Register Your Interest - Graduate Operations Management Scheme 2027

Our 18 month Operations Management graduate scheme will give you the tools, and experience to kickstart your career at Network Rail.

The scheme is focused and centred around developing your knowledge, experience, and ability in all aspects of railway operations alongside improving your awareness of the impact your decisions will have on our passenger and freight users.

Explore our relationships with train and freight companies, the British Transport Police and the emergency services to understand what goes into delivering a great service to our passengers and freight operators.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll experience placements and projects across the industry to gain a perspective of the challenges faced by the railway system as we work together to deliver the very best customer experience.

Your graduate scheme will facilitate learning experiences and placements across all areas including operational business roles, experience in a wide variety of operational locations, formal training, and we encourage you to get involved in a wide variety of work as develop your knowledge, experience and ability in the field of railway operations.

Throughout your scheme, you will be exposed to a wide variety of placements and activities across operations. During these placements you will learn all about what it takes to deliver a high performing operational railway, including stations, signalling, control and incident response.

We will also enrol you on Signaller Training over the course of the scheme to give you a grounding in Railway operational rules and principles.

Who you are matters

You’ll need to have at least a 2:2 in any degree subject, and the flexibility to occasionally travel to attend training opportunities at various locations. You must also be willing to embrace the responsibility that safety-critical work brings.

Railway operations happen 24/7 and at times you’ll be working weekends, bank holidays and shifts, so you’ll need a degree of flexibility. You’ll also be happy travelling and staying away from home for periods of time for work.

We look for diverse and logical thinkers who can find creative solutions to challenging problems. You should be resourceful, hardworking, good at managing your time and motivating yourself. It is essential that you have great communication skills, are able to engage with people at all levels and be good at building relationships with your peers and colleagues.

What you’ll get out of it

You will study for a Certificate in Railway Operations Management, a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Passenger Transport Operations Management, and CMI Level 5 in Management and Leadership over the course of the scheme.

After your graduate scheme, you will continue to be supported by your colleagues and mentors as you transition into your first appointment, where you will continue with the next step on your professional development journey.

About Network Rail

We are Network Rail. We matter to millions. We design stations, we repair tracks, we code software, we do finance, we do much more than you think.

As one of our graduates you’ll enjoy immense variety and gain unrivalled experience across a range of roles, projects, and types of work. You’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in all aspects of our industry and either find out where your interests and talents lie or further develop your career in an area you’re already passionate about.

The scale and scope of our organisation and the opportunities we offer is huge. But despite our size, you’ll find we work as a close, supportive team. And as one of many graduates on our scheme, you’ll not only be able to define your own career direction, you’ll also be able to share your growing experience and knowledge with our wider network of graduates - potentially building friendships and professional relationships that will last a lifetime.

We view our graduates as our future. So, whether you’re interested in a career in Civil, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or Business, you’ll find that everyone, at every level is happy to offer you their time, support, and advice. Because we want you to succeed. That’s also why we offer amazing access to training, development, and further qualifications. All you have to do is ask us. And if we can help you to advance your knowledge and your career, we will.

Choose a graduate career with us and you’re choosing a career with real meaning. You’ll be part of a large and growing UK organisation that genuinely cares about its people and the world around us. We’re driven by service, not profit. And we want to create a safe and sustainable future for everyone. We matter to millions.

Join us and you could too.

Register Your Interest

To be the first to know once applications open, register your interest today!