NETWORK Rail has begun a drive to recruit scores of young engineers to work on the region's railways, The Northern Echo has learnt.

The company, which is responsible for railway tracks and signalling, wants to sign up to 50 young people to an apprenticeship scheme to run over three years.

They will receive hands-on experience and qualifications, and many will end up at locations across the region, including York, Darlington, Newcastle and Scarborough.

Last year, The Northern Echo revealed how a chronic skills shortage in the railway industry was prompting some maintenance firms to recruit from half way across the world, in New Zealand.

Critics have previously complained that the privatisation of the railways by the last Government led to a haemorrhaging of skilled, experienced staff, which in some cases had put safety at risk.

The recruitment move by Network Rail - Railtrack's successor - follows its decision to bring track safety work back in-house, rather than contract out maintenance to private companies.

It is hoped it will help eventually increase the pool of fully qualified, skilled rail engineers.

Brian Timms, infrastructure maintenance manager for Network Rail in the North-East region, said: "We are keen to encourage young people into the rail industry and help them develop their engineering skills.

"The apprentices we are signing up will learn the track and signalling maintenance skills which are essential for the day to day running of the railways."

Network Rail has taken over rail maintenance on the North-East's busiest route - the East Coast Main Line - from troubled Jarvis.

Jarvis announced it was pulling out of the sector following a number of derailments and the fatal rail crash at Potters Bar, for which it was heavily criticised.

Graham Botham, acting route director for Network Rail in the North-East, said: "Overall, the condition of the railway infrastructure in this region is getting better.

"We are reducing the number of broken rails and making substantial progress."