Acton's Railway Engineering Hub Hosts Senior Minister
TfL showcases new apprenticeship opportunities
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden being given a tour of the Acton Depot. Picture: TfL
February 10, 2026
Transport for London placed Acton at the centre of its National Apprenticeship Week celebrations as senior government figures visited the organisation’s Railway Engineering Works to meet apprentices and see first-hand how new recruits are being trained for careers across the capital’s transport network.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden toured the Acton site alongside London’s Transport Commissioner Andy Lord and Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance. The group spent time with apprentices learning to repair trains and maintain rail infrastructure, speaking with them about their training, ambitions and the range of careers now available through TfL’s expanding apprenticeship programme.
The visit formed part of a wider event in Acton that brought together TfL staff, apprentices and employers from across TfL’s supply chain for the organisation’s annual Apprenticeship Fair. The fair showcased the 157 apprenticeship roles launched this year, spanning everything from arboriculture and data analysis to track engineering, trams engineering and London Underground construction site supervision.
The Acton engineering works, one of TfL’s most important training locations, provided a backdrop for highlighting the hands-on nature of many of the roles. New for 2026 is the London Underground Construction Site Supervisor apprenticeship, which will give successful applicants practical experience overseeing track renewals and deep Tube engineering projects. TfL is also recruiting for its Trams Engineering apprenticeship, supporting the next generation of engineers responsible for a network that carries more than 17 million passengers a year.
During the visit, apprentices shared their own experiences. Lauren, a Systems Technician and former Trams Engineering apprentice, said growing up in Croydon made her proud to work on a service that plays such a vital role in her community. Kyra, a Project Controls Apprentice, spoke about the responsibility of managing the Waterloo and City line schedule, while Mia, a Building Services Apprentice, described the excitement of learning directly from experienced engineers.
The minister met some young people going through training with TfL. Picture: TfL
Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, said the Acton event demonstrated the breadth of opportunities now available. He said TfL’s award-winning schemes were helping people at all stages of their careers learn new skills while earning, and encouraged Londoners of all ages to explore the roles on offer.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden praised the apprentices he met in Acton, saying the 157 roles available this year were “launchpads for young people’s future careers” and part of a wider government commitment to expanding apprenticeship opportunities.
TfL also highlighted its progress in improving diversity across the transport industry. The proportion of women joining TfL apprenticeships has risen from 20 per cent in 2018 to 35 per cent in 2025, with 34 per cent of engineering apprentices in 2024 being women. Fifty-seven per cent of TfL’s apprentices are now from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, compared with 35 per cent in 2018.
The organisation’s supplier skills programme is also helping connect apprentices with roles across TfL’s UK-wide supply chain. In 2024/25, suppliers created more than 440 apprenticeship starts, with 74 per cent of successful applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds and 21 per cent women.
TfL says the Acton event reflects its commitment to building a skilled, diverse workforce capable of supporting major projects across London, from the Elizabeth line to the Silvertown Tunnel and upgrades to the Tube network.
More information about apprenticeships is available on the TfL web site.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least two articles a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |