Network Rail Employee Reviews

Fast paced. Should do more with wages. Management aren’t that keen on employee welfare and can do more with training processes and other set out procedures

Pros

Free transport

Cons

Low wagss

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Overally a toxic workplace

Accountant (Former Employee) - Business partner - 24 November 2023

The finance team was a toxic place, the graduate scheme creates ' demigods' and if you are not part of the boys club you will not enjoy it. Too many cliques

Pros

Great offices at York

Cons

Clique culture and alot of swearing foul language by FD

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Jobs at Network Rail

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Signaller Grade 2 - Entry level

Signaller Grade 2 Trainee

Busy but boring

Technician (Current Employee) - London, Greater London - 22 November 2023

Training and technical knowledge that is taught are top notch and have progressed so much since I’ve started.Working conditions can be rough outside in all weathers no matter the time of day. Originally I did not sign up for night work but a mix but not it’s basically a night shift rotation with day shifts here and there and it can be very taxing mentally/physically when swapping over body clock. Huge responsibility in terms of safety.People who work here are great and job is extremely team oriented When poo hits the fan it’s all hands on deck. If not, there can be endless hours on call which can drag on for eternity

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Excellent and fulfilling role to undertake

Site Supervisor (Former Employee) - Crewe - 22 November 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?Job security and salary and being part of a team environment that can provide excellent installations safely and provides a safe infrastructure for customers What is the most stressful part about working at the company?Adhering to tight deadlines especially when working on midweek nights What is the work environment and culture like at the company?Work environment is mainly good and the culture is very safety driven What is a typical day like for you at the company?Good mainly you’ve got to ensure everything is in place prior to you starting your planned work which can be challenging at times but you have a sense of achievement when the work is delivered safely and to a excellent standard.

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Poor progression

Technician (Current Employee) - Manchester, Greater Manchester - 19 November 2023

Progression much harder if not from the graduate or apprenticeship schemePay is at or below average for job roles.Company doesn't care as much as it makes out about its employees

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Insights into Network Rail

Based on 248 survey responses

What people like

Supportive environment
Ability to learn new things
Clear sense of purpose

Areas for improvement

Sense of belonging
Energising work tasks

Busy but boring

Team Organiser (Former Employee) - Glasgow, Glasgow - 14 November 2023

Perfectly fine place to work. Nice people, good laugh. Training opportunities and progression there if you want it.Good location, decent pay. Have worked worse places

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Brilliant

Advisor (Current Employee) - London, Greater London - 7 November 2023

Network Rail, in my experience, stands out as a remarkable employer. Their commitment to employee well-being, professional development, and a healthy work-life balance sets them apart. The company fosters a culture of inclusivity and diversity, ensuring that every individual's talents and perspectives are valued.One of the standout qualities of Network Rail is their investment in training and development. They provide ample opportunities for career growth, with a strong emphasis on internal promotions. Their focus on safety, both for employees and the public, is commendable, making it a safe and secure workplace.The company also prioritizes a healthy work-life balance, offering flexible working arrangements that suit employees' needs. Moreover, the sense of camaraderie among colleagues and the supportive management make for a positive work environment.In summary, Network Rail is a fantastic employer that not only invests in its employees' professional growth but also cares about their overall well-being, creating a fulfilling and dynamic workplace.

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Challenging work

Signalling (Former Employee) - Angila - 7 November 2023

Organizing tools equipment for either on days or nights, processing safety packs , keeping competencies up to date via online portal, The job has lot responsibility with it ,not just for your own safety but for others people that you might be in charge of , I found lower management very unprofessional and unknowing of there own rules processes and responsibilities .Good culture starts with good management and unfortunately this was another big failing for NWR .Hardest part of job are shifts, lots nights weekends .Best part of the job were blokes on ground that you relied on to complete work.

Pros

Good benefits, reasonable pay

Cons

Bad management

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wish I'd worked somewhere else.

Signaller Shift Manager & Local Ops Manger. (Former Employee) - Sheffield - 29 October 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?the day I walked out the door.What is the most stressful part about working at the company?long hours stressful job poor managmentWhat is the work environment and culture like at the company?differs between departments tbh,,lots of managers who just talk out there bottomWhat is a typical day like for you at the company?12 HR shifts with only one 30 min break,stressful environment.

