Principal Rail Strategy Consultant/Rail Planning Lead (Rail/Transportation Sector)

Principal Rail Strategy Consultant/Rail Planning Lead (Rail/Transportation Sector)
Contract Length: Up to 6 months
Location: London (Hybrid -approx. 50% attendance on average)
IR35: Inside
Security Clearance: BPSS Clearance Required
Public Sector experience highly desirable
Excellent Rates

*Urgent 6 Month contract - Role hiring now!*

This is *London* Hybrid based role with an excellent immediate start within a Public Sector organisation working on *Leading and delivering strategic rail planning studies (eg route studies, network strategies, systems planning)*

An exciting opportunity to join a major UK organization supporting a major strategic rail planning effort. If you have the right (transportation) sector knowledge and experience as mentioned below, please share your CV & motivation for immediate consideration to Javaid. We are shortlisting for interviews now.

About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and commercially aware Rail Strategy Consultant to lead high-impact planning and strategy work across major rail programmes. This role is ideal for someone who combines strong technical understanding with the ability to challenge, guide, and extract value from specialist suppliers and stakeholders.

You will play a key role in shaping early-stage rail strategies, influencing long-term planning decisions, and ensuring that technical outputs are robust, insightful, and aligned with wider objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver strategic rail planning studies (eg route studies, network strategies, systems planning)
• Act as an intelligent client to specialist suppliers and consultants, ensuring high-quality outputs
• Review, interpret, and challenge technical work relating to demand, capacity, and rolling stock
• Provide clear, strategic insight to inform decision-making at senior levels
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Lead small teams or manage external consultants to deliver high-quality outcomes

Essential Experience & Skills

• Demonstrable experience leading strategic rail planning or similar studies
• Strong understanding of rail demand, capacity, and rolling stock (at a level sufficient to interrogate and challenge outputs)
• Experience managing consultants or acting as an intelligent client
• Ability to distinguish high-quality technical work from weaker outputs
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• Experience leading teams or coordinating multi-disciplinary inputs

Highly Desirable

• Experience within or closely aligned to the rail or wider transport sector
• Knowledge of the UK rail network and industry structure
• Background in early-stage project development or long-term planning frameworks
• Experience in rail strategy or systems planning roles
• Previous experience in rail consultancies or advisory environments
• Exposure to Train Operating Companies or strategic/route planning functions

Who This Role Suits
This position is well suited to professionals currently working in rail consultancies, transport advisory, or strategic planning roles who are looking to step into a more influential, client-side or leadership-focused position.

Please send your CV or call Javaid to discuss further.
We are an equal opportunities employment agency and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.

We champion differences in technology recruitment and work with clients who actively wish to diversify their talent force - ALL applicants are welcome to apply.