Trainee Train Conductor Job Vacancy at Northern Rail

Trainee Train Conductor

Salary: OTE £35,000 – £37,000
Location: Manchester
Closing Date: 01/12/2024
Closing Time: 23:59

Starting salary is £25,633 during training (approximately three months), rising to £34,622 per annum upon completion. Additional earnings include commission, overtime, and the comprehensive Northern benefits package.

Role Type: On-Site
Hours: Rolling 35 hours per week. Shifts include evenings, nights, and weekends (e.g., 03:00–10:30, 07:00–16:30, 15:30–12:30, 18:00–02:30).

About the Role

As a Train Conductor, you’ll serve as the face of Northern, delivering excellent service and assisting passengers throughout their journey.

Key Responsibilities

• Train Operations: Work closely with Drivers and Operational Teams to ensure smooth operations, adherence to schedules, signal monitoring, and consistent communication with Control.
• Customer Assistance: Help passengers board and alight safely, validate tickets, provide route and schedule information, assist vulnerable customers, manage inquiries, and maintain a welcoming environment.
• Safety and Compliance: Enforce safety protocols, oversee door operations, conduct equipment inspections, and lead emergency responses, including evacuations.
• Fare Collection: Validate tickets, collect fares, and address fare evasion professionally.
• Communication: Keep passengers informed about delays or disruptions via announcements and updates.
• Reporting: Maintain accurate records of passenger counts, ticket sales, incidents, faults, and delays.
• Customer Service: Handle complaints and ensure a positive travel experience.
• Technology Use: Operate tablets and body-worn cameras as part of daily duties.
• Knowledge Retention: Absorb and retain extensive safety information, undergoing regular assessments to ensure standards are upheld.

Requirements

This is a safety-critical role subject to Rail Safety & Standards Board (RSSB) regulations. To qualify, candidates must:

• Live within 45 minutes (by car) of the assigned station.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Pass the RIS3452 Train Worker medical assessment, including drug and alcohol screening.
• Have no defective colour vision.
• Commit to early, late, and weekend shifts without relying on public transport (e.g., 03:00–10:30, 07:00–16:30, 15:30–12:30, 18:00–02:30).

Required Skills

We’re looking for candidates with the following qualities:

• Communication: Personable, empathetic, and skilled in customer service.
• Conflict Resolution: Able to defuse conflicts and handle challenges effectively.
• Independence: Self-disciplined and capable of working autonomously.
• Regulatory Adherence: Able to follow and enforce strict safety protocols.
• Time Management: Punctual and able to keep trains on schedule.
• Adaptability: Resilient, prioritizing tasks based on risk and handling varied challenges.
• Problem Solving: Analytical with strong decision-making skills.
• Focus: Maintain attention during repetitive tasks and distractions.
• Safety Knowledge: Capable of learning and retaining complex safety information, regularly assessed for compliance.

Important Information

The recruitment process spans approximately five months due to the nature of the role and required training.

• After applying, you may not receive updates for 8–12 weeks as applications are reviewed thoroughly. Please do not contact us for updates before this period.
• Successful candidates will progress through a telephone interview, an in-person assessment (including group exercises, role-play, and competency-based questions), and a final medical assessment.
• A conditional offer is subject to available training course slots and passing all required medical checks.

Note: Re-applying for traincrew roles within one year may result in automatic rejection. Suspected AI-generated applications will also be rejected.

Training Programme

This one-year apprenticeship includes:

• A 3-month intensive training period delivered in a classroom setting during regular office hours.
• A functional skills test for Level 2 in Maths and English before the end-point assessment.
• No annual leave allowed during the initial 9 weeks of training.
• Training delivered in Leeds or Manchester, with hotel accommodation provided for those traveling over 1.5 hours.

Our Benefits

At Northern, we value and reward hard work with a comprehensive benefits package:

• Career Progression: Access to extensive training schemes and online learning.
• Uniform Provision: Stylish, high-quality uniform for customer-facing roles.
• Free Travel: Free travel on Northern services for employees, their partners/spouses, and dependents (eligibility criteria apply).
• Pension Scheme: A defined benefit pension scheme with Northern contributing 1.5 times your contribution.
• Parental Benefits: Enhanced maternity (9 months full pay) and paternity leave (2 weeks full pay).
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 support for personal and professional challenges.
• Northern Perks: Discounts, vouchers, cashback offers, and wellbeing support.

About Northern

At Northern, we connect millions across the North daily, operating 2,500 trains to link communities, jobs, and opportunities.

We’re committed to enhancing rail travel, improving the customer experience, and delivering sustainable growth. Our values—Make a Difference, Make it Last, Make it Yours, Make it Easy, Make it Happen—reflect our commitment to excellence.

We’re an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from diverse backgrounds. As a Disability Confident employer, we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities and provide necessary adjustments to support all applicants during the recruitment process.

Ready to embark on your career journey? Join Northern today!