Monday 9 Feb 2026
On track for a new career: North West apprentices celebrate working on the railway
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central
An apprentice from Oldham who decided to make a major career shift has spoken out about the excitement of working on the railway.
Connor Greasley, 29, began a Level 3 Engineering Apprenticeship with Network Rail in October 2021.
It came after he decided to take a new direction and build a career through hands-on learning.
As National Apprenticeship Week 2026 begins, Network Rail is highlighting apprentices across the country who are developing the skills needed to maintain, improve and future-proof Britain’s railway.
Connor said: “I joined the scheme at a real crossroads in my life. I didn’t have qualifications beyond GCSEs and knew an apprenticeship was the right way forward.
“I now work in signalling maintenance at Stockport as part of a combined faulting and maintenance team. We maintain a range of signalling assets and respond to faults as they arise, so no two days are the same.
“After completing the Level 3 apprenticeship, I considered the Level 6. Support and encouragement from colleagues and managers gave me the confidence to go for it.
“My focus now is on building my knowledge and progressing into a technician role. Being part of a large, multi-discipline cohort has shown me the range of opportunities available, and I’m excited about what’s ahead at Network Rail.”
Apprentices play a vital role in maintaining and modernising the railway. In the past year, Network Rail has welcomed just under 300 new joiners into its apprenticeship programmes. This forms part of the organisation’s wider commitment to developing skilled talent, with 1,780 apprentices recruited during the last five years.
As one of the UK’s top 100 apprenticeship employers, Network Rail continues to develop talented apprentices across the railway. Take the first step towards an exciting career in rail at networkrail.co.uk/apprenticeships
Notes to Editors
- Find out more about apprentices from across the country here.
Meet Network Rail apprentices during National Apprenticeship Week
As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2026, Network Rail will be hosting a series of events across the country, giving members of the public, colleagues and aspiring apprentices the opportunity to meet apprentices, hear about their experiences, and learn more about the wide range of careers available across the railway.
Station events
- Monday 9 February: London Waterloo station and Birmingham New Street station
- Tuesday 10 February: Reading station
- Wednesday 11 February: Manchester Piccadilly station
- Friday 13 February: Leeds station
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Network Rail press office - North West & Central Region
0330 854 0100
NWCmediarelations@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
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