Stories

Rachelle McQueen is building her career in engineering with an apprenticeship at Network Rail.

I have been working for Amey since 2015. My current role of Assistant Civil Engineer is split between office and sitework. Office days include writing up reports, producing CAD drawings, carrying out calculations on bridges and preparing for further sitework.

I am an Assistant Project Manager for Amey’s Transport Infrastructure within the Rail sector, working on the Civils Assessment Framework Agreement, where I practice initiating, planning, monitoring, and closing of Structural Assessment projects. The primary activity is to perform Structural Assessments, which is the process of identifying the structural integrity and adequacy. The Assets that my contract assess include, bridges such as Overbridges, Underbridges, and train sheds.

As a Graduate Mechanical Engineer (Fleet), Saqib oversees the maintenance, overhauls, enhancement and innovation projects of the maintenance rail vehicles that operate on the railway network.

Within my main role I work within an experienced design team, contributing to the overhead line electrification design as well as providing an element of Engineering Management, providing integration and coordination with all other disciplines working on the project.

I started in 2018 straight from university and what my job is, is to essentially learn as much about the railway as possible throughout the graduate scheme...

I oversee the installation of the overhead line infrastructure, making sure it is installed correctly as per the approved for construction (AFC) design.

Harriet Dee is a Team Administrator at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and joined the company on an apprenticeship scheme in late 2018.

Before joining the railway, I’d spent nine years working in the health and fitness industry and I was beginning to feel a bit stuck. I wasn’t sure where my career was going to go next...

My main responsibilities include reviewing designs and helping create tenders, providing project management advice, and reviewing design and construction activities. I also ensure the design and construction elements of relevant projects meet requirements of legislation, arrange audits and manage environmental aspects in accordance with relevant policy. 

In train planning, we have had to react to the changing situation and ensure the right services are there for the needs of the country. We’ve had requests for increases in specific services for NHS workers and we’ve added those on very short time scales...

Matthew Wilson is a Contracts Manager for VolkerFitzpatrick. I have been working at Volker Fitzpatrick since 2010. After graduating, I started working as a civil engineer for their Civils division, working mostly on road and bridge projects. Volker Fitzpatrick then expanded into the rail sector (Imperial Wharf Station was their first rail project), but had minimal staff with rail experience.

What’s your job? I am an ecologist. My job involves assessing sites for their biodiversity value across the railway, particularly on the lineside, where there are fantastic areas for habitats, which different animals and plans can exist, and basically mitigate the impacts of our works on them and to make sure they have somewhere to live and make sure the railway remains operational.

I began HS2 as a graduate in project management and was not only provided with great placements throughout the 24-month programme working on a variety of different, and very complex, projects, but I also achieved my Project Manager’s Qualification through the APM by the end of the programme.

I started at NSAR in August of 2018 as a Data Analyst in the Skills Intelligence Team having worked at NSAR over the previous summer for work experience. Currently I’m in my third year of a four-year Degree-level apprenticeship in Digital and Technology Solutions at London South Bank University.

I am a track apprentice. Every day is a different day. Our main job is to maintain the railway, so that can lead from doing surveying to making sure the spacing of the railway is correct… on to heavy maintenance, which is to replace any defects we see, welding, the list goes on…