As a Trainee Train Conductor, you’ll interact with a diverse range of passengers making a positive impact on their journey. You'll collaborate with Train Drivers, Control Functions and support colleagues, as you operate the train doors, assist customers with their travel needs, prioritise their safety and ensure their comfort throughout the journey. You will be expected to learn and retain high volumes of detailed information relating to safety standards, which will be regularly assessed to ensure you can play an integral role in ensuring a safe and memorable rail experience for customers
Train Operations: Coordinating with Train Drivers and Operational Teams to ensure the smooth running of the train. You'll stick to schedules, keep an eye on signalling systems, and stay in touch with Control to keep the train on track.
Customer Assistance: Helping customer on an off the trains, checking tickets, providing travel information, and ensure a comfortable and safe trip. You’ll answer customer inquiries, aid vulnerable customers, deescalate conflict situations and maintain a friendly and welcoming atmosphere on board.
Safety, Security & Compliance: Enforcing safety regulations, adhering to safety critical door procedures, conducting safety inspections, and responding to emergencies or incidents. You will act as leaders in evacuations or other critical situations. You’ll be fully trained and regularly assessed on all safety critical competencies to ensure compliance.
Fare Collection: Collect fares, validate tickets, and ensure proper payment from customers. You’ll also monitor for ticket irregularities and address instances of fare evasion or unauthorised travel.
Communication and Coordination: Providing updates on delays or disruptions and relaying important information to customers.
Reporting: Maintaining accurate records of customer counts, ticket sales and other relevant information, as well as creating detailed and comprehensive reports on incidents, faults and delays.
Customer Service: Delivering exceptional customer service; interacting with customers in an empathetic, courteous and professional manner, addressing complaints or concerns, and creating a positive and enjoyable travel experience.
Technology Utilisation: Utilising provided technology including mobile phones, tablets and body worn cameras.
Knowledge Retention: Learn and retain high volumes of detailed information relating to safety standards, methods of work and route risks and develop your own knowledge in line with company standards.
You MUST meet the following criteria for this position, or your application will be automatically rejected:
Currently live within a 45-minute car journey from the station you work from.
Be at least 18 years of age at the time of application.
Pass the RIS3452 Train Worker medical assessment, including drugs and alcohol screening.
Not have defective colour vision.
Commit to working early, late and weekend shifts – without relying on public transport (for example: 03:00 – 10:30, 07:00 – 16:30, 15:30 – 12:30, 18:00 – 02:30).
Exceptional communication skills. You’ll be personable, courteous, empathetic, patient and able to demonstrate outstanding customer service.
You will have the ability to handle and defuse conflicts, offering effective conflict resolution strategies.
Self-disciplined, with the ability to work independently using your own initiative.
Able to work to and enforce strict industry standard rules and regulations.
Punctual with excellent time management skills, ensuring your train departs as scheduled.
Resilient and adaptable with the ability to face multiple different challenges and prioritise them depending on risk.
Good problem-solving skills.
Excellent concentration skills, remaining focused on repetitive tasks whilst managing distractions.
Situational awareness with the ability to anticipate and react appropriately to hazards or potential problems.
Able to learn and retain high volumes of detailed safety information which will be regularly assessed to ensure knowledge is maintained at the highest level.
The recruitment process for this role is expected to take approximately five months due to the nature of the position and required training.
After submitting your application, please note that you may not receive an update for 8-12 weeks. This is due to the large volume of applications and our thorough screening process. During this time, applications will be carefully reviewed, and only those meeting the necessary criteria will proceed to the next stage. We kindly request that you refrain from contacting us for updates before the 12-week period has passed, as we will not be able to provide any information other than that your application is being processed.
If you pass the initial screening, you will be invited to a telephone interview. Successful candidates from this stage will then attend an in-person interview, which will include a group assessment, role-play exercises, and competency-based questions.
If you pass the final interview stage, a conditional offer will be made, subject to available training course placements and passing required medical tests.
Due to the high volume of applications, we receive, anyone that re-applies for a traincrew position within a 1-year timeframe could be automatically rejected.
We do not accept AI applications. Any suspected use of AI as part of your application will also result in immediate rejection.
Northern reserves the right to close recruitment for this role before the published closing date, if high volumes of applications are received.
The trainee conductor course is delivered in house as part of a 1-year apprenticeship programme. As part of the apprenticeship, you'll sit a functional skills test to achieve a level 2 in Maths and English before you take the end-point assessments.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
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About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
Disability Confident.
