GB Railfreight has a lot of different career paths, for every kind of person.
Rail freight is the cleanest, safest and most sustainable way to move goods across the country and GB Railfreight is always on the lookout for enthusiastic, talented individuals to join our ever-growing team.
Whether you are ready to make the first steps on your career path or are looking for a new opportunity, we offer careers that will challenge and reward you.
Why GBrF?
Over 25 years, our business has steadily grown. Starting from scratch, to now employing 1,400 staff across the country and in 2026, becoming the country’s largest rail freight operator.
However, our ambitions do not stop there - we continually invest in our facilities, our locomotives and wagons and most importantly our people – seeking to make GB Railfreight an even better and safer place to work.
If you are interested in playing a key role in supporting our national supply chains please click on the link below.
What we Offer
We combine a supportive and ambitious culture with professional development opportunities, that make working at GBRf more than just a job. There’s fantastic potential and many opportunities to carve out a successful and rewarding career.
We offer our staff the following benefits;
Early Careers
At GBRf, we are committed to identifying emerging talent and developing the high-potential people who will shape our future. While our early careers offering will continue to evolve, we are excited to be refreshing and expanding our programmes to create meaningful pathways into our business.
This year, we will be launching a range of early careers opportunities designed to attract, develop and grow junior talent, building our future stars from within. These programmes are expected to include:
Work Experience
Designed for Year 10 and 11 students, this programme will offer hands on exposure to real office environments, providing an insight into working life and the rail industry.
Apprenticeship Scheme
For school leavers, we plan to sponsor apprenticeships across a range of business functions, combining practical experience with formal qualifications.
Summer Internships
For university students, we will offer six week internship opportunities, giving participants valuable exposure to the operations of a rail company while continuing their studies.
Industrial Placements
For students undertaking degrees that require a year long placement, we will be launching industrial placements within head office offering practical experience aligned to academic learning.
Graduate Opportunities
Launching in early 2026, our graduate recruitment programme will offer roles in key functions across the business.
Meet Some of the Team
Duty Control Manager
Emily Gardner
"My current role is Duty Control Manager. A typical day varies hugely depending on what is occurring on the network but we manage the day to day train service resolving any issues and dealing with any incidents. I enjoy the challenge of restoring the service back to normality and resolving issues as they occur. "
Project Manager – Sustainability
Sarah Whurr
"My current role has literally just changed dramatically, having previously worked as an accountant at GBRf. I am currently setting up the ‘Back on Track’ programme, liasing with employees, schools and external parties to set up a mentoring scheme for Year 11 pupils. I am also working out how we change our company vehicles for electric or hybrids so we have less of an impact on the environment. I do a lot of collation of data around our environmental, social and governance impact, to report back to our owners and investors. Learning is a large part of my new role, and will be for the foreseeable future as there are so many elements to Sustainability to learn!"
Business Implementation Manager
Marc Dickson
"I’m responsible for bringing everything together to start up a new train. Typically a day consists of leading Teams meetings for ongoing new business projects. During those I need to obtain all relevant information ahead of a new service commencing, specifically any risks to the business and risk to the flow not commencing when it has been agreed to. I enjoy collaborating with people, the complexities that come with implementing new business and having deadlines to meet."
Accounts Receivable and Treasury Manager
Mandy Garwood
"I look after the company bank account! So I am responsible for paying suppliers and raising invoices to our customers. I then chase for payments when they’re due and overdue. I really enjoy the Treasury side of my job and ensuring we are getting payments in from our customers so that I can pay our suppliers."
Executive Assistant to the CEO and CFO
Louise Garwood
"I am currently working as the Executive Assistant to the CEO and CFO, which sounds a lot more exciting than it is most of the time! However, I do get to be involved in some really exciting events and projects along the way, including sourcing tickets to the Euros Semi Finals last year at Wembley, which I only agreed to do if I could attend; the job has its perks! A typical day involves meeting customers that come into the office for meetings, diary management, event organisation, travel arrangements and solving any problems that arise. I enjoy the fact that no day is the same, and I enjoy working under pressure sometimes."
