The apprentices specialise in track, signalling, telecoms and electrification and plant.
Over the next two years, they will work under supervision, gaining vital experience as they train to become maintenance technicians. They will return to HMS Sultan, home of the Royal Naval School of Marine Engineering (RNSME) and the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival School (RNAESS), for further courses and training throughout this time.
Steve Featherstone, director of maintenance at Network Rail, said: "Getting out on the railway, learning on-the job, responding to incidents and gaining experience from our specialists is a vital part of our apprenticeship. Every day they will be part of a team making sure we get three million people to work and home again. It is rewarding and of great value to Britain.
"The railway is becoming ever more popular and we have big plans for making it more reliable, efficient and better value for money; our apprentices will play a big role in that.
"We now have the building blocks in place so that beyond their apprenticeships, our engineers can undertake an HNC, a foundation degree and then a full degree in engineering. They can earn while they learn and go as far as their aptitude, attitude and ambition can take them."
