It has been revealed that nearly 350 people have applied for the first of up to 50 new tram driver roles on Nottingham Express Transit. The new jobs are available as NET prepares for the major expansion of phase two which will see trams running through to Beeston, Chilwell and Clifton from 2014.
From the first applicants 60 were selected to attend two open days at Loxley House in Nottingham and 16 successful candidates were then chosen. These lucky people are expected to be joined over the next 18 months by another 25-35 drivers as services become more frequent ahead of the opening of the extensions.
Darren Smith, Acting Operations Manager at NET, said: “We were really pleased with the response to our recruitment campaign, and it’s heartening that so many people want to be part of this exciting project. It was a difficult choice as the caliber of candidates was very high, but the people who really stood out were the ones that shared our commitment to delivering excellent customer service at all times. In the months ahead there will be even more opportunities to join the NET team. We’re looking forward to welcoming a lot of new recruits as we anticipate that approximately 40 to 50 new drivers will be required before the opening of the two new lines by the end of 2014.”
The first of the new trams – Citadis trams being built by Alstom – are expected to be delivered to Wilkinson Street depot by the end of this year as preparations continue towards the opening of the extensions.