Fleet Planning Apprentice

South Western News UK; City Of London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading transport company is seeking a Fleet Planner to support the maintenance and availability of their rail assets in London. The role includes effective deployment of resources and maintaining fleet schedules, ensuring reliability for customers. Candidates must have strong GCSE grades in English and Maths, along with exceptional communication and teamwork skills. This position offers a competitive salary and valuable benefits.

Benefits

Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees

75% discount on many other train operating companies

Full training and support with development

Excellent pension scheme

Qualifications

• Self-motivated, able to plan and deliver within tight timescales.
• Excellent communication skills and teamwork capability.

Responsibilities

• Deploy fleet resources to deliver train plans effectively.
• Maintain and examine fleet resources as per maintenance plans.
• Utilize the GENIUS system for allocation of units.

Skills

Communication

Self-motivation

Teamwork

Education

GCSE grade 4 or above in English and Maths

Job description

Please note you will need to be aged 16–18 on 1 September 2026 to be considered for this opportunity.

Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to bring people together to get the most out of life.

About the job

As a Fleet Planner you will support delivering the availability of safe and reliable SWR rolling stock assets by ensuring that mileage based scheduled maintenance activities, non-scheduled maintenance activities, defects in traffic and cleaning requirements are managed effectively. Also to be reactive when required in dealing with changes to the plan and supporting the depots in delivering their requirements. Allocation of rolling stock to appropriate diagrams within the GENIUS system as part of the train plan.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Effective deployment of Fleet asset resources in order to deliver the correct train plan at all times.
• Ensuring all Fleet asset resources are maintained and examined in accordance with the specified frequencies as required in the respective maintenance plans.
• Allocate units to diagrams using the GENIUS system.
• Create and distribute maintenance plans showing effective management to balance depot workloads.
• Liaise with Depot Management and Service Delivery Team regarding the required alteration to a plan or the movement of units.
• Support the Service Delivery Team as required in formulating stock change plans for review with NR under VSTP conditions.
• Monitor all services operated by SWR fleets and ensure that any deviation to the plan is highlighted and support the restoration of normal working.
• Ensure that routine maintenance requirements on SWR fleets are plan led with rolling stock being moved back to depots to fill pre-agreed slots which allows a beat rate to be achieved. This gives more flexibility to the operational railway with less focus on planning to zero miles.
• Review Altered Carriage Working Notices (ACWN), special workings and engineering notices to ensure that we are able to deploy the fleet appropriately based on the current train plan.
• Ensure depots and outstations are kept informed with regard to arrivals and departures, including any special requirements to support the delivery of the maintenance plan or the train service.

You'll need to have

• GCSE grade 4 or above in English and Maths or Level 2 functional skills.
• Self-motivated, able to plan and deliver to tight timescales.
• Excellent communicator.
• Being able to work effectively as part of a team to deliver a shared goal.

Desirable

• A passion for a punctual and reliable train service for our customers.
• Flexibility – this apprenticeship may involve early or late shifts and travel to other areas on our network.
• Proactive and adaptable approach to problem-solving, with a keen eye for detail.
• Good knowledge of IT systems used in business - specific training of industry systems will be given.
• High level of numeracy, and good analytical skills.
• Willingness to undergo training and development to enhance skills and knowledge in the role.
• A dedication to upholding the company's values and delivering exceptional service to customers.

About the location

Basingstoke Campus, more commonly known as the ROC, is a state-of-the-art Operating Centre and training facility located a short walk from Basingstoke station. It is a shared facility with Network Rail and is the hub for all operations across the Wessex region. The office space and technology on site are modern with the added benefit of additional facilities including a gym & canteen.

Working pattern

Working an average of 37 hours per week over 5 days

The Reward

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• Full training and support with development
• Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR. Our vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment. We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent. We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below. We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

Additional resources: https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/ and https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/