Register Your Interest - Mechanical Engineering - Industrial Placement 2026
Help us in delivering ambitious improvements to our tracks and rejuvenating our current infrastructure. You’ll get hands-on from day one, applying your knowledge to the real world and developing an impressive skill set.
If exploring unique engineering challenges matters to you.
You matter to us.
What you’ll be doing
Whether you’re playing a part in delivering improvements to track equipment, or rejuvenating and servicing our current infrastructure, this placement offers plenty of scope to apply your theoretical knowledge to real-world challenges.
Depending on where you’re based and what interests you, there’s opportunity to get experience in many different specialisms, such as power distribution, plant, traction and rolling stock, as well as asset management and infrastructure engineering.
Who you are matters
You’ll need to be in your penultimate year at university, and on track to achieve at least a 2:2 in an Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) accredited degree, and have the flexibility to occasionally travel to attend training opportunities at various locations.
We’re looking for logical thinkers with a creative approach to solving complex problems. You should be resourceful, hardworking and comfortable managing your own time. We would also like to see great communication skills
What you’ll get out of it
We’re passionate about developing the next generation of talent that will come into our industry, and that means we’ll ensure you’re surrounded by supportive colleagues and receive coaching from senior staff.
We invest in our placement students because we believe they hold the potential to become the future of our business. Over the 12-months, you’ll get a rounded experience of what it takes to be a mechanical engineer on our railways. Impress us, and we’ll consider you for next year’s graduate scheme.
About Network Rail
We are Network Rail. We matter to millions. We design stations, we repair tracks, we code software, we do finance, we do much more than you think.
As one of our graduates you’ll enjoy immense variety and gain unrivalled experience across a range of roles, projects, and types of work. You’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in all aspects of our industry and either find out where your interests and talents lie or further develop your career in an area you’re already passionate about.
The scale and scope of our organisation and the opportunities we offer is huge. But despite our size, you’ll find we work as a close, supportive team. And as one of many graduates on our scheme, you’ll not only be able to define your own career direction, you’ll also be able to share your growing experience and knowledge with our wider network of graduates - potentially building friendships and professional relationships that will last a lifetime.
We view our graduates as our future. So, whether you’re interested in a career in Civil, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or Business, you’ll find that everyone, at every level is happy to offer you their time, support, and advice. Because we want you to succeed. That’s also why we offer amazing access to training, development, and further qualifications. All you have to do is ask us. And if we can help you to advance your knowledge and your career, we will.
Choose a graduate career with us and you’re choosing a career with real meaning. You’ll be part of a large and growing UK organisation that genuinely cares about its people and the world around us. We’re driven by service, not profit. And we want to create a safe and sustainable future for everyone. We matter to millions.
Join us and you could too.