Rail Engineering Vehicles Level 4 Apprenticeship - London

Rail Engineering Vehicles Level 4 Apprenticeship - London

Please note: This role may close soon depending on the level of interest so don’t miss out!

Apprenticeship Standard: Rail Engineer- Vehicles

Salary:

£28,380

What we offer

• Free travel on the TfL network for you and a nominee who lives in the same household
• Discounted National Rail and Eurostar travel
• Defined pension contribution scheme
• Minimum 29 days annual leave (pro rata dependent on role) plus public and bank holidays.
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers & many more

Duration: 18 months

Location:

London/ Hybrid

Hybrid working within this role enables a balance of 50 per cent of time split between the office and home over a 4 week period. Hybrid working arrangements can evolve subject to business requirements

Entry requirements

You should already hold or be working towards a minimum of 2 GCSEs at Grade A*-C or Grade 4 and above in Maths and English Language, plus 2 A-Levels in any subject at Grade A*-D. Equivalent qualifications and grades, such as BTECs, T-Levels and the International Baccalaureate will be accepted. This opportunity is within TfL’s Engineering directorate, so a strong interest in STEM subjects is desirable.

You are not eligible for this scheme if you currently hold or are working towards a qualification at the same or higher level in a related subject or have already studied content from the qualification for this scheme. You must be 18 years of age by September 2026 to be eligible for this scheme. There is no upper age limit to apply.

Please be advised that should you be successful in getting an offer for this apprenticeship scheme, your offer will be subject to a satisfactory medical which may include but is not limited to: drugs and alcohol screening, hearing test and eyesight tests including Ishihara Plates and Colour Assessment and Diagnosis tests to determine colour deficiency.

Qualifications

You will be working towards a Level 4 qualification in Vehicles Engineering.

Proposed start date: 7th September 2026

Job overview

Through a mix of practical and office based work, our Engineers focus on the assets that form the foundation of our transport system. We have 800 trains, manage the buses contracts. Our assets range from computer driven to old mechanical systems. Introducing new technology means we need a diverse workforce to support us. We are currently delivering the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, which includes a reduction in electrical consumption, the achievement of carbon neutral by 2030 and significantly reduced bus fleet emissions.

As a level 4 apprentice you will be providing technical support and expert advice to our maintenance teams, and drive engineering improvements to our assets. This could be through design, data analysis or hands on testing. Being a vehicles engineer is a broad and dynamic field that can get you involved in a wide range of exciting problems and projects.

What will I be doing?

As an apprentice, your 4-year development programme will be made up of up to placement rotations. Our aim is to equip you with the range of skills and experience you need for your successful career. We also understand that everyone’s career is different, so every apprentice’s journey is unique. Here’s an idea of what yours could look like:

Year 1

• Placement 1 - Rolling Stock Depot – 4-6 months Maintenance improvements, Modifications and Service Delivery (Depot based; hands on)
• Placement 2 – Rolling Stock Engineering Support - 4-6 months Engineering improvement, incident response, technical support (Depot based- Mix of office and practical)

Year 2

• Placement 1 - Docklands Light Railway – 2-4 months New train introduction, Contract Management (Office based- some site survey or testing work)
• Placement 2 – Response team – 2-4 months Providing engineering response to asset incidents and failures (Office based, some site work such as incident investigation)
• Placement 3 – Asset performance – 2-4 months providing engineering support across the vehicles team. Work could range from making design changes to our vehicles to providing expert support to a particular system such as doors when support is requested. (Office based, some site work such as trialling modifications on our assets)

Year 3

• Technical Services - 2-4 months each of Train Testing, Environmental Testing, Audio Visual Testing , and maintaining our automated track testing (This will be about 50/50 office and site work, with the balance changing depending on the specific area you are in. This will be a year of detailed fault finding and hands on testing of our assets, along with the data analysis and planning that goes alongside it)

There is flexibility for apprentices to tailor their scheme. This can be agreed between you and your scheme sponsor - some placements are compulsory, and some are optional. This opportunity usually arises in Year 4.

Sustainability

Sustainability is intrinsic to TfL’s work ethos, and we ensure that we operate in a sustainable way to protect and regenerate the natural world. You’ll also be able to complete placements that help deliver our Green strategy and ensure TfL is a strong, green heartbeat for London.

Where can this career take me?

Upon successful completion of this scheme, you could roll-off into several different areas within our team depending on your personal aspirations and business need, such as a rolling stock/trams engineer, working within the design areas, reliability engineering or train testing. Progression to a Senior Engineer would normally be expected within a 5 – 10-year timeframe.

This is a Level 4 Apprenticeship. On completion of the apprenticeship, you will have satisfied the requirements for registration as an Engineering Technician by the relevant Professional Engineering Institutions.

What training and support will you get?

You will be working towards a Level 4 qualification in Vehicles Engineering. Typically, you will be required to attend college for the first 3 months then twice per year in five week blocks. Whilst on the scheme, we’ll support your technical development through a wide range of on-the-job practical experiences and placements.

We’ll also support your professional development through a combination of classroom-led training courses, online training courses, mentoring opportunities, and structured networking opportunities. You will receive one-to-one support throughout the programme from your scheme sponsor and your Line Manager.

You’ll also be connected to a ‘buddy’ who will be a more experienced apprentice from the scheme.

What do we look for?

• Caring about our colleagues, our customers and our work
• Open to each other, to new ideas and to working together
• Adaptable to diverse needs and willing to innovate

Application process

Our application system requires all applicants to upload a CV. Although CVs are not reviewed during the shortlisting process, we do use them to confirm that applicants meet the required grade eligibility criteria. You are welcome to upload a basic CV however, please ensure that the section detailing your qualifications is accurate and up to date. Please note we do not read cover letters.

The application process consists of 5 steps, including online assessments which will need to be completed within an allocated time frame. We highly recommend that you read through this document thoroughly so that you can familiarise yourself with the process. You will receive information and guidance around each assessment stage as you progress through your application.

Please pay close attention to emails and deadlines provided noting you have 1 week to complete online assessments and we cannot re-issue these tests once the deadline passes. Assessment centres for apprentice roles will take place from March - May 2026, please note that many roles only have 1 assessment day and we are unable to guarantee alternative dates. We are conducting assessment centres in-person and virtually (role dependent).

Our city. Made better by you.

TfL is a place that’s open to your ideas. Where you can make a tangible impact and see the positive results of your work on the people and places around you. It’s a place where you can thrive and achieve. Where you’re encouraged and enabled and empowered to feel pride in the work you do. The clue is in the name, really. We work together for a better London. A better place for everyone. Constantly improving and enhancing how we operate to shape a city of the future.

Inclusive recruitment process

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria. In High Volume campaigns including Graduate, Apprentice and Intern recruitment the minimum criteria we set is achieving a pass mark in our first stage assessments, adopting a proportionate approach as part of the Disability Confident scheme. Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments for any stages of the application process.

Contact us

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

Contact the recruitment team by

• Phone: 0203 005 1680 (Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17.30)
• Email: earlycareerscampaigns@tfl.gov.uk

How to apply

To apply for this role and to find out more, please click on the apply button. Please note that applications may close before the application deadline, so apply early to avoid disappointment.