Tram driver
Tram drivers provide passenger transport services along set routes, following a timetable.
Also known as: Light rail passenger driver
- Starter salary£24,000 a year
- Experienced£32,000 a year
- Typical hours39 to 42 a week
What you'll do
As a tram driver, you'll:
- carry out safety checks on equipment controls at the start of a shift
- follow a timetable schedule along set routes
- pick up and drop off passengers at tram stops
- keep in radio contact with the control room for up-to-date route information
- make passenger announcements on the tram's public address system
- report incidents that happen during a shift, such as signal or equipment failure
Working environment
Your working environment may be noisy.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- customer service skills
- the ability to operate and control equipment
- knowledge of public safety and security
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- observation and recording skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a tram driver
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
College
Although not essential, you could do a customer service course at college before applying for a job as a trainee tram driver.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You can apply for a place on a Passenger Transport Driver Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, with a tram operating company .
This takes around a year to complete.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
Work
You could start as a passenger transport assistant or conductor and move into driving work through internal company promotion and training.
Direct application
You could apply to vacancies advertised by tram operating companies . Some employers may ask for GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), particularly in English and maths. Customer service skills are also important.
To apply, you'll usually need to be over 21 and have a clean driving licence.
Experience as a bus, coach or train driver would be useful but is not essential.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- have a full driving licence
- be over 21 years of age
- pass a medical check
- be screened for drugs and alcohol
Career path and progression
With experience and further training, you could move into a supervisory role, like depot manager or route manager.
Other options include working in revenue protection or being a driving trainer, teaching new staff how to operate trams.
There may also be opportunities to get involved with heritage tram services during holiday periods.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleBus or coach driver
- Job roleCommunity transport driver
- Job roleTrain conductor
- Job roleTrain driver
- Job roleTrain station worker
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0