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Rail Recruitment & Workforce Supply

PTS-certified rail operatives and specialist workforce for rail infrastructure, station upgrades, and trackside projects across London and the South East.

Right to Work checked before placement
CSCS verified workforce
£10m Employers' Liability
The brief

What this service provides

Hard Hat Recruitment provides Rail Recruitment & Workforce Supply for contractors, developers, subcontractors and construction businesses.

We supply PTS Operatives, Track Workers, COSS (Controller of Site Safety), Banksmen (Rail), Lookouts, Machine Operators (Rail), Cable Pullers & Jointers, Overhead Line Workers, Signalling Assistants, General Labourers (PTS), Site Supervisors (Rail), Rail Welders.

Our solutions include temporary recruitment, permanent recruitment, project staffing and workforce planning support.

Coverage includes London, the M25 and the South East for temporary labour, with wider UK capability for selected permanent and specialist roles.

01Overview

Specialist Rail Workforce Supply

Hard Hat Recruitment supplies vetted operatives for rail infrastructure projects across London and the South East. PTS and other role-specific records are checked before placement for station, platform, trackside and wider rail works.

Rail projects demand operatives with specialist certifications and an understanding of the unique safety requirements of the rail environment. Our recruitment team sources and screens candidates specifically for rail roles, verifying PTS cards, sentinel records, and relevant rail competencies before placement.

Whether you need a small team for planned possessions or a larger workforce for a major infrastructure programme, we scale supply to meet your requirements while maintaining the compliance standards essential for rail work.

02Capability

Roles we supply

Workers are screened against the role, with relevant evidence checked before placement.

PTS Operatives
Track Workers
COSS (Controller of Site Safety)
Banksmen (Rail)
Lookouts
Machine Operators (Rail)
Cable Pullers & Jointers
Overhead Line Workers
Signalling Assistants
General Labourers (PTS)
Site Supervisors (Rail)
Rail Welders
03The standard

What you get

01

PTS-Certified Workforce

PTS certification is verified before an operative is supplied to work requiring it.

02

Rail-Specific Screening

Sentinel checks, drug & alcohol screening, and rail competency verification.

03

Possession & Shift Flexibility

Operatives considered for weekend possessions, night shifts and continuous programmes, subject to availability and required checks.

04

Role-Specific Checks

Right to Work, ID verification, and all rail-specific certifications checked as standard.

05

London & South East Coverage

Coverage of rail sites across London, the M25, and the wider South East.

06

Principal Contractor Standards

Workforce supplied to the standards expected by Network Rail and Tier 1 rail contractors.

05Who it's for

Built for people who build

Rail Recruitment & Workforce Supply is built for construction businesses that need a recruitment partner who understands site delivery, compliance and commercial pressure.

Main Contractors

Tier 1 and Tier 2 contractors needing reliable trades, labour and white collar resource at pace.

Residential Developers

Housebuilders and residential developers delivering new build and refurbishment programmes.

Commercial Developers

Office, retail, hospitality and mixed-use developers requiring fit out and construction workforce.

Infrastructure Contractors

Rail, highways, utilities and major projects needing CSCS / CPCS / PTS qualified personnel.

Civil Engineering Contractors

Civils, groundworks and earthworks contractors requiring specialist site teams.

House Builders

National and regional house builders scaling site teams across multiple plots and phases.

Specialist Subcontractors

MEP, fit out, finishes, cladding and specialist trades needing flexible workforce supply.

Facilities Management Companies

FM providers needing reactive trades, maintenance operatives and project teams.

06Request

Request Rail Recruitment & Workforce Supply

Tell us what you need. We'll come back with availability, suitable candidates and confirmed timescales.

No obligation. Tell us what you need and we'll advise on availability.

07Answers

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Every operative we supply for rail work holds a valid Personal Track Safety (PTS) certificate, verified before deployment.

Yes. We regularly supply operatives for planned possessions, weekend work, and night shifts to support rail programme schedules.

Yes. Drug and alcohol screening is available as part of our rail workforce screening process, in line with industry requirements.

We verify PTS, COSS, IWA, and other role-specific rail certifications. Sentinel records are checked where required by the client or principal contractor.

Every candidate is screened for Right to Work, relevant CSCS / CPCS / PTS tickets, trade experience, references where required and role suitability before being introduced to a client. Hard Hat holds £10m Employers' Liability, £5m Public Liability, £2m Professional Indemnity and £250k Cyber Insurance.

Core temporary labour coverage is London, the M25 and the South East. Permanent and selected specialist briefs can extend into wider UK regions when the role and candidate market support it.

Yes. We supply individual operatives, full site teams, project-based workforces and rolling labour for the duration of a programme, with a dedicated account manager.

Yes. We run end-to-end permanent recruitment across site, commercial and management roles, including search, screening, interview management and offer support.
Next step

Need construction workforce?

Tell us what you need and we'll confirm availability, checks and realistic timescales. No obligation.

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