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 adhere to depot protection, safety, quality and environmental procedures, rules and regulations in force.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Supervise and mentor assistants, contractors and apprentices and provide on the job training where required.
• Undertake routine fault finding on vehicles/components to identify faults/solutions and affect repairs.
• Undertake routine electrical and mechanical maintenance of components and systems in accordance with the relevant maintenance schedule.
• Complete environmental examinations against detailed specifications, detailing any issues found.
• Submit maintenance reports as required using appropriate paperwork/IT systems.
• Attend track calls and carry out repairs where appropriate.
• Undertake additional tasks/training as specified.
• Undertake work arising following failure or from maintenance procedures to ensure maximum vehicle availability.
• Carry out repairs or additional work arising from the examination (mechanical, electrical or vehicle building).
• Drive road vehicles as required and operate forklift trucks within depot confines.
• Prepare units for service ensuring a clean and presentable environment.
• Obtain, use and care for and return all tools and equipment used.
• Work effectively as part of a team, taking the lead when required.
• Compile formal reports detailing post incident/failure.

As a minimum, you will need to have:

• Appropriate electrical/mechanical engineering qualifications (essential)
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• Report writing, numeric and IT skills.
• Understanding of safety legislation and quality procedures.
• Proven experience of working in a rail environment, preferably with electric and diesel traction, or a related industry.
• Ability to analyse and interrogate data.
• Road vehicle/forklift licences highly desirable.

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 on average 37 hours per week over an average of 3.5 days.

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

The Reward:

We also offer a variety of valuable benefits, including:

• Free duty and leisure travel on SWR services for employee
• Free leisure travel for spouse/partner and dependants (criteria dependant)
• 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/