12-month graduate opportunities to be based from Birmingham for head office placements, or across our network, for a frontline placement.

West Midlands Trains Graduate Programme - What will you get involved in?

Making a real difference - Do you fancy managing and delivering projects on the railway that will make a real difference to passengers and the community? Would you like to lead and manage the running of some of our 150+ stations on the network? We are looking for talented graduates, who have an appetite for learning and desire to drive to make a difference, working on the railway.

Career opportunities within the business following the completing of your graduate programme could lead to opportunities in a number of our different functions or teams, whether that is delivering rolling stock or infrastructure projects, stations or on-board train management, or being a part of one of our many head office functions - keeping things working in the background.

Developing a core professional skillset - From dealing with customers to managing projects and interacting with internal and external stakeholders to get the job done, we will ensure that you have the right balance of courses, development and on the job training to develop your skills - relevant to your placement role.

Experience life on the frontline as well as head office - During your 12 months on the programme we will balance your placements with a mixture of frontline experience, working with customers and understanding our core business of running trains and managing stations, with placements in our head office functions, this will give you the broadest possible experience of our business, as possible.

With over 30 distinct departments, we are confident that you will find the perfect role for you within the business, whether that is working on our exciting new station projects, providing excellence in customer service at our stations, managing the contract we have with our client - the Department for Transport, formulating improved and innovative ways of delivering better services with our customer experience strategy team, train service planning for the future, the list goes on. The opportunities and potential for you to develop are staggering.

Training graduates to be future managers and leaders - We love to invest in our graduates and help you shape and progress your career, preparing you to become a future leader in the business.

Who are we looking for?

Passionate, ambitious, driven individuals with an appetite for learning, also not being afraid to ask questions or challenge the status quo. We are looking for a fresh perspective and inquisitive nature from our graduates, and there will be ample opportunity for you to be involved in shaping the future of our railway and making a real difference.

Those interested in a railway career will find the graduate scheme very rewarding and beneficial, as it offers you first-hand experience of working within a train operating company and will provide you with a solid foundation on how UK railways operate.

We are looking for future managers and leaders, so leadership skills, ambition, energy and drive to make things happen are really important. You should be passionate, relish challenges, being empowered to make decisions and work autonomously. You will need excellent communication skills, be customer-focussed, and possess the ability to work with stakeholders and build relationships across different levels.

We want you to be visionaries and play a key part in setting the vision for the railway of the future.

Programme Overview

1-year long programme spread across 4 core placements – each being 3 months in length.

The locations will be based out of our head office in Birmingham City Centre - for Head Office roles, or across the network - for frontline positions, depending on the placement.

Opportunities for short mini secondments with other internal departments or even with other industry partners, may also be available.

At the end of the programme we would expect you to have applied for, and started, your first substantive role within the business.

Programme Structure

The programme commences in September 2025, with a week-long onboarding process to include company induction, overview of key departments, as well as insight into the operation of one of our stations, to allow you to experience a day in the life of a passenger.

You will be assigned a senior manager, who will act as a mentor, for the duration of programme. They will have mentoring sessions with you and help set overall goals, training and development opportunities, as well as discussing your aspirations beyond the graduate scheme.

You will also be paired with a buddy, who will assist with acclimatising to the business, as well as assisting with general queries and questions.

Line managers for each of the 4 placements will set placement objectives, plan work and training opportunities, within the placement itself.

The first 2 placements will be pre-selected, with placements 3 and 4 will selected by you, before the end of your first 6 months with us. This will provide flexibility for you to select the area that you are interested in for your final 6 months on the programme.

Training, Career Path and Progression

Training and development will be provided throughout your graduate scheme, tailored to suit the placements.

On the job training and experience will form a core part of the training.

After placement 3, you would be expected to apply for suitable management/professional role in the areas where you wish to specialise.

What is the salary and benefits?

• Starting salary £30,011
• Final Salary pension – one of the best in the UK
• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays
• Retail discounts
• Free travel on all our trains and those of other train companies within our parent group company - for you, your partner and any dependent children
• Discounted European rail travel (after 12 months)
• 75% discount off other train companies
• Annual cycle to work scheme
• Career development opportunities
• Opportunities to get involved with our award winning Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Groups

Entry Requirements

2:1 in any degree subject
Must already have graduated or be graduating in 2025
A Building Surveyor or Engineering degree is required for our Project Engineer roles

Why Us?

As part of the Transport UK Group, West Midlands Trains delivers around 1,300 train journeys a day, for more than 60 million passengers a year, across our two brands - West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway.

We are committed to delivering a safe and reliable train service, by investing in our fleet of trains, stations and employees. As part of this investment, we are looking to recruit 4 graduates, to start in September 2025, as part of our new and exciting West Midlands Trains Graduate Programme.

Application Process

• Applications open from September 2024 - December 2024
• Assessment centres and interviews will be scheduled for February 2025
• Offers will be made to successful candidates in March 2025
• Commence Graduate Programme in September 2025

Due to the volume of applications, we receive, the advert may close earlier than the published closing date. Please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid missing out. 

As an inclusive employer, we welcome applications from all backgrounds and ensure no-one receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, belief and sexual orientation.