Rail Transport Operations

This Apprenticeship covers the many occupations that help to deliver rail services to the millions of passengers that use trains every year.

Rail transport operations involves many tasks, like driving the trains, operating signals and crossing barriers, communicating between stations and trains, assisting passengers both on board trains and at stations, and moving trains into position at stations.

As an apprentice, you’ll choose your area of specialisation – shunting (moving trains from place to place), signal operations, control room operations, or passenger services. Within each, along with technical skills, you’ll learn how to develop and maintain working relationships, how to effectively communicate information, and how to work safely.

You’ll need to be physically fit, have good full-colour eyesight (you need to be able to see red and green lights, after all), and be able to work as part of a team, as well as on your own. You also need to be confident and reliable as the work that you do will affect what passengers think about railway services.