What do you need to know about being a Railway Engineer?

With cities expanding and a growing population, and the search for more widely available, convenient and sustainable travel methods becomes more necessary, the demand for technical professionals in the railway industry has become more prevalent, growing exponentially. Now primarily, railway engineer are often in charge of ensuring the upkeep of health and safety for daily commuters and the transport of cargo on either freight trains, urban transit and/or mass public transport. Their efforts are also concentrated on the hurdles of managing and improving the existing British railway network whilst utilising a waning infrastructure.

Typically, there are a number of various positions that fall within the purview of a rail engineer, ranging from maintenance operations to short and long term improvements projects. Moreover, railway engineer usually start off their career as conductors and/or brakemen, gaining promotions via their training and experience. Many railroad sites facilitate federally-approved training regimes, connecting classroom and practical, applied instruction. There is also the possibility of acquiring formal qualifications by way of a professional institution or community college that offers a relevant degree or certification in railroad operations. Here is some insight into several key roles you could partake in:

Site Engineers

Site Engineers on the railway site are accountable for handling the specific details of a given rail project, making sure that nothing is overlooked. As well as this, a railway engineer involves analysing and reviewing every element of the construction progress to ensure that proper standards are met across the board. Occasionally, it is necessary for a daily log or diary of work progress to be completed. This could include complex and intricate drawings, diagrams and visual representations of completed work, and comparing it to initial designs, and the management of subcontractors.

Section Engineer

As a Section Engineer, the primary long term goals of the job role include translating railway construction plans from paper to the ground. This essentially means assuring that the project work matches the design model as closely as possible. However, in a day-to-day setting, the responsibilities of a Section Engineer involve executing the setting out process. Namely placing markers and templates for different sections of the building project like platforms or lift shafts. Furthermore, efficiently setting out a regular schedule (daily or weekly) for the planned tasks to be carried out and carrying out inspections of work done so far.

Structural Engineer

Structural Engineers often concern themselves with designing and visualising the construction framework that make up a buildings foundation and structural integrity. Or in the case of railways, their main focus is the construction and durability of locomotives or railway carriages. In certain situations, this would only prioritise the concise analysis of pre-existing components and structures to verify if they could be re-purposed. A good example would be discerning if a bridge would be capable of supporting the weight of a heavier train.

If you would like to know about any roles we have available, click here to browse the Construction and Engineering roles.