'No experience required': Northern set to recruit more than 300 drivers and conductors across the North of England in 2024

The train operator says the roles are part of a normal, on-going process to recruit as and when existing staff members retire, earn promotions or join another company.

It is looking to hire 108 train drivers and 198 conductors in 2024 and actively encouraging people with no rail industry experience to apply.

New recruits will have to complete paid apprenticeships at one of Northern’s training academies in Leeds or Manchester.

The train driver roles, which will be advertised in the coming months in Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Workington and York, come with a starting salary of £23,000 a year and that rises to £54,500 after the recruits complete a 64-week training course. 

The conductor roles set to be advertised in Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool, Buxton, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle Skipton, Workington and York come with salaries starting of £22,000, rising to £29,000 once they complete a 16-week training course.

A small number of roles open to qualified drivers will also be available in Darlington, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said: “We have a range of rewarding roles for anyone who wants to become part of a dedicated team that runs more than 2,500 services a day to over 500 destinations.

"We are looking for customer-focused people with excellent communication skills who thrive in a dynamic environment and may not have considered a career in rail before.

"Successful applicants will demonstrate a high level of responsibility, a strong work ethic and a commitment to maintaining safety standards.”

More information and details of how to register for recruitment alerts can be found at: www.northernrailway.co.uk/careers.

Tricia added: “We’ll be recruiting throughout the year and provide all the training you need, so if you’re interested, please register for job alerts on our website.

“We want our workforce to reflect the communities we serve and we’re proud to include people from all walks of life in our team, from military veterans and ex-police officers, to former office workers and stay-at-home parents.”

In 2023, Northern released a video to highlight the role operational employees across the business play in helping to keeping trains moving.

Northern currently employs over 2,000 drivers and 1,400 conductors to run services across its network.