Project Planning Apprentice x

Overview

Salary: £27,500 per annum

Location: York, Leeds or Manchester

Contract Type: Permanent opportunity for new entrants to Network Rail only

Office Requirement: This is a hybrid role with an expectation of spending a minimum of three days per week in the office. You may also be required to work from other TRU locations across York, Leeds, Huddersfield, and Manchester, with occasional travel to additional sites as needed.

5 GCSEs at Grade C/4 or above to apply, including English and Maths.

If selected, the next stage will be a request to submit a video response to several questions (motivational and role specific). You will be contacted after the closing date if you are required to complete this stage. The final stage will be an in-person Assessment Centre.

Assessment Centre: Late April 2026 in York (exact date to be confirmed)

28 days annual leave + bank holidays

Discounts: Employees will be entitled to a discretionary 75% discount off leisure travel (including off peak and super off-peak tickets) and 75% discount on season tickets.

Join Network Rail – Where People and Connections Matter. We’re dedicated to keeping passengers and freight moving safely and efficiently across the country. We are committed to a diverse, inclusive workplace and ED&I commitments. We provide a healthy work-life balance and support disability confidence during recruitment. We are excited to hear from you.

Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is a £10.7 billion Programme improving the railway between York and Manchester via Leeds and Huddersfield. This Programme is led by Network Rail and will be your employer.

Stretching across the North of England, TRU serves 23 stations and involves many engineering activities. The programme aims to deliver a reliable railway with more seats, more services and faster journey times.

Role: Planning Apprentice within the TRU Planning team. You’ll help keep one of the UK's biggest rail programmes running smoothly. You’ll:

• Learn how to build and update project schedules using planning tools (we’ll teach you).
• Help plan safe access for engineering works on the railway.
• Track progress and deadlines to keep everything on time.
• Support with reports, meeting notes, and planning documents.
• Communicate with colleagues and internal stakeholders to keep everyone in the loop.
• Get hands-on experience on real projects and learn from experienced planners.

This role provides hands-on experience in planning for safe, efficient, and sustainable rail upgrades—joining the team making it happen.

On-the-job experience: Support planning requirements across multiple functions and learn to build/manage project schedules, governance, and interdependencies with industry partners.

Study support: Generous study support with 20% of working hours set aside for off‑the‑job learning and related studies. Network Rail covers all costs.

Mentorship: Ongoing mentorship for professional growth and success.

Career development: Skills and attributes to become a confident planning professional.

Permanent employment: Permanent employment with Network Rail, competitive salary, and excellent benefits while you complete a professional qualification.

If you’re ready to kick-start your career in Planning, apply now and join us on this exciting journey.

We’re looking for someone motivated to make a real impact, eager to learn, and ready to grow into a future project leader. You’ll bring:

• Great time management
• A problem-solving mindset
• Logical thinking
• Confidence with technology and communication
• A drive to learn and develop professionally (becoming APM qualified)
• A collaborative spirit and team-first attitude
• Openness to fresh ideas and new ways of working
• Integrity and accountability

Apply now: We’re excited to meet you. Please include a cover letter explaining why you’re passionate about joining the TRU team and what you can bring to the role. We are keen to understand what motivates you to succeed and how you can contribute to delivering a safer, greener, and more reliable railway.

We strongly encourage a cover letter as part of your application. If you do not hold a valid Right to Work in the UK, we will be unable to sponsor this role.

Some roles require face-to-face Drugs & Alcohol testing; further details will be shared with you as part of your formal offer.

Keeping people safe on the railway is central to our work; safe behaviour is a requirement of working for Network Rail. You should be able to demonstrate your personal commitment to safety in your application.

Closing date: 22 February 2026. Late applications will not be accepted. We retain the right to close the advert before the listed closing date based on application volumes.