Rail recruitment solutions
in the UK

We’ll help you create the rail talent function that best fits your business strategy. 

Global demand for safe transport is growing fast, and rail travel, whether conventional, high-speed, urban or freight, is critical to fulfilling the demand. 

Whether your goal is to improve the passenger experience, create a greener and more sustainable industry, or to update and digitalise legacy systems, we have the knowledge and insight to secure the experienced rail professionals you need to support the entire engineering lifecycle. 

• An expansive and unique talent network – coupled with first-hand regional knowledge – allows us to access talent from all across the UK.  
• Our expert rail recruiters have the insight and deep understanding to help shape and deliver your hiring strategy. 
• Using a customer-first and data-driven approach to meet your business needs in rail, we make it easy for you to deliver against the complex talent and recruitment landscape you need to navigate. 

Rail partners we work with 

Our specialist recruiters have hands-on experience placing passionate professionals with leading principal contractors in the rail industry. 

Offering permanent, temporary and executive recruitment services for rail clients, we recruit for roles across the industry, including: construction trades and general operatives, site engineers, rail engineers, quantity surveyors, site agents, COSS, PTS operatives, project managers, commercial managers, design engineers, cost engineers, OLE engineers, signalling engineers and permanent way engineers. 

Some of the clients we’ve worked with include Kier, Amey, Atkins & Costain.

We adhere to rail industry standards and practices. 

In addition to our management systems, our engineering rail sector have adopted the rail industry’s standards and practices in measuring competency at job offer stage and throughout the engagement lifecycle. We have a dedicated rail and ongoing management process. These processes and procedures explain how long the checks are, and what the time frames required are for a placement to be made to ensure sentinel compliance. 

The onboarding process in our engineering rail sector requires our workers to complete the necessary documents for working in rail. We have also adopted the rail industry’s standards and practices for training and health and safety. 

We have unrivalled knowledge of the rail and infrastructure market across the UK, which puts us in an ideal position to offer market-leading career advice and keep you updated on the latest engineering developments and trends. 

Hays Rail are a RISQS Approved specialist business providing contingent labour and professional services recruitment for the supply chain partners of Network Rail, LondonUnderground/Overground and Light Rail Infrastructure. We are supported by our in-house quality management and compliance teams and are independently audited for the robustness of our quality processes and procedures and health & safety compliance ensuring we retain the necessary accreditations  to continue operating responsibly.

Rail recruitment services 

It’s not just people we provide – whatever your workforce challenge - we’re constantly innovating and evolving our services so we can build the best solution for your organisation. 

Whether you need someone to fill a permanent position, a temporary professional to make an instant impact, an inspirational leader to transform your business, or want to outsource your hiring completely, we’ve got you covered.  

Our core services

Temporary recruitment

• Benefit from our partnerships built across industries, skillsets and job roles, as we enhance the breadth and depth of our talent networks.  
• Leverage our omnichannel approach to access the people you need, at the pace you require.  
• Minimise complexities and delays with our streamlined administrative processes, including externally managed pay and timesheets.  

Find out more about our temporary recruitment services. 

Fully managed temporary recruitment 

• Gain a greater understanding of your non-permanent population, with visibility enabling cost reduction and strategic management of risk.  
• Reimagine what’s possible with faster access to an extensive network of new and alternative skills channels, including the Human Cloud and cross-border supply chains.  
• Leverage deep market insights to make the best buying decisions across enhanced talent networks. 

Read more about fully managed temporary recruitment. 

Permanent recruitment

• Get committed support throughout your journey, including sourcing, assessment and development of your people.  
• Access vast talent networks, connecting you with the skills and expertise critical to your organisation. 
• Find passionate people who will align with your ambitions, contribute to your culture and power the progress of your organisation.

Find out more about our permanent recruitment services.  

Outsourced permanent recruitment

• Enhance your employer brand and ensure you’re first choice for top talent.  
• Unlock access to dynamic talent networks primed with the skills you need to elevate the capacity and capability of your organisation. 
• Make decisions at pace, as our proprietary tech stack supplements your digital capabilities to uncover a wealth of data and insights and increase efficiency.   

Discover more about outsourced permanent recruitment. 

Executive recruitment

• Navigate organisational change by finding inspirational leaders within the sector. 
• Empower business transformation and steer your organisation to success with exceptional executive hires. 
• Build success through diversity with bespoke job ads and transparent interview processes.

Read more about our executive recruitment services.