Railway Engineering (7597)

Last Updated: 29 Jul 2022
For those who would like to start a career in the rail industry and progress either through an apprenticeship or proving competence of the skills and knowledge required for each of the following areas: track, traction and rolling stock, electrification, signalling and telecoms.

The railways are a key part of the UK's transport infrastructure for commuting, leisure and business travel, as well as freight services.

The industry recognises that it needs staff with the right skills to deal with the ever-increasing demands. These qualifications prove competence of industrial performance, knowledge and understanding, and recognise the ability of individuals working in the sector.

These qualifications are part of the apprenticeship framework.

The Certificate in Rail Engineering Underpinning Knowledge provides you with sufficient knowledge, understanding and practical skills to introduce you to the railway industry and prepare you for the NVQs in Rail Engineering.

The NVQs in Rail Engineering will enable you to demonstrate your professional skills and knowledge in a wide range of specialist areas.

The Certificate in Rail Engineering Underpinning Knowledge is aimed at apprentices within the rail engineering industry.

The NVQs are aimed at anyone working in railways engineering, including those preparing for a specialised role or management responsibility.

Available to deliver in the following:
  • England
  • Wales – please check QiW website for available funding
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland
  • International

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form. 

General Information

What Is Involved In Studying This Course?

You can choose the qualification that demonstrates the specialist knowledge and skills you have developed, such as:

  • Signalling
  • Track maintenance
  • Telecoms
  • Rail testing and inspection
  • Traction and rolling stock
  • Electrification.

You will learn in the work environment and attend classroom sessions with a suitable training provider or college.

Assessment is via practical demonstrations, assignments and/or written examinations.

Which level is right for me?

Level 1
You are new to rail engineering and looking to boost your basic knowledge and skills.

Level 2
You are working in rail engineering and have some relevant knowledge and skills, usually from a role where you've been supervised.

Level 3
You are working in rail engineering and have a great deal of technical skills and knowledge. You work with minimum supervision and have a good record of safety, fault correction and ensuring work meets the required standards.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

These qualifications can help you to progress in a wide range of rail engineering roles, including:

  • Skilled track operative
  • Track inspector
  • Protection master
  • Leading track operative
  • Traction and rolling stock technician
  • Signalling technician
  • Signaller
  • Track maintenance supervisor
  • Senior technician in telecoms.
What Is Involved With Delivering This Course?

These qualifications will be taught primarily in the workplace, with appropriate classroom sessions.

Centres devise the assessment of the qualification and present it to a City & Guilds Qualification Consultant for approval. Assessment may be via practical demonstration, assignments and/or written examination.

To find all the resource requirements, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

Level 1

This level is appropriate if you are new to rail engineering and looking to boost your basic knowledge and skills.

Level 1 comprises six mandatory units, including:

  • Carry out corrective manual adjustments to Permanent Way assets
  • Dismantle and remove Permanent Way assets and components
  • Maintain a safe and secure working environment in the rail industry.

For a full list of units, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

Qualifications at this level can help you to progress in a wide range of rail engineering roles, including:

  • Skilled track operative
  • Track inspector
  • Protection master
  • Leading track operative
  • Traction and rolling stock technician
  • Signalling technician
  • Signaller
  • Track maintenance supervisor
  • Senior technician in telecoms.
Level 1 NVQ Certificate in Basic Track Maintenance (7597-11)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2026

Level 1 NVQ Certificate in Basic Track Maintenance

  • Accreditation No: 600/0662/6 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 15 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 87 - 87 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 150 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2027 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £105.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.
Level 1 NVQ Certificate in Track Renewals (7597-19)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2026

Level 1 NVQ Certificate in Track Renewals

  • Accreditation No: 601/2933/5 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 22 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 168 - 168 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 220 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2027 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £99.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 2

This level will suit you if you are working in rail engineering and have some relevant knowledge and skills, usually from a role where you've been supervised.

There are eight options available at Level 2:

  • NVQ Award in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance
  • NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance
  • NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Protection Master
  • NVQ Certificate in Non-Destructive Rail Testing
  • NVQ Certificate in Track Patrolling
  • NVQ Diploma in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance
  • NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Traction and Rolling Stock
  • NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Signalling Installer.

