Job market information
Finding out about light rail, tram and metro
The light rail, tram and metro industry is represented by People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism. The passenger transport sector incorporates rail, aviation, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, light rail and metro, driver training, and UK waterways. The sector accounts for 735,000 jobs, most of which are within the bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, and aviation industries. The passenger transport sector includes a wide variety of roles, from pilots and transport planners, to essential support roles in finance, marketing and human resources.
The light rail, tram and metro industry is a relatively small industry, with services in eight major towns and cities. The London Underground, which is a major employer in London, is also included. Light rail, tram and metro services (including underground services) are available in Blackpool, Glasgow, London, Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Tyne and Wear and the West Midlands.
Key facts:
- There are approximately 15,000 people working in the light rail, tram and metro industry.
- There has been an increase in passenger numbers and the total distance travelled by tram, light rail and metro more than doubled over recent years.
Jobs in the industry fall into the following areas:
- Driving – such as tram, metro and underground drivers, team leaders, supervisor
- Passenger services – such as customer service agent, passenger services assistant, operational support (i.e. in planning, performance management or marketing and sales)
- Operations and service delivery – such as administrative staff (in planning, HR, marketing and sales or performance monitoring), operations officer
Entry and progression
For most entry level jobs, there are no specific academic requirements other than a sound basic education. For some service planning and monitoring jobs, companies may look for a higher level of maths or statistical ability. Many driving positions are recruited from within the workforce – companies choose to recruit passenger services assistants and to provide them with driving skills.
There are a range of industry endorsed courses, training schemes and vocational qualifications (in Rail Transport Operations). As there are no opportunities to gain experience of driving light rail, tram or metro vehicles, industry organisations have training programmes in place for trainee applicants to achieve the required skills.
For job specific entry requirements, take a look at our job profiles.
Workforce statistics
| Number of UK employees: |
15,000 |
|---|
[N.B. There are no data on workforce characteristics available.]
Employment trends and future prospects
Employment levels in the industry have remained fairly stable, with notable changes only occurring when new transport systems have opened. Recently, there has been increased investment in light rail, tram and metro systems, with plans for expansion and investigations into the potential for new systems in several major cities across the UK.
There are concerns as a large number of older employees are approaching, or have reached, retirement age, but there are not enough experienced employees to replace them.
Skill requirements and shortages
The main skills gaps in the industry are:
- Foreign languages (26% of companies)
- Job related IT skills (14%)
The skills most valued by the industry include: customer service; communication; and team working. Other useful skills include: health and safety; information technology; organisational skills; and people management.
Occupational trends
Retention issues tend to arise for new workers who fail to adapt to working shift patterns.
National and regional data
[N.B. There are no data on employment figures for the industry. Data presented are for the passenger transport sector as a whole. Data derived from the Labour Force Survey, 2007.]
East Midlands – There is one operating company in the East Midlands; the Nottingham Express Transit, which operates 15 light rail vehicles in Nottingham. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 14% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26‐49 years and 32% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; job related IT; and safety/accident management.
East of England – There are no companies operating in the East of England. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 9% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 52% is 26‐49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.
London – In London there are several companies operating, including: Croydon Tramlink; Docklands Light Railway; and London Underground. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 20% of the workforce in the region is female. 42% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 70% is 26‐49 years and 26% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; safety/accident management; booking operations; and logistics and scheduling of services.
North East – There is one company operating in the North East – the Tyne and Wear Metro, which operates 90 metro vehicles around the area. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 17% of the workforce in the region is female. 3% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 51% is 26‐49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; and safety/accident management.
North West – There are two companies operating in the North West: Manchester Metrolink, which operates 32 metro vehicles in Manchester; and the Blackpool Tram, which operates 75 trams in Blackpool (this includes vintage demonstration services). In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 61% is 26‐49 years and 33% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; disability awareness; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.
South East – There are no companies operating in the South East. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 11% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 48% is 26‐49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and job related IT.
South West – There are no companies operating in the South West. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26‐49 years and 40% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.
West Midlands – There is one company operating in the West Midlands – the Midland Metro. The company employs approximately 170 members of staff. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 27% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 65% is 26‐49 years and 28% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; safety/accident management; foreign languages; maths/working with numbers; and disability awareness.
Yorkshire and the Humber – There is one operating company in Yorkshire and the Humber– Sheffield Supertram, which operates 25 trams in Sheffield. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 13% of the workforce in the region is female. 18% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26‐49 years and 30% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; job related IT; and Welsh language.
Northern Ireland – There are no companies operating in Northern Ireland. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 21% of the workforce in the region is female. Data are unavailable on the ethnicity of the workforce. 9% of the workforce is under 25 years, 74% is 26‐49 years and 17% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; safety/accident management; job related IT; and disability awareness.
Scotland – There is one company operating in Scotland – the Glasgow Subway, which employs approximately 370 people. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 2% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26‐49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and disability awareness.
Wales – There are no companies operating Wales. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 18% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 54% is 26‐49 years and 38% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: Welsh language; foreign languages; disability awareness; safety/accident management; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.
Salary levels
Pay scales in this industry are variable, so the following only provides an indication of the average weekly gross pay of the current rail, light rail, tram and metro workforce:
- Rail transport operative £633
- Rail travel assistant £536
Career paths
Further sources
Produced Sept 2010, using GoSkills AACS LMI report (Jun 2010)
