Make your mark with Colas Rail UK

At Colas Rail, differences matter. Join a team where being your authentic self is respected, encouraged, and vital to our success. At Colas Rail you'll be at home. You'll be welcomed into an inclusive team where there's a role for every talent and a close-knit, familial culture. You will also get the opportunity to help us transform transportation, set new standards, and dare to be different.

This is true because...

We value everyone as part of the same team.
We treat everyone as equals - and everyone is approachable, from the CEO down.
We put you in control of your career to lead and grow in any way you want.
We have a culture of care, from safe working environments to diversity and inclusion.
We're renowned for innovation, adopting new ideas, and daring to be different.
We are building a more sustainable future and our projects impact infrastructure for generations.

About Us

Step into the world of Colas Rail, where a century of expertise merges with a daring spirit to shape the future of rail infrastructure.

At Colas Rail, we deliver transport solutions for sustainable mobility. We are a leading rail infrastructure business with on track plant and freight capabilities. As a subsidiary of the Colas Group, we are part of over a hundred years' experience in delivering major innovations across our sector. Every day, thousands of trains run on tracks built, designed, or maintained by Colas Rail.

Leading by our Values

Our values, Respect, Commitment, Pioneering and Sharingare at the heart of everything we do. These values feed into our main strategies and accompany us daily in realising our ambitions.

We Respect our employees, celebrate diversity and foster a culture of safety, care and respect for everyone we interact with. We care about our employee’s wellbeing and create an environment of inclusivity and support.

We Commit by showing up wholeheartedly. When we commit together, we invest in everyone’s success. We invest in our customers, our teams and our colleagues, and we lead with safety, integrity, passion, purpose, ethics and transparency.

We Share as we all hold knowledge that could and should be shared, enabling us to grow and making us a strong collective. We have a passion for excellence, celebrating achievements and nurturing talent.

We Pioneer to push boundaries, imagine what does not yet exist and dare to do what others do not. We innovate with ambition, and we find solutions.

Even if you don't meet every requirement, please don't rule yourself out, we still encourage you to apply if your skills, values, and experience align to the role.

Purpose of the Role

As part of the Colas Rail Apprenticeship Scheme you will work in a technical and operational role with a distinct focus on the project delivery side of our business, working closely with our experienced engineers, mentors, trainers and managers on improving the UK rail system. As an apprentice with Colas Rail, you will be enrolled on the Level 3 Survey Apprenticeship Scheme and you can expect to be working closely with our experienced engineers and management on improving the UK rail systems.

You will receive the relevant training to learn the more advanced skills of your technical specialism and throughout your scheme we will support you with all the technical training that you will need to become a competent engineering technician. You will have the opportunity to learn and develop your skills and to work towards membership of a professional body in the signalling discipline.

What I will be Focused on as an apprentice with Colas Rail?

Throughout your apprenticeship journey you will work to gain relevant skills for your role, and deliver against the apprenticeship schemes Route to Competence. You will receive immersive and hands-on experience within your discipline to support this development, and you will need to be motivated, curious and enthusiastic to learn.

Your role will be to make a strong contribution to your team and support your colleagues across key projects to gain and develop your experience. Through tailored experience and training you will develop an in-depth understanding and knowledge of your subject area, working on live projects on site, and getting on and off the job training and competence development.
You will have the opportunity to work efficiently and in unison within a fully muti disciplined team, operating closely with your colleagues to assist with the planning and coordination of site activities, continuously gaining experience and responsibility in all P-Way engineering delivery stages, from site survey to project completion.

The safety, health and security of people really matters to us and we want you to join us in our daily commitment and continuous drive to improving safety across our business, and you will be empowered to share your thoughts and opinions on how we can do this. We are also focused on ensuring our work leaves a lasting, positive impact on the world around us, so having an eye for how we can innovate and be creative is critical.

Person Specification

Minimum of a Grade C / 4 in Maths and English
You can drive or will have completed your driving test by August 2026
You will be able to collaborate as part of a team
You can demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills
Be comfortable with working nights and weekends
You show an interest and drive to be part of the Rail Industry and Colas Rail
You enjoy using your initiative and are flexible to work both independently and within a team.

Key Responsabilities

To gain the relevant skills through the Apprentice Scheme and deliver against the schemes Route to Competence. You will receive immersive and hands-on experience within this discipline to support this development.
Develop in-depth understanding and knowledge of the subject area, working on live projects on site, and getting on and off the job training and competence development.
Gain an in-depth knowledge of the Safety Culture within your discipline, your division and Colas Rail ensuring you adhere to all Safety and Ethical requirements.
Demonstrate motivation and enthusiasm to learn & gain experience to support the projects you work on.
Make a strong contribution to your team and support your colleagues across key projects to gain and develop your experience.
You will work towards your End Point Assessment and professional recognition within your discipline.
Attend and learn from the various training courses specified within the Scheme plan.
As you will expect the organisation may change from time to time and you will be expected to meet the operational requirements.
Any other reasonable duties as required from time to time.

What We Offer

• Competitive Salary
• 26 days Annual Leave
• Industry leading Life Assurance
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• Wellbeing Employee Assistant Programme
• Pension Scheme
• Eye Care Vouchers
• Long Service Award
• Season Ticket Loan

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We believe that diversity drives innovation and creativity, and we actively seek to create an environment where everyone feels welcome, heard, valued and respected. Regardless of background, disability, age, race, religion, or gender, everyone is welcome at Colas Rail.

We strive to promote equity and eliminate discrimination, actively seeking to create a workforce reflective of communities we serve. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, offering flexible and inclusive adjustments to the interview process.

As part of a positive action drive to address under-representation we encourage applications from women, ethnically diverse individuals and people with disabilities, along with all candidates who identify with protected characteristic groups under the Equality Act 2010.

We are proudly part of the Disability Confidence Scheme, and as such we operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme if you meet the minimum requirements.

On joining Colas Rail you’ll have access to our growing Employee Network Groups including Railbow (representing the LGBTQ+ community), BeyonDisability (representing those with disabilities) and Cross Culture (representing people from ethnic backgrounds). Everyone is welcome to join our network groups whether you are part of the community or an ally.

Work life balance is important to us; flexible working options are available where feasible and dependant on the role. Please discuss this during the interview process.

Join us in making a positive impact! Apply and be part of a team that values diversity and embraces unique perspectives.

COLAS RAIL LTD

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