We’d like to extend a big thank you to Marek Szwej, Track Asset Manager at NTL / Keolis, for taking the time to connect with us and for his support of our upcoming Light Rail Seminar. Marek will be presenting on Advanced Inspection and Maintenance Strategies for Nottingham’s Tram Infrastructure, sharing valuable insights into the innovative approaches that keep the network running smoothly. We’re excited to learn from his expertise and look forward to his contribution to the event!
How did you start your career in the rail industry?
I worked for EGIS consultancy in Poland who required engineers to support their offices in France and work on various railway projects (TGV and Riyadh metro in my case). After this experience, I got a job as design engineer in Alstom’s track team working on Phase 2 extension project of NET.
Tell us a little about your career experiences to date.
I started my career as a highways engineer, working mainly on the design side with some experience gained on construction sites, too. This work also involved an interface with the existing tramways, so I gained some knowledge of the light rail system in the early stage. From there, I moved on to work a little bit on track designs (EGIS France, Alstom), then moved on to more site activities during Phase 2 construction, led the track team towards the end of the projects and then stayed as warranty engineer. Almost as a natural progression, I moved to Nottingham Trams as track asset manager when this position became available at the right moment (end of warranty period). I’ve been here ever since.
What does an average day look like for you?
It varies from day to day – typical office activities, responding to email and making sure that all things are in place and planned to deliver the maintenance work. Liaising with contractors, suppliers, other NTL departments and external parties. Then there is time spent on site, supporting my engineer and supervisor, especially when we’re short on staff to deliver certain tasks. I also deputise for the Head of Engineering during his absences and try to stay involved in industry activities, i.e. UK Tram forums, industry exhibitions, and other tram networks.
Why did you want to present in a PWI technical seminar?
It will be an interesting and stressful experience at the same time. I’d like to share my knowledge with others and make some new contacts to discuss various topics. It also gives me the possibility of being involved in industry life and hopefully being a leader and support in certain aspects of our wide range of work.
What’s the best bit of advice you have for someone looking to work in the rail industry?
Get your education to have a good understanding of things you would be working on and be flexible and passionate with your approach to work.
What are some of the biggest challenges of your current role? The number and wide variety of tasks to manage at the same time, spanning from engineering, including design and delivery on site, through health and safety, HR and staff, finance and contracts. It’s challenging to find enough time to focus on one job and get more involved in the industry life.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
The same as above—a variety of tasks gives me the opportunity to meet lots of different people. That includes local and overseas suppliers and contractors, which significantly widens my understanding of industry processes.
Learn more about Light Rail and secure our last remaining tickets here.
