Northern launches recruitment drive for rail engineers

Photo: Northern/Johnny Walton

Northern, the second largest train operator in the UK, has launched a recruitment drive as it looks to hire skilled engineers who can repair and maintain trains at its TrainCare Centres in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester and is offering salaries up to £50,320.

Northern is expanding its team of engineers who work round the clock to maintain and enhance more than 340 trains, which are used to transport tens of millions of passengers across the North of England every year — the train operator runs 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations.  

Northern is recruiting maintenance engineers at Newton Heath TrainCare Centre in Greater Manchester, offering a starting salary of £49,681 a year. There are also engineer roles on offer at Allerton TrainCare Centre in Merseyside. Salaries start at £37,740, but rise to £50,320 following a the completing of a training course. In West Yorkshire, the train operator is also looking to fill engineer roles at the Neville Hill TrainCare Centre in Leeds — they come with a salary of £49,879.

Fast-paced environment
Tricia Williams, managing director at Northern, said: “We are recruiting talented engineers who can help us keep our fleet of trains running smoothly all year round for tens of millions of passengers. We are looking for people who can solve problems and carry out maintenance and repairs in a fast-paced environment, while working as part of a team and adhering to strict safety regulations.”

All applicants must be over 18, with a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3 in Engineering and live within a 45min drive of the depot they want to work at. Earlier this year Rebecca Prendergast, a senior production manager for operations at Newton Heath, urged women to consider an “incredibly rewarding” career in engineering with Northern and said they “shouldn’t wait for anyone to encourage them into it”.

People who have gained engineering experience in the military have also been asked to consider joining Northern and told the railway can offer them a “home away from home”. The train operator employs dozens of people who have previously worked in the military or currently serve as reservists, putting their skills and experience to use in a wide range of roles and offering them the chance to work as part of a close-knit team within a clear structure.

In 2021, Northern signed the Armed Forces Covenant, a commitment to supporting the employment of veterans and recognising military skills and qualifications across our business.

Those interested in a career with Northern can register for job alerts here: here.