Level 2 options comprise mandatory and optional units. For a full list of units, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

Qualifications at this level can help you to progress in a wide range of rail engineering roles, including:

  • Skilled track operative
  • Track inspector
  • Protection master
  • Leading track operative
  • Traction and rolling stock technician
  • Signalling technician
  • Signaller
  • Track maintenance supervisor
  • Senior technician in telecoms.
Level 2 Certificate in Rail Engineering Underpinning Knowledge (7597-01)
Last Registration Date: 31 Aug 2026

Level 2 Certificate in Rail Engineering Underpinning Knowledge

  • Accreditation No: 501/2174/1 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 28 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 280 - 280 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 280 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £97.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.
Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance (7597-12)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2023

Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance

  • Accreditation No: 600/0963/9 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 15 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 62 - 80 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 150 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £110.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.
Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance (7597-52)
Last Registration Date: 31 Aug 2026 Supportive services: Learning Assistant

Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance

  • Accreditation No: 600/1076/9 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 37 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 179 - 206 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 370 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/08/2028 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £105.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Level 3

Level 3 is ideal if you are working in rail engineering and have a great deal of technical skills and knowledge. You work with minimum supervision and have a good record of safety, fault correction and ensuring that work meets the required standard.

There are eight qualifications available at Level 3:

  • NVQ Award in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance
  • NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance
  • NVQ Diploma in Rail Engineering Track Maintenance
  • NVQ Certificate In Rail Engineering Traction and Rolling Stock
  • NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Signalling Maintainer and Fault Finder
  • NVQ Diploma in Rail Engineering Signalling Maintainer and Fault Finder
  • NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Telecoms Maintainer and Fault Finder
  • NVQ Diploma in Rail Engineering Telecoms Maintainer and Fault Finder.

These qualifications comprise mandatory and optional units. For a full list of units, download the qualification handbook from the centre documents section.

What Careers Can This Lead To?

Qualifications at this level can help you to progress in a wide range of rail engineering roles, including:

  • Skilled track operative
  • Track inspector
  • Protection master
  • Leading track operative
  • Traction and rolling stock technician
  • Signalling technician
  • Signaller
  • Track maintenance supervisor
  • Senior technician in telecoms.
Level 3 NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Traction and Rolling Stock (7597-10)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2026

Level 3 NVQ Certificate in Rail Engineering Traction and Rolling Stock

  • Accreditation No: 600/0964/0 This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 32 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 150 - 186 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 320 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2029 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £114.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.
Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Rail Engineering Signalling Maintainer and Fault Finder (7597-14)
Last Registration Date: 31 Dec 2023

Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Rail Engineering Signalling Maintainer and Fault Finder

  • Accreditation No: 600/1491/X This is a reference number related to UK accreditation framework
  • Type: Credit based qualification This is categorisation to help define qualification attributes e.g. type of assessment
  • Credits: 42 Credits are a measure of the size of the qualification
  • Guided Learning Hours: 212 - 212 This is the average contact time a centre would typically commit
  • Total Qualification Time: 420 The total time for the qualification
  • Key Stage: Data unavailable This shows the equivalent Key Stage level.
  • Last Certification: 31/12/2026 This is the last date that a certificate can be issued
  • Qualification fees in the UK: £171.00 Our typical price is the one that is most often paid by a centre for a completed learner. Some prices are made up of multiple charging points so action like taking difference units or specialisms to complete and resitting assessments may mean the cost for some learners differs.

Additional information for centres

Learning Assistant

LEARNING ASSISTANT IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS QUALIFICATION

Learning Assistant is an innovative and cost effective e-portfolio solution that allows colleges and training providers to dramatically improve the delivery of their vocational qualifications.

Learn more about Learning Assistant >

Here you can find all documents related to this suite of qualifications.

By clicking on the section headings below, you can access a variety of documents such as the qualification handbooks and assessment materials, Statements of Purpose, and recognition letters from industry and employers.

Some documents may be password protected. Passwords can be retrieved by logging in to Walled Garden and visiting the Administration section of the relevant qualification catalogue page.

Interested in delivering this qualification?

Find out more about how to become an approved City & Guilds centre or fill out our online customer application form. 

7597 Level 1

Centre Documents

7597 Level 2

Centre documents

7597 Level 3

Centre documents

Assessment materials

Centre documents

Purpose and Recognition

19 Plus

Purpose

Explore our wider maths & English offer

Our maths & English qualifications underpin our apprenticeships and technical qualifications. They build learners’ confidence with the core skills required for employment, including the capacity to problem solve and use technology effectively. They are also key to triggering conditions of funding.

Find out more

For Learners

Related Qualifications

Browse some of our related qualifications:

> (6499) Diplomas in Rail Engineering Competence

> (6497) Diplomas in Rail Engineering Knowledge

> (7484) Rail Services

> (7596) Rail Services

> (7598) Rail Services