ADD ADVICE TO FAVRailway engineer
Because so many different elements make up a successful railway, the sector offers opportunities to engineering specialists of all disciplines.
What railway engineers do
Rail has opportunities for every type of engineer:
- civil engineers look after stations, track, tunnels and bridges
- electrical and electronic engineers are involved in signalling and track control
- mechanical engineers take responsibility for traction units and other machinery.
Key skills
- excellent technical and operational understanding of the relevant systems
- ability to handle the responsibility for safety-critical systems in both the engineering and regulatory environment
- ability to work both as an individual and in a team
- in-depth understanding of the nature of risk
- excellent communication skills to deal with all the agents in a complex regulatory and commercial environment.
Training to be a railway engineer
Initial training will be in line with the specifics of the relevant chartership organisation. Experience in project management will follow (supplemented by specific technical courses), leading either to further specialisation or general management.
Salaries
While working towards chartership, you can expect a salary of around £25,000. Five to ten years on, mechanical and electrical design engineers may earn £35,000 to £45,000, while a specialist senior engineer, such as a fire engineer, can earn £75,000.
Professional bodies
- Institute of Railway Signal Engineers
- Institution of Mechanical Engineers
- Railway Civil Engineers’ Association
