The milestone agreement between the two biggest employers in the sector effectively creates a UK standard industry ‘pass’ for engineering and maintenance workers on the railways.

The landmark deal will also see information about working hours included on the smart ID cards to stamp out double-shifting across both organisations.

Sentinel ID cards store information about the card-holder electronically and can be accessed and verified in several ways, including via a smartphone app.

Licensing and competency details details will soon to supplemented with working hours data to help improve safety.

Head of Professional Development and Training at Network Rail, Guy Wilmshurst-Smith, said: “Not only will we be able to use the same system, but Sentinel will also provide the opportunity to share data on double-shifting, fatigue management and competence restrictions.

“This is a step-change in safety for the people who work on both rail infrastructures and also provides an opportunity to standardise some of the common competences between Network Rail and TfL.

“We have already forged strong working relationships between the two organisations and look forward to developing Sentinel’s capabilities in the coming months.”

Transport for London programme director of infrastructure, George McInulty, said: “We often use the same suppliers as Network Rail so it is sensible and safer to have the same processes and standards wherever we can, so they don’t have to switch between the two.

“Joining Network Rail in the use of the Sentinel ID card is a fantastic example of where we can come together to make our industry a safer and more joined up place to be.”

London Underground’s switch to Sentinel, which replaces the current LUCAS card, will happen in phases, beginning 1 April. Existing LUCAS cards remain valid for access to TfL infrastructure until they expire.