Who are we?

South Western Railway (SWR) operates over 1,500 services each weekday across the network and employs more than 5,000 people. We provide easy and convenient mobility, connecting people and communities in South West London, southern counties of England, and the Isle of Wight.

Join our team and help us continue to improve quality of life, by bringing people together to get the most out of life.

SWR is part of FirstGroup, the largest rail operator in the UK and second largest bus operator in the UK outside London. FirstGroup operates services throughout the UK and Ireland, with over 30,000 employees providing services that make travel smoother and life easier.  FirstGroup works hard to reduce its impact on the environment, introducing cleaner and more environmentally responsible methods of transport.

About the job

The holder of this post is responsible for servicing, maintenance, repair and overhaul of traction units, components, and equipment in accordance with specifications. The holder will a deer to safety, quality and environmental procedures, rules and regulations that have been put in place and will ensure that all trains are fit for service before releasing them.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Supervise and mentor assistants, contractors and apprentices and provide on the job training and support where required.
• Undertake routine maintenance and repair of the allocated rolling stock to meet the requirements of the production plan.
• Produce complex, analytical technical reports on fault investigation.
• Attend track calls and carry out repairs where appropriate.
• Drive road vehicles as required and operate forklift trucks within depot confines.
• Prepare units for service ensuring a clean and presentable environment.
• Work effectively as part of a team, taking the lead when required.

As a minimum, you will need to have:

• You will need to have completed a recognised Advanced Modern Apprenticeship and hold a minimum level 3 engineering qualifications with relevant experience within a predominately electrical engineering environment.

• To be successful in the role, you will need strong electrical, mechanical and fault diagnosis experience. Rail experience is preferred but not essential as full training will be given.
• Knowledge of safety legislation and quality procedures.
• Road vehicle/forklift licences highly desirable.
• Ability to use a laptop for diagnostic, fault-finding, and rectification purposes.
• Ability to understand and interpret relevant technical publications.
• Fault-finding experience is highly desired for this role.
• Ability to produce detailed complex, analytical technical reports.

About the location

Wimbledon Traincare Depot is a short walk from Wimbledon Park station and recently welcomed its first Class 701 train, marking a significant milestone in the £1bn transformation of suburban travel. Our current fleet operating on the suburban network (Class 455, 456, 458 and 707 trains) will be replaced over a 2 year period with 90 brand new 701's. Drivers, maintenance and other depot colleagues are currently in training to develop the new skills needed for the next generation of trains that will be fitted with all new modern technology. Wimbledon depot will eventually become the new maintenance home for the entire Class 701 fleet.

Working pattern

 Working an average of 37 hours per week over 3.5 days

4 on 4 off days & nights 0700-1900, 1900-0700

Base salary for an Maintenance MB3 is £43,840 per annum plus a regional allowance, however many shift patterns offer additional enhancements. There may also be additional enhancements for working nights.

The Reward

In return we offer a competitive salary and a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employees
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependent)
• 75% discount on many other train operating companies
• Full training and support with development
• Large range of exclusive retail offers
• Excellent pension scheme

We all belong at SWR. FirstGroup's vision is to provide an inclusive environment for all colleagues, across its group of businesses, ensuring all candidates have an equal opportunity to access meaningful employment.

We value our differences such as age, gender, LGBTQIA+, ethnicity, religion, and disability. We maintain a zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice towards our colleagues, customers, and future talent.

We celebrate and encourage diversity of thought, progressive ways of working and seeing all our colleagues grow and thrive.

We review all roles and job descriptions to ensure they are accessible and, where possible, we support and provide flexible working options; we recommend that you refer to each vacancy description for further details.

If you require additional support to complete your application due to a disability or neurodivergent condition, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or autism, please follow the links below.  We encourage you to share any additional needs you may require so we can provide a fair and equal process for all who apply.

https://exceptionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/

https://www.healthassured.org/blog/neurodiversity/