Passenger Services Manager
Passenger services managers are responsible for ensuring that passengers have satisfactory journeys; this can include making sure that light rail, tram and metro stations are well maintained, and that the journey on the company’s vehicle is safe and comfortable.A passenger services manager also ensures that customer services assistants carry out their work to a good standard and provide a high level of customer service.
As well as this, passenger services managers will respond to passenger enquiries and may also have to deal with any problems on board or at stops and stations/depots. They also work with the performance management team, making sure that vehicles run on time and checking up if there are any issues that may affect operations.
The starting salary for a passenger services manager is around £20000. This can rise on experience and may also vary depending on the company they are working for.
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Working environment
Passenger services managers spend the majority of their time out and about, travelling between depots/stations/stops. They will normally start their shift at one station and travel on several different routes or journeys, before finishing the day at the same station. They will also spend time in the station; acting as a company representative to the public as well as watching over the work being done by customer services assistants. Passenger services managers must also spend time in an office, compiling reports detailing their work and any incidents or problems that they have had/come across during the working day.Passenger services managers work shifts, which can involve working early mornings, late nights (in some cases overnight), weekends and bank holidays. Shifts can last up to 10 hours with a normal working week of around 40 hours or sometimes more.
A passenger services manager is provided with a uniform so that they can be identified by the public.
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Skills and interests
Passenger services managers must have:- leadership skills
- excellent communication abilities
- assertiveness, to deal with both team members and passengers
- organisational and coordinating skills
- an awareness of health and safety
- understanding of customer service
- knowledge of the light rail, tram or metro industry.
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Entry into the role
Passenger services managers usually work their way up from the role of customer services assistant. They do not normally need any particular qualifications, but must be literate and numerate (for example with GCSEs or national equivalent in English and Maths). Experience of working in a customer service environment is also usually preferable.Passenger services managers are employed by light rail, tram and metro companies, and these advertise vacancies through their own websites and in local press. They may also advertise through specialist publications and recruitment websites.
Currently there are seven tram and metro systems; these are based in major towns and cities around the UK – Blackpool, Croydon, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Tyne and Wear and the West Midlands. There is a light rail system (Docklands Light Rail) which operates in London.
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Opportunities
Passenger services managers can progress their career by moving into training or into higher level management responsible for aspects of transport services such as customer service or operations performance.There are qualifications relevant to the tram, light rail and metro industry. These include:-
- NVQ level 3 in road passenger transport operations (offered by EDI).
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Useful links
- Light Rail Transit Association
- Blackpool Tram
- Croydon Tramlink
- Docklands Light Railway
- Glasgow Subway
- London Underground
- Manchester Metrolink
- Midland Metro
- Nottingham Express Transit
- Sheffield Supertram
- Tyne and Wear Metro
- Tramways and Urban Transit (magazine)