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Network Rail Undergraduate Placement / Year in Industry 2027

NoUndergraduate Placement / Year in Industry

No. Network Rail does not sponsor its undergraduate placement / year in industry for international students who need a visa. Network Rail runs both summer and year-in-industry undergraduate placements, open to students in the penultimate year of any degree who are on track for at least a 2:2. Its early careers FAQ says applicants need the right to work in the UK already, and specifically tells students on a Student visa that they would need to move onto a Graduate visa themselves before joining, rather than offering sponsorship.

Sponsors grads?
No
Pay vs threshold
Not published
Opportunity
placement
2027 cycle
No published date as of 1 October 2026
Confidence
high

Network Rail Undergraduate Placement / Year in Industry: at a glance

Network Rail offers undergraduates two types of scheme, summer placements and year in industry placements, working in a specific business area. Year in Industry placements are discipline-specific, and completing one could lead to an offer on the graduate scheme. Source

Duration
12 months“Over the 12-months, you’ll get a rounded experience of what it takes to be a civil engineer on our railways.”Source
Who can apply
Penultimate year at university“You’ll need to be in your penultimate year at university”Source
Locations
multiple UK sitesSource
Degree requirement
penultimate year of any degree, on track for at least a 2:2“you need to be in penultimate year at university, and on track to achieve at least a 2:2 in any degree”Source

Every programme and stage at Network Rail

“You'll need to have the right to work in the UK. If you currently have a student visa, you will need to apply for a Graduate visa once you've finished studying in order to join us.”
Network Rail, from its own careers pages
The catch: The Graduate visa route it points students toward is only available after finishing a degree, so it does not help someone who needs sponsorship for a placement year taken mid-degree.
Network Rail early careersVerify on gov.ukSee the licence record

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What Network Rail publishes about this programme

Checked against Network Rail's own careers pages on 2026-10-01. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

  • Visa sponsorship policy: published
  • Application dates: not published
  • Programme description: published
  • Duration and start date: published
  • Who can apply: published
  • Pay: not published
  • Locations: published
  • Degree requirement: published
  • Recruitment stages: not published

More early careers programmes at Network Rail

Sources

Verdict last checked 2026-09-21. Application dates last checked 2026-10-01. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does Network Rail sponsor visas for its undergraduate placement / year in industry?

No. Network Rail does not sponsor its undergraduate placement / year in industry for international students who need a visa. Network Rail runs both summer and year-in-industry undergraduate placements, open to students in the penultimate year of any degree who are on track for at least a 2:2. Its early careers FAQ says applicants need the right to work in the UK already, and specifically tells students on a Student visa that they would need to move onto a Graduate visa themselves before joining, rather than offering sponsorship.

What is the Network Rail undergraduate placement / year in industry?

Network Rail offers undergraduates two types of scheme, summer placements and year in industry placements, working in a specific business area. Year in Industry placements are discipline-specific, and completing one could lead to an offer on the graduate scheme.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme is not published clearly enough to judge against the threshold.

What is the catch international students miss with Network Rail?

The Graduate visa route it points students toward is only available after finishing a degree, so it does not help someone who needs sponsorship for a placement year taken mid-degree.

When do applications open for the Network Rail undergraduate placement / year in industry?

No published date as of 1 October 2026. Checked on 2026-10-01 against Network Rail's own site.

How long is the Network Rail undergraduate placement / year in industry?

12 months, according to Network Rail's own careers information.

Who can apply for the Network Rail undergraduate placement / year in industry?

Penultimate year at university, according to Network Rail's own careers information.

Where is the Network Rail undergraduate placement / year in industry based?

multiple UK sites, according to Network Rail's own careers information.

What degree do you need for the Network Rail undergraduate placement / year in industry?

penultimate year of any degree, on track for at least a 2:2, according to Network Rail's own careers information.

How should I confirm Network Rail's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on Network Rail's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

Related guides

All visa and sponsorship guides

Other public sector schemes

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Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we check this data.