College 16 to 18
Rail and Civil Engineering
Are you interested in how our roads, buildings and railway lines are built? Do you see yourself planning Newcastle's next big skyscraper, or working to keep our trains running on time? As a trained engineer, your skills will always be in demand, wherever you are in the world.
On a Rail and Civil Engineering course at Newcastle College, hands-on experience and industry support are at the centre of your learning.
You will be based at the Rail and Civil Engineering Academy in Felling, the only training facility of its kind in the North East and you'll be supported by our links with local employers, including Nexus, Network Rail, Ganymede and Walter Thompson Construction.
Choose a pathway in rail engineering or civil engineering and learn from expert tutors to develop the skills you need to succeed.
What can I study?
Introduction to the Rail Industry - Level 2
This Introduction to the Rail Industry course includes everything you need to know when starting your journey in the rail industry.
Length: 1 years
Study: Full-Time
Start date: 1st September 2025
Location: Rail Academy, Gateshead
Rail Engineering - Level 3
Develop your engineering knowledge and skills and put them into practice as you replicate real rail scenarios at our Rail and Civil Engineering Academy.
Length: 2 years
Study: Full-Time
Start date: 1st September 2025
Location: Rail Academy, Gateshead
Civil Engineering (Design, Surveying, Planning for Construction) - Level 3
If you're passionate about building a better future, this T Level will help you excel in the design, surveying and planning aspects of construction.
Length: 2 years
Study: Full-Time
Start date: 1st September 2025
Location: Rye Hill Campus
Get In Touch
Good to know
How to Make an Application
College or Sixth Form. What's the difference?
16 to 18 Support
Student Life
Meet our students
Aaron Bullha
Level 3 Rail Engineering"My lecturers and tutors have all gone out of their way to make sure me and my classmates know everything we need to know, not just in track and rail but general engineering as well. I feel like having the opportunity to practice on real-life rail equipment will help me no matter where in the industry I progress, and it’s all thanks to Newcastle College."
Archie Hughes
Level 3 Rail Engineering"I enjoy the practicals the most – we recently did a sleeper change and it was really good because it gives us an idea of what is actually going to happen on track. I got put in charge of that practical for my group, which was really rewarding. We managed to get it done a little quicker than the other groups too!"
What can I do with a Rail Engineering qualification?
Daily tasks:
- Organises and establishes control systems to monitor operational efficiency and performance of materials and systems.
- Ensures that equipment, operation and maintenance comply with design specifications and safety standards.
- Designs mechanical equipment, such as steam, internal combustion and other non-electrical motors for railway locomotives, road vehicles, aeroplanes and other machinery.
- Determines materials, equipment, piping, capacities, layout of plant or system and specification for manufacture.
- Undertakes research and advises on energy use, materials handling, thermodynamic processes, fluid mechanics, vehicles and environmental controls.
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Daily tasks:
- Organises and establishes control systems to monitor the performance and safety of electrical assemblies and systems.
- Ensures that manufacture, operation and maintenance comply with design specifications and contractual arrangements.
- Determines and specifies manufacturing methods of electrical systems.
- Supervises, controls and monitors the operation of electrical generation, transmission and distribution systems.
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Daily tasks:
- Prepares specifications for materials and other components.
- Produces final design information for use in preparation of layouts, parts lists, etc..
- Arranges construction and testing of model or prototype and modifies design if necessary.
- Prepares working designs for steam, aero, turbine, marine and electrical engines, mechanical instruments, aircraft and missile structures, vehicle and ship structures, plant and machinery equipment, domestic electrical appliances, building systems and services, and electronic computing and telecommunications equipment.
- Assesses product requirements, including costs, manufacturing feasibility and market requirements.
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Daily tasks:
- Provides technical consultancy services.
- Examines and advises on patent applications.
- Prepare sketches, drawings and specifications showing materials to be used, construction and finishing methods and other details.
- Devises and implements control systems to monitor operational efficiency and performance of system and materials.
- Designs new systems and equipment with regard to cost, market requirements and feasibility of manufacture.
- Establishes principles and techniques to improve the quality, durability and performance of materials such as textiles, glass, rubber, plastics, ceramics, metals and alloys.
- Researches into problem areas to advance basic knowledge, evaluate new theories and techniques and to solve specific problems.
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Daily tasks:
- Inspects and issues tickets on trains, deals with passenger enquiries, and takes charge of goods being transported on train.
- Checks control panel operation before start of journey, operates train door controls and signals to driver to start or stop train.
- Attends to the safety, welfare and comfort of passengers on trains and manages train crew.
- Assists passengers with special needs to board and leave trains.
- Loads and unloads mail, goods and luggage, operates lifts and hoists and drives small trucks.
- Helps with passenger enquiries and makes announcements over a public address system at stations.
- Examines and collects tickets at the ticket barrier of a railway station.
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Daily tasks:
- Monitors the standards of scientific and technical research undertaken by the research team.
- Plans work schedules, assigns tasks and delegates responsibilities to the research and development team.
- Develops research methodology, implements and reports upon research investigations undertaken.
- Liaises with production departments to investigate and resolve manufacturing problems.
- Establishes product design and performance objectives in consultation with other business functions.
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Daily tasks:
- Fastens together sections of rail by bolting fishplates to rails.
- Positions lengths of rail, sets of points and crossovers and secures rail with bolts, wooden wedges or clips.
- Spreads ballast and lays sleepers or metal plates at specified intervals.
- Lubricates points, examines fences, drains, culverts and embankments and carries out any necessary maintenance.
- Checks tightness of bolts and wedges, replaces damaged rail chairs and repacks ballast under sleepers if necessary.
