Mechanical Engineering Graduate Scheme

Entry Requirement

2:2 in an Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) accredited degree to apply for our Mechanical Engineering Graduate Scheme

Flexibility to occasionally travel to attend training opportunities at various locations.

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering Graduate Scheme

Our 2-year Mechanical Engineering Graduate Scheme offers the opportunity to explore unique engineering challenges through some of the biggest engineering projects in the UK. Rotating across different placements, you’ll gain a broad perspective of the railway and understand the processes, products and systems that make it function.

If exploring unique engineering challenges matters to you.
You matter to us.

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Mechanical Engineering Graduate Scheme

Our 2024 Mechanical Engineering Graduate Scheme is now closed for applications. You can register your interest for our 2025 programme below.

Start Date: September 2025

Salary: £29,380 plus a £2,000 welcome bonus

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What you’ll be doing

You’ll experience a variety of unique and exciting mechanical engineering challenges, developing your skills in a range of specialisms from power distribution, plant, traction and rolling stock to asset management and infrastructure engineering. Getting involved with major projects, like rejuvenating and servicing current infrastructure, or delivering ambitious improvements to track equipment, signalling and overhead lines, you’ll be doing the work that matters to our passengers’ comfort and safety.

We also offer the chance to be considered for our fleet programme, which runs separately and has its own set of rotational placements.

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Who you are matters

You’ll need to have at least a 2:2 in an Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) accredited degree to apply for our Mechanical Engineering Graduate Scheme, and the flexibility to occasionally travel to attend training opportunities at various locations.

We look for logical thinkers who can find creative solutions to challenging problems. You should be resourceful, hardworking, good at managing your time and motivating yourself to get the job done. Other qualities we’re looking for are:

  • Great communication
  • Ability to engage with people at all levels
  • Good relationship building
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What you’ll get out of it

In your first month, we’ll help you to register with, and cover the costs for, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). Each placement and training opportunity will be structured towards you becoming either a qualified Chartered Engineer (CENG) or Incorporated Engineer (IENG). Each year, you need to submit your quarterly and annual reports to the IET, IMechE and ICE Institutions to qualify in IENG within 3-4-years and CENG in 5-6-years.

You’ll be supported with four modules of technical training. The first of these is designed to give you an overview of the engineering disciplines at Network Rail. The rest relate to the specific disciplines you select. You’ll also take some leadership modules to help develop your soft skills and support you to become one of our future leaders.

Previous graduates have gone on to achieve internal promotion and become Assistant Project Engineers, Assistant Design Engineers, Assistant Asset Engineers or Rail Fleet Support Engineers

We matter to millions. You could too.