From working as a Junior Rail Technician in England to becoming a Senior Rail Project Engineer on one of Western Australia’s most important rail projects, the METRONET Yanchep Rail Extension Project, James Rees has certainly remained on track in pursuing his high school dream. 

After completing his A Levels, as a young man James pursued his interest in the rail and construction industry, joining a rail renewals company as a Junior Technician. While working, he also studied to obtain a Diploma in Civil Engineering. 

Although a proud career achievement was working on a High Output Track Renewals project in Swindon, UK, James had bigger goals that eventually led him to Australia where he is now working as a Senior Rail Project Engineer on the Yanchep Rail Extension Project.

In this role, James specialises in track design, geometry and tamping. Being in a leadership position, he motivates and inspires his team to achieve a common goal, while educating and advising project personnel on rail construction principles. 

According to James, the most challenging aspect of the job is in integrating the rail line with other disciplines, especially where there is limited capacity for access. 

“The rail corridor from Butler to Alkimos is extremely narrow and surrounded by dense urban development which limits our access, but I enjoy navigating these challenges and delivering milestones on the project,” he said. 

As a keen golfer, James is often found on the greens when he isn’t installing rail and has a social handicap of 1.