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The company talks but DOESNT WALK the walk

Operative. P-Way (Current Employee) - Lowestoft - 27 October 2023

A typical day can be a pain as communication is nonexistent within the company.The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. Sums up the management and culture within.The hardest part is finding out what is expected of you but the best part TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN

Cons

To any to mention

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Permanent nightshifts

Technician (Current Employee) - London Bridge Station, Greater London - 24 October 2023

Working at Network Rail was fulfilling. Supportive colleagues, challenging projects, and a commitment to safety made it a rewarding experience. But you need to get used to working permanent night in London.

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Disgrace

Apprentice (Former Employee) - Glasgow, Glasgow - 22 October 2023

The apprenticeship scheme is a shambles the team are useless and some of the training you will never use. When you eventually get assigned to a depot you sit around for 12 hours and dont get out the depot but they still expect you to complete your reports even though your not doing any work. The HR department are bullies and management do not care about you.If you want to be lazy and do nothing then go for it but if you actually want to be a good hard worker and feel.like you are providing a service then this is not the job or company to go to

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Good workplace

Technical Officer (Current Employee) - Shrewsbury - 12 October 2023

Lots of avenues for a career that pays well and lots of overtime available. Once you are in the company you can look at different avenues that suit you and where you feel you might best be suited

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Challenging

S&T (Current Employee) - London, Greater London - 11 October 2023

A decent career, times are changing though and more is being expected from less and less staff. Team sizes are getting cut but the same workload expected

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Great pay poor middle management

TECHNICIAN (Former Employee) - Wakefield, West Yorkshire - 11 October 2023

Great pay some brilliant staff weekends are rostered nights plus midweek night'sSupervisor and managers writing there own cheques whilst giving you no overtime

Pros

Pay

Cons

Unsociable hours

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Good company to work for if you have a good manager

Team Organiser (Former Employee) - Cardiff - 10 October 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?Great people ! Good wage, clear roleWhat is the most stressful part about working at the company?Sometimes managers are deeply unpleasant people. That is of course dependent on the management but I do not feel that it is a particularly positive company if you have a disability or are neurodiverse What is the work environment and culture like at the company?Generally good, most of the staff are positive and helpful. Good relationships between colleagues What is a typical day like for you at the company?Busy but not overworked /overwhelmed

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Don’t trust management

Electrical Technician (Former Employee) - Glasgow - 8 October 2023

Mostly nights shifts Managers are the worstPeople are just looking for a promotion Old guys still have old mentality The managers Going home at night and not being able to sleep

Pros

Salary

Cons

Everything else

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Not what it was.

Maintenance (Current Employee) - Yorkshire - 23 September 2023

Typical day….Load vanTravel to siteSit in van all day because the safety methods used by NWR on days to access track don’t work, yet they don’t and won’t listen.Management are mostly dreadful but not all.Don’t expect any empathy, understanding or to be treated with any dignity. Everything they tell you in their briefs about how caring and understanding they are is nothing but false nonsense.Only staying as the salary is decent, a few years from pension and hoping for another round of voluntary severance in a few years time!!

Pros

Salary and pension

Cons

Oppressive management styles, concerns fall on deaf ears. Modernising Maintenance.

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Great place to work with some great people. But sometimes feel are taken for granted!

Overhead Linesman (Current Employee) - Edinburgh - 21 September 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?Great company to work for although upper management can be difficult to understand at times as they seem to be very confrontational in their decisions regarding rosters and work conditions and now even more so after recent strikes. But still a good place to work!What is the most stressful part about working at the company?Personally I find the work to be done on iPads very stressful where previously the paperwork was no problem. If you are not computer savvy then you will struggle to keep up. Progression of the times!!!What is the work environment and culture like at the company?As stated previously upper management want to fix things that do not require fixing and this causes friction in the depots. Rosters are a big part in work /life balance & management use this as their first tool when negotiating with the work force who do shift-work. Not every one works 9 to 4 mon/fri with tea breaks &lunch breaks guaranteed.

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Good people in gangs

Operations Manager (Current Employee) - Preston, Lancashire - 16 September 2023

Just turn up do the work get homeSafe think of others be a team player & you will get along fine some great people with great experience respect everyone

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used to be great but changes on work arrangements/rosters are ruining it

S&T technician (Current Employee) - London, Greater London - 15 September 2023

Pay is fair, lots of training and lots of opportunities for development but changes in the work arrangements, rosters, wider area of coverage, cross-discipline work and newer contracts with much lower pay rates are ruining it, hence lots of people are leaving at the moment.