Network rail maintains and develops Britain's entire rail infrastructure, making it safe, reliable and efficient for the millions of passenger journeys by train every day.
It is extraordinary that a travel system invented and developed in the nineteenth century should be experiencing a new boom. Yet Britain's rail network is carrying more passengers and freight than any time since the 1950s and is assuming an increasingly important role in the UK's infrastructure. It is the fastest-growing railway in Europe. And at the heart of this renaissance is Network Rail, the company responsible for running, maintaining and developing all the tracks and signalling, as well as rail bridges, tunnels, level crossings, viaducts and eighteen key stations. In addition to providing a safe, reliable and efficient railway, Network Rail is working to make Britain's railway system world class.
A network of Activity
Employing 35,000 people, Network Rail's business encompasses many facets. The company's five-year programme of modernisation and improvement involves an investment of £35 billion, managing projects that will revolutionise rail travel across the country. The company manages a huge estate comprising 22,000 miles of track, 40,000 bridges and tunnels, 18 major stations and more than eight thousand other commercial properties. There is also vital liaison with the train operating companies, essential in achieving continuous improvement in rail services. Although rail is demonstrably the safest form of travel, rapid technological developments continue to make it safer still, exemplified by the 125mph New Measurement Train. This provides data on the condition of track, overhead power lines and signals using advanced monitoring systems including scanners, lasers and cameras.
The scope of work within Network Rail is huge. With passenger numbers expected to rise from three to four million over the next ten years - and freight traffic also rising - managing this growth represents a major challenge that will be delivered only by people of the highest calibre.
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/careers