- Patrols length of track and visually inspects rails, bolts, fishplates and chairs for distortion or fracture.
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Daily tasks:
- Checks loading of tubs and carriages, and informs driver of load distribution and any special features of route.
- Assists drivers in the operation of diesel, diesel-electric, electric and steam locomotives.
- Examines shunting instructions, uncouples wagons and coaches, guides movement of carriages using manual points and wagon breaks, links-up carriages, ensures security of couplings and reconnects brake and heating systems.
- Operates signals and opens and closes barriers at level crossings as required.
- Examines schedules and decides priority of movement of trains, monitors movement of trains and issues instructions to drivers, signal operatives and level crossing keepers.
- Provides crews for breakdown trains, allocates relief and replacement crews as necessary, keeps crews informed of any line repairs or restrictions, and checks train running times for punctuality.
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What can I do with a Rail Engineering qualification?
Mechanical engineers
Daily tasks:
- Organises and establishes control systems to monitor operational efficiency and performance of materials and systems.
- Ensures that equipment, operation and maintenance comply with design specifications and safety standards.
- Designs mechanical equipment, such as steam, internal combustion and other non-electrical motors for railway locomotives, road vehicles, aeroplanes and other machinery.
- Determines materials, equipment, piping, capacities, layout of plant or system and specification for manufacture.
- Undertakes research and advises on energy use, materials handling, thermodynamic processes, fluid mechanics, vehicles and environmental controls.
Powered by EMSI
Electrical engineers
Daily tasks:
- Organises and establishes control systems to monitor the performance and safety of electrical assemblies and systems.
- Ensures that manufacture, operation and maintenance comply with design specifications and contractual arrangements.
- Determines and specifies manufacturing methods of electrical systems.
- Supervises, controls and monitors the operation of electrical generation, transmission and distribution systems.
Powered by EMSI
Design and development engineers
Daily tasks:
- Prepares specifications for materials and other components.
- Produces final design information for use in preparation of layouts, parts lists, etc..
- Arranges construction and testing of model or prototype and modifies design if necessary.
- Prepares working designs for steam, aero, turbine, marine and electrical engines, mechanical instruments, aircraft and missile structures, vehicle and ship structures, plant and machinery equipment, domestic electrical appliances, building systems and services, and electronic computing and telecommunications equipment.
- Assesses product requirements, including costs, manufacturing feasibility and market requirements.
Powered by EMSI
Engineering professionals n.e.c.
Daily tasks:
- Provides technical consultancy services.
- Examines and advises on patent applications.
- Prepare sketches, drawings and specifications showing materials to be used, construction and finishing methods and other details.
- Devises and implements control systems to monitor operational efficiency and performance of system and materials.
- Designs new systems and equipment with regard to cost, market requirements and feasibility of manufacture.
- Establishes principles and techniques to improve the quality, durability and performance of materials such as textiles, glass, rubber, plastics, ceramics, metals and alloys.
- Researches into problem areas to advance basic knowledge, evaluate new theories and techniques and to solve specific problems.
Powered by EMSI
Rail travel assistants
Daily tasks:
- Inspects and issues tickets on trains, deals with passenger enquiries, and takes charge of goods being transported on train.
- Checks control panel operation before start of journey, operates train door controls and signals to driver to start or stop train.
- Attends to the safety, welfare and comfort of passengers on trains and manages train crew.
- Assists passengers with special needs to board and leave trains.
- Loads and unloads mail, goods and luggage, operates lifts and hoists and drives small trucks.
- Helps with passenger enquiries and makes announcements over a public address system at stations.
- Examines and collects tickets at the ticket barrier of a railway station.
Powered by EMSI
Research and Development Managers
Daily tasks:
- Monitors the standards of scientific and technical research undertaken by the research team.
- Plans work schedules, assigns tasks and delegates responsibilities to the research and development team.
- Develops research methodology, implements and reports upon research investigations undertaken.
- Liaises with production departments to investigate and resolve manufacturing problems.
- Establishes product design and performance objectives in consultation with other business functions.
Powered by EMSI
Rail Construction and Maintenance Operatives
Daily tasks:
- Fastens together sections of rail by bolting fishplates to rails.
- Positions lengths of rail, sets of points and crossovers and secures rail with bolts, wooden wedges or clips.
- Spreads ballast and lays sleepers or metal plates at specified intervals.
- Lubricates points, examines fences, drains, culverts and embankments and carries out any necessary maintenance.
- Checks tightness of bolts and wedges, replaces damaged rail chairs and repacks ballast under sleepers if necessary.
- Patrols length of track and visually inspects rails, bolts, fishplates and chairs for distortion or fracture.
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Rail Transport Operatives
Daily tasks:
- Checks loading of tubs and carriages, and informs driver of load distribution and any special features of route.
- Assists drivers in the operation of diesel, diesel-electric, electric and steam locomotives.
- Examines shunting instructions, uncouples wagons and coaches, guides movement of carriages using manual points and wagon breaks, links-up carriages, ensures security of couplings and reconnects brake and heating systems.
- Operates signals and opens and closes barriers at level crossings as required.
- Examines schedules and decides priority of movement of trains, monitors movement of trains and issues instructions to drivers, signal operatives and level crossing keepers.
- Provides crews for breakdown trains, allocates relief and replacement crews as necessary, keeps crews informed of any line repairs or restrictions, and checks train running times for punctuality.
Powered by EMSI
How can I progress?
University Centre
Choose from over 60 degrees developed in collaboration with employers, so you'll graduate with the skills you really need to secure your dream job.
Apprenticeships
Earn while you learn with an apprenticeship at Newcastle College.
Levels Explained
Trying to make sense of your grades? Not sure what you can study? Read our handy 'levels explained' guide.