Assistant Account Manager
Gemma Dixon
"My current role at GBRf is an Assistant Account Manager. I support different customer accounts, by keeping them informed of any changes or incidents affecting their trains. Each day can be very different, but I always start by checking my emails and then monitoring the running times of trains and picking up on any incidents. I enjoy that each day can be different and also the investigation involved into finding out why a train has been delayed or not run as it should. "
Rail Operator
Francesca Sturgess
"Currently, I am a Rail Operator at GBRf. The typical day to day at work for me involves personal preparation for my train shunting duties (ensuring I have charged up any devices I need and I have all relevant equipment with me). Once I'm at the location I'm working at, I’m responsible for safely accepting and departing freight trains in and out of yard or terminal. I really enjoy problem solving and liaising with our customers to gain the best way of doing something to fulfil business needs. Each day can vary a lot, as each location and I go to is different – from a container train to a train carrying sand used to make glass. This is what keeps the job interesting for me. Although each day can vary, safety is paramount in every working day for me."
Customer Support Assistant
David Mazur
"I am a Customer Support Assistant, which entails booking containers on trains, dealing with onward delivery from the rail depot to the shop, factory, warehouse or wherever else the container is needed. I also answer queries and help solve problems for our customers, road hauliers and the depots. I enjoy the fact that no two days are the same and there is always something to keep you busy. The office at Felixstowe is very welcoming and like a family."
Personal Assistant
Claire Hearley
"I’m currently a Personal Assistant, so a typical day is really dependent on what my director has going on. There’s a lot of general admin – diary management, expenses, scanning and emails, but also attending meetings to take minutes, organising lunches and booking travel, so it can be really varied day to day. I particularly enjoy expenses as it’s really satisfying to get all the details in order, as well as using the franking machine because that’s just fun!"
Business Development Manager
Bruce Poole
"I have recently been promoted to Business Development Manager, helping the Head of Sales and Head of Intermodal with winning new business and starting up new daily intermodal services. They’re the giant trains you see crisscrossing the country carry containers full of anything and everything! As part of this role I also help maintain and grow our existing services by talking to our customers so we fill our existing trains, move more stuff and grow our profit. "
Commercial Accountant
Ben Lee
"I manage a team of 3 people. We are responsible for accounting for the money coming into the business and reporting the performance of our customer contracts. We support and challenge the Commercial Team to help grow company and our profit. I enjoy the variety of work on offer, no two weeks are the same and nothing seems off limits. A lot of my job involves building good relationships with people across the business. I enjoy finding better and easier ways of doing things, it’s really rewarding."
Train Planning Assistant
Ellie Durrant
"I have recently started a new role at GBRf as train planning assistant. My typical day includes communicating with our customers to confirm that their containers have been taken on our trains and following up with the right people if we’ve not been able to move a container for them. I also book on the export containers we are bringing back to Felixstowe as all containers need to have a slot on the quay or sent to dock depots off the dock which I arrange. I enjoy my new role as it keeps me busy and I have a higher responsibility. I also love the people that I work with. "
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Faqs
What Qualifications do I need to work on the railway?
We look for a broad range of experience to work on the railway. Entry roles such as Rail Operators and Seasonal Workers don’t need specific qualifications, just a willingness to learn and a passion to deliver a great service. For Trainee Train Managers you would need to have passed your OPC Train driver psychometrics and for Train Manager roles you must hold a valid ETDL.
Where do we operate?
We operate UK wide. If you were successful, we would require you to live within 45 minutes of our key depots, placed all across the UK.
Which course should I take to become a Train Driver?
There are a few routes you can take to become a Train Driver.
- If you have no previous experience, we recommend a Rail Operator role, which would teach you the skills needed to convert to a Trainee Train Driver.
- If you have passed your OPC psychometrics you could be considered for a Trainee Train Driver course.
- If you hold an ETDL in either passenger or freight, you will need to do a conversion course to be competent.
How do I find out about and apply to open vacancies?
We advertise all our current vacancies via the Careers page. Please visit our Careers Page where you can search for and apply to our open vacancies.
How can I contact the recruitment team at GB Railfreight?
If our Talent Acquisition team haven’t answered your query with any of the above information, please submit an enquiry to careers@gbrailfreight.com and we will endeavour to respond as soon as possible.
