Railway maintenance engineering technicians (overhead line) inspect, adjust, repair and alter the overhead line equipment (OLE) to keep trains running smoothly and safely.
The Work
You could be:
inspecting the ground and high level OLE for signs of damage or deterioration
accessing high level OLE using gantries and road and rail vehicles
replacing OLE components, such as insulators
checking cable tensioning and alignment
using specialist tools and equipment to measure, adjust, repair and modify cables and wires
organising appropriate materials, equipment and staff to be onsite
finding faults with OLE, such as cantilevers, and repairing them.
Pay
Employment is with Network Rail. The first year salary for Network Rail Level 3 Engineering Apprentices as of 2025 is £19,838. Your salary will increase yearly.
Once you have completed the apprenticeship you can earn up to around £35,000 a year and more with further experience.
Conditions
You spend a lot of time working at height.
You work mainly outdoors in all weathers, day and night.
You work shifts, including evenings, nights, public holidays and weekends.
You are sometimes on call and may have to work overtime.
You could be working away from the depot you are based at.
You will have to wear protective clothing such as high visibility jacket, hard hat and safety boots.
Network Rail offers a three-year Level 3 Engineering Apprenticeship Scheme which trains Maintenance Engineering Technicians in areas such as: Signalling, Track, Distribution and Plant, Telecoms or Overhead Line.
Entry requirements: 4 subjects at National 5 including English, Maths and a science or engineering subject.
Check the Network Rail website for information on when applications open.
To qualify you need to be 18 years of age or older by the time you start your training.
If your online application is successful, you will then complete an online assessment, consisting of some tests and a video interview. If you pass these then you will attend the assessment centre and complete activities.
You need a good level of physical fitness, and have to pass a medical examination, which includes sight and hearing tests.
You will undergo regular drug and alcohol tests to make sure you are not under any influence during working hours – Network Rail have a zero tolerance policy.
Jobs are with Network Rail, which is responsible for maintaining around 3,000 miles of track and related infrastructure in Scotland.
work quickly and accurately, always to a high standard.
Training
Training is on the job combined with off the job training.
All apprentice technicians must attend the Westwood training centre in the Midlands in England, for their first 23 weeks of training. Accommodation, meals, work clothing and safety equipment is provided. The remainder of training is based at a depot close to your home address.
On completion of the apprenticeship you'll have two Level 3 Diplomas in Railway Engineering Technician Knowledge & Competence, as well as leadership and management skills.
Getting On
Once you have qualified, you may be able to do further study and gain more advanced qualifications in engineering.
Network Rail offer a range of programmes at all levels from NVQ to postgraduate.
With these advanced qualifications, you may be able to register as an Engineering Technician (EngTech) or as a professional engineer (IEng or CEng).
Whatever your specialism, there are opportunities to move on within the organisation and become a team leader. With further experience, you could work on larger projects as a project engineer or manager.
Network Rail is the company with responsibility for all aspects of the railway infrastructure, including the track, bridges, viaducts, tunnels, level crossings, stations and signalling systems.
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