V/Line Careers ~ Infrastructure Maintenance Worker

Matt Trevaskis, Infrastructure Maintenance Worker

I had been thinking about the rail industry for a while. I’d always been interested in it – particularly because of the travel factor. I love getting out and seeing a lot of different places.

I build and maintain bridges. V/Line has 1200 bridges and around 20,000 culverts (the drains under the tracks) around the state. It’s a huge job. We receive reports from our bridge inspectors about maintenance issues around the state. The reports are given a rating that determines how quickly we need to respond.

My landscaping skills have transferred really well, particularly things like attention to detail and the focus on safety. Safety is critical at V/Line. V/Line presents opportunities. You start at entry level, and work your way up. It’s really easy to see the career paths. The opportunities are there to grow in V/Line as the business is massive. If you’re good to the business, then they treat you very well.

Since I’ve been here, I’ve learnt to be more thorough and confident in my work. I’ve learnt a lot about myself. The biggest project I worked on was the reconstruction of the bridge at Wandong, a town decimated by the Victorian bushfires. From a work point of view it was interesting and intense work. From a personal point of view it was tough as the area was destroyed.

My work takes me around Victoria. When you go with a good bunch of people the camaraderie is great. I’d just finished my landscaping apprenticeship, but I was unhappy with the work options that were coming up after I finished. I was looking for work where I could use similar skills to what I had learnt. I found the V/Line job on the internet.

Time flies out on the rail, as you’re really having fun while you work. I hope to be here for a long time. As it’s linked to Government, there’s a great sense of security. I’d like to go through ganger school and become a bridge inspector. It’d be nice to be the CEO too…I’d certainly love to be someone of that calibre one day. That’s what is great about this place, you can genuinely see the career paths. They give you the opportunity if you want, so you can get yourself higher and higher.

Infrastructure Maintenance Worker

Main duties: Maintaining and repairing tracks.

Minimum qualifications: Year 10 onwards.

Your skills: Communication, problem solving and teamwork.

Job benefits: Work outdoors, travel, lots of variety, busy.

V/Line training: Specialised courses that lead to qualifications and on-the-job training.

Job locations: Based in locations across Victoria.