Rail

All external offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks

Your Experience And Skills

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a motivated and proactive individual who can use their own initiative while working effectively as part of a wider engineering team. You should have a good foundation in track engineering, including an understanding of permanent way components, track geometry, switches and crossings, rail defects and common asset degradation mechanisms.

Experience of track inspection, maintenance or asset management would be valuable, ideally within a high speed railway environment. However, just as important is a willingness to learn, develop your technical knowledge and embrace new inspection, monitoring and data-analysis methods.

You should be comfortable working both on site and with technical information, communicating findings clearly. Knowledge of high speed switches and crossings, data analysis or programming techniques would be an advantage.

Essential Criteria

• Experience of track engineering, inspection, maintenance or asset management in a railway environment, preferably including high speed infrastructure.
• Good understanding of permanent way assets, track geometry, switches and crossings, rail defects, track components, asset degradation mechanisms and maintenance intervention requirements.
• Experience of undertaking site inspections, recording defects, assessing asset condition and making technically sound recommendations based on standards and evidence.
• Ability to analyse and interpret asset data, inspection records, monitoring outputs and defect trends to support risk-based maintenance and renewal decisions.
• Knowledge of relevant railway engineering standards, legislation, safety management arrangements and quality assurance requirements applicable to track assets.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear inspection reports, technical summaries and data-led recommendations.
• Relevant track safety competence appropriate to the role and site access requirements.

Desirable

• Rail Safety Leader (RSL).
• Incorporated status or equivalent.
• Knowledge of High-Speed S&C assets.
• Data analysis and programming techniques.