Operative, Darlington Park Lane

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About Network Rail

Join Network Rail – Where People and Connections Matter

At Network Rail, we\’re dedicated to keeping passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently across the country. When you join us, you\’re not just part of a team – you\’re part of something that matters to millions. We believe that our people are at the heart of what we do, and every role plays a vital part in building a better, more connected railway. Learn more.

We\’re committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. To discover more about our ED&I commitments, click here. We value flexibility and understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance. As a Disability Confident Leader, we\’ll do everything we can to accommodate any needs throughout the recruitment process.

If you\’re ready to make a real difference, we\’d love to hear from you!

Brief Description

You\’ll help keep our nation moving every single day.

A critical part of our work is the daily upkeep of the rail network. As an operative, you\’ll work outdoors in a small team, supporting essential maintenance to keep the railway safe and smooth for passengers and freight users.

Our operative community comes from diverse backgrounds, and this might be your first consideration of a career in rail. We focus on your transferable skills and behaviors; if you can demonstrate these, we will provide all necessary training for you to work safely and competently on the network.

If you excel, you can look forward to a rewarding and fulfilling career with a company that recently ranked in the top 50 in Glassdoor\’s 2021 Best Places to Work.

Please Note: If successful, there may be a requirement to work on call in this role.

About the role (External)

Operatives can specialize in various disciplines, but for this role, you\’ll become a specialist in Track. You\’ll be responsible for maintaining, inspecting, and repairing the track network (also known as the Permanent Way or P-Way) to ensure safety and efficiency. This is a manual role involving working with rails, sleepers, ballast, drainage, and ancillary structures.

Our operatives work outdoors in all conditions, at all times of the year, day or night. The work is demanding and often involves transporting equipment across challenging terrain. Safety, adherence to rules, and teamwork are critical, especially when working near moving trains at high speeds.

You matter to your team

You are essential. You show up first, leave last, check and prepare equipment, and support your team on-site. You also drive the team between sites and support safety through lookout duties.

You matter to us

Your commitment to self-development and continuous learning is vital. We provide comprehensive training to develop your technical and non-technical skills. If you\’re transitioning from another industry, our structured training will equip you with the necessary skills and confidence to build a career in rail. Today\’s operatives can advance to become technicians or team leaders, with clear career progression paths.

Your skills matter

While rail experience isn\’t mandatory, you should demonstrate the following transferable skills:

• Team-working: Collaborate effectively with your team to deliver safe and efficient work.
• Communication: Communicate clearly to work safely and effectively.
• Proactive planning: Be punctual, prepared, and anticipate team needs to keep operations smooth.
• Working under pressure: Remain calm outdoors in all conditions, near moving trains.
• Following rules and instructions: Respect safety rules and feel confident to challenge unsafe situations.
• Willingness to learn: Continuously develop your skills and stay updated with procedures and standards.

Additional information

• Shifts: Includes days, nights, and weekends with a changing pattern.
• Outdoor working: Comfortable working in different weather conditions.
• Safe working: Employment is contingent on drug and alcohol testing, medical assessments, and BPSS checks, including hearing and eyesight exams.
• Driving: Must hold a valid category B driving license to operate Network Rail vehicles.
• Commute times: Must live within a 60-minute commute of the work location.

How to apply (External)

Salary: £30,351

Closing date: 02/06/25. Late applications will not be accepted.

Click apply now to submit your application.

Our recruitment process:

1. Once you apply, our Recruitment Specialist will review your CV.
2. If your experience matches, you\’ll be invited for an interview.

Visit Evenbreaks Career Hive for accessibility support and request reasonable adjustments by noting this in your application.

Network Rail Benefits

To learn about our benefits, click here.

All employment offers are conditional upon satisfactory pre-employment checks. More information.

Some roles require face-to-face drug and alcohol testing; further details will be provided upon offer.

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