Trains run on tracks... but the railway runs on cables! Miles of them! One of our biggest jobs this Christmas was between Blackfriars, London Bridge + New Cross, where we were doing some serious cable management (like behind the TV, only bigger). /1

These cables carry power and signalling information and without them, nothing can move. In order to maintain the railway safely, we need to know which is which and make sure they are protected from wear and tear. That's what these engineers were doing on Christmas Day. /2

When the cables run into our location cases or up and over gantries, they are all labelled so fault finding can be done quickly and to make sure everything works properly and passengers are kept safe. /3

It takes a special kind of technician to understand all those cables and what they do, which is why it takes alot of training and experience to become a signalling engineer (or S&T in railway parlance). /4

Cables are also a source of delay for passengers when they go wrong, and that's why our team was out throughout Christmas working just on them, in the busiest section of our railway. It didn't involve the big cranes or engineering trains, but it's so, so important. /5

So if you're the kind of person who volunteers to fault find when the TV doesn't work on New Year's Eve, or the Christmas lights are fused... you never know, this industry might be for you! Check it out https://www.networkrail.co.uk/careers/