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Profiles

Civil Engineering

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  Mike Brown

  My WorkChanges all the time."I knew there was a big project happening in Scotland. The only way to get on it was to join Network Rail."

  "I was attracted to Network Rail because of the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme. When I was accepted onto the graduate scheme I made sure I got on that project. That's the thing about Network Rail, the opportunities are out there, but you have to push yourself forward. You get a lot of support, but you've also got to engage with people and get managers to trust you and give you responsibility.

   

  "When I joined the project, all the different stages of work had been whittled down to a 'single option design'. In this instance, we wanted to run electrification beneath a bridge. By the time it got to my team, a single option had been decided: route clearance, basically lifting up the bridge to put the wires underneath. This was one of the most important stages, because if you don't get it right the project could fall down at a later stage.

   

  "Most engineering degrees rarely focus on anything railway-based. So Network Rail give you six months maintenance experience to help you gain an appreciation of the railway. Even though I'm a civil engineer, I went on site with the track maintenance guy, the overhead power guy…all these front line people, it's all part of your basic knowledge. People start speaking in the lingo very quickly and you've got to keep up!

   

  "There isn't a company in Britain that's doing as much as we're doing. I'm currently working on the sequencing for the main atrium area for Birmingham Gateway station, principally how that's demolished and how it's built, which is quite a task but extremely enjoyable."

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  Helen Macadam

  My WorkWill help to create a new landmark for Borough.“I love turning my learning into something so tangible. The difference you’ll make by doing a good job is immense.”

  "I'm working on the Borough Viaduct, which is part of the London Thameslink project. When I first started, I was an Assistant Project Engineer, doing everything from temporary works checks and looking at fabrication drawings to reviewing task briefings, methods statements and work package plans. I also got involved with the interface between Network Rail and the railway system - making sure that our civil engineering work was correctly placed and ready for the track. It's exciting, because we're basically doubling the capacity of the viaduct. 

   

  "Part of the enabling works involved modifying the older architecture around the site, and actually moving some of the market. We had to make sure that we were integrating ourselves with the traders, relocating them to a new market route so they didn't lose any trade. It's a really historic area, and it's quite fascinating how we're integrating the old with the new.

   

  "It was supposed to be a more office-based role but I spent a lot of time on site, reporting back to the senior engineers. It was great, because I learned about all the different construction methods. I enjoyed it so much, I joined Skanska on a secondment as one of their Site Engineers. When I finish, Network Rail will have a graduate engineer with experience of working for a contractor and I'll be able to make everyone's life that bit easier."

   

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