Once upon a time it was every little boy’s dream to become a train driver when they grew up. Trains were seen as exciting, fun and glamorous. But then the world changed, and rail travel lost a little of its sparkle. Nowadays you don’t hear nearly so many young folks talking about how they dream of a career in the railway industry.

But you know what? The railway industry is a great place to work. The government is investing in upgrading lines, and even building fancy high-speed ones. And more people are travelling by train than ever before. All of this means there are jobs to be had in the sector.

And it’s not just jobs driving the trains, either. The companies and organizations that collectively make up the British rail network form a mightily big and complex operation that requires a hugely diverse set of skills. Yes, there are plenty of jobs to be had on the front line of the sector; but there are also just as many behind-the-scenes positions that are just as likely to involve marketing and sales as they are laying track or fixing engines.

So whether you’re looking for an apprenticeship, a graduate position or a career change, and whether you’re into the arts or the sciences, the rail industry has many exciting opportunities. Here are some of our top picks of them:

Customer-based roles

Rail operators need to maintain good relationships with their customers, meaning they invest a lot in people who work with them. Although you’ll most often see this in the form of train conductors and other onboard staff–incidentally, these are often the starting-level positions from which you can progress to training as a driver–there are also thousands of people who do things like man and run customer-service lines, design and maintain company websites, devise marketing campaigns and conduct research into passenger habits.

Project management

A lot of work in the rail industry is project based, meaning project managers of all different specialties are required to ensure that things like station upgrade projects and new IT systems run on time and on budget.

Engineering

The rail industry always needs engineers of all different types, so if you’re interested in working as an engineer this is one of the best places to work. Mechanical engineers are needed for the construction of trains, while electrical and civil engineers are sought after for the construction and maintenance of track and stations.

If you’re not planning on going to university, there are also plenty of positions within this sector. The people who do the hands-on working of inspecting and fixing track and signals have to perform their job accurately and efficiently, and they’re paid handsomely for doing so.

The freight sector

When most people picture a train they think of something with a buffet car that carries passengers between cities. But there’s a second, equally big side of the railway industry: the freight sector. Every day goods worth millions of pounds are transported across the country on trains. Without them, the country would grind to a halt. This sector offers just as many opportunities as the passenger sector, so if you’re interested in a career on the railways make sure you check out the options here and not just with the passenger operators.