People in these occupations use scientific principles to solve practical problems and at Newcastle College, are focused particularly on the development and maintenance of construction and transport infrastructure.
Civil engineers undertake research and design, direct construction and manage the operation and maintenance of civil and mining engineering structures. Rail construction and maintenance operatives lay, re-lay, repair and examine railway track and maintain surrounding areas.
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Take a closer look at our Rail and Civil Engineering courses
What can I do with a qualification in Rail and Civil Engineering?
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:
- 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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Daily tasks:
- Organises and establishes control systems to monitor operational efficiency and performance of materials and systems.
- Organises and plans projects, arranges work schedules, carries out inspection work and plans maintenance control.
- Designs structures such as roads, dams, bridges, railways, hydraulic systems, sewerage systems, industrial and other buildings and plans the layout of tunnels, wells and construction shafts.
- Designs foundations and earthworks.
- Determines and specifies construction methods, materials, quality and safety standards and ensures that equipment operation and maintenance comply with design specifications.
- Undertakes research and advises on soil mechanics, concrete technology, hydraulics, water and waste water treatment processes and other civil engineering matters.
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Daily tasks:
- Inspects construction materials and supervises work of contractors to ensure compliance with specifications and arranges remedial work as necessary.
- Sets out construction site, supervises excavations and marks out position of building work to be undertaken.
- Performs calculations and collects, records and interprets data.
- Sets up apparatus and equipment and undertakes field and laboratory tests of soil and work materials.
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What can I do with a qualification in Rail and Civil Engineering?
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.
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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.
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Civil engineers
Daily tasks:
- Organises and establishes control systems to monitor operational efficiency and performance of materials and systems.
- Organises and plans projects, arranges work schedules, carries out inspection work and plans maintenance control.
- Designs structures such as roads, dams, bridges, railways, hydraulic systems, sewerage systems, industrial and other buildings and plans the layout of tunnels, wells and construction shafts.
- Designs foundations and earthworks.
- Determines and specifies construction methods, materials, quality and safety standards and ensures that equipment operation and maintenance comply with design specifications.
- Undertakes research and advises on soil mechanics, concrete technology, hydraulics, water and waste water treatment processes and other civil engineering matters.
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Building and civil engineering technicians
Daily tasks:
- Inspects construction materials and supervises work of contractors to ensure compliance with specifications and arranges remedial work as necessary.
- Sets out construction site, supervises excavations and marks out position of building work to be undertaken.
- Performs calculations and collects, records and interprets data.
- Sets up apparatus and equipment and undertakes field and laboratory tests of soil and work materials.
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Rail and Civil Engineering
Meet the Students & Tutors
Tait McKenna
Level 3 in Rail Engineering"I didn’t enjoy school. I was glad of the change Newcastle College brought to my education. The environment suits me better and I enjoy coming to college. I started on Level 2 and progressed onto Level 3."