A MERSEYSIDE training firm specialising in the rail sector has secured contract work for 35 of its apprentices.

Silver Track, based in Haydock, says the trainees have all been offered contract work with KJ Rail, a leading supplier of labour to Network Rail.

The news comes just weeks after it was revealed that Silver Track has established a £115,000 rail apprenticeship scheme in Birkenhead.

The project aims to teach one hundred 16 to 24-year-olds railway engineering skills over the next year.

KJ Rail heard about the apprenticeship scheme and felt that the programme the individuals had undertaken had prepared them perfectly for working on contracts that they had recently won. This training included the Personal Track Safety Card (PTS) and Track Induction Course, required to work on the tracks.

The apprentices will now see themselves placed on various contracts by KJ Rail on an interim basis. This work is likely to include maintenance and track renewal work on the new Evergreen Project line between Oxford and London Marylebone, on which KJ Rail has secured a large contract.

Mark Argent, Silver Track managing director, said: “It’s great to be able to link up with another leading organisation in the rail industry that can see the value of our trained apprentices. The aim of the programme is always to provide them with the skills they need to enter employment at the end.”

Steve Sharkey, from KJ Rail, added: “We met with Silver Track with a view to increasing our workforce to keep up with the demand.”