‘I tried driving a Metrolink tram – I got in a crash and was caught speeding five times’

After five minutes driving a Metrolink tram, I had ploughed into a car outside Manchester Town Hall.

Things began well when I pulled out of Victoria station and picked up my first set of passengers from Exchange Square.

But as I went round the corner of Princess Street towards St Peter’s Square at 12mph, a car pulled out in front of me and my journey came to an abrupt end.

Luckily this was all a simulation and no one was actually hurt.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service was invited to the Metrolink depot in Cheetham Hill to try out training as a tram driver.

Dozens of hopeful trainees come through the doors of Metrolink House each year, and they all experience the tram driver simulator.

I was no different, except I got to avoid the stringent theory lessons and hopped straight into the driving seat. 

As you walk into what initially seems to be an ordinary classroom, you see what looks like the front cab of a tram located in the far corner.

As you step into the piece of kit, worth around £500,000, you get a taste of what drivers in the cabs actually see day-to-day.

Under the watchful eyes of training officer Stuart Banks, I got a very real insight into what it was like to drive a tram.

Firstly, it’s not a wheel you use, and there are no pedals to make it go – just a little joystick that can be pushed forwards and backwards.

The weather was sunny and Manchester Town Hall wasn’t covered in scaffolding – other than that the simulation on my three screens was impressively accurate.

The trainers at KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM), who operate the trams, could alter the simulation to change the time of day, weather, and even how packed the city centre was. 

Unbeknownst to me, they could also control how erratic drivers on the roads would be.

I heard muffled laughter behind me shortly before a car pulled out in front of my tram.

Although, sadly, tram crashes do happen, the trainers told me how their drivers are taught to become aware of any potential danger around them.

This is similar to hazard perception tests when you’re learning to drive a car. 

After the crash ended my first simulation, I decided to take my next journey from Didsbury Village tram stop towards the city centre.

There were no crashes on this run, but I did break the speed limit five times.

I approached the Chorlton platform so quickly, only half my doors were accessible to the simulated passengers. 
Strangely, none of the Chorlton passengers got on when I pressed the button to open the doors.

So I closed the doors, heard the beep beep beep, and off I hurtled towards Firswood. 

As I waved hello to my simulated colleague heading in the opposite direction towards East Didsbury, I started to see the outline of Manchester’s skyline.

After a few more speed limit breaches through the hustle and bustle of the city centre, I ended my journey where it all began for me, Victoria station. 

With a slightly sore hand from gripping the joystick too tightly – possibly from the pressure of getting my computer generated passengers to work on time – my shift was done.

My feedback was, ‘needs work’, and Stuart remained tight-lipped when I asked if I should take it up full time.

I think it would take a while before Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) would be happy for me to be operating one of their trams.

Although I’m sure the trainers at KAM would be able to whip me into shape in no time.

For the 60-90 drivers that are trained up annually, they have to go through an initial 11 week training programme before they spend a year learning all the nooks and crannies of a particular line.

This is usually the Bury to Altrincham line, according to KAM manager Colin Woodfinden.

“We aim to train eight new drivers per course so the learner gets the most out of it,” Colin explained.

“The trainer can really invest time into them, more than that they’ll struggle getting the practice time on the simulator and on the depot.

“We aim to do a course once every two months.

"We take anywhere between 50 and 90 drivers per year.”

KAM doesn’t just train tram drivers though, there are jobs in engineering, marketing, IT, accounting, and much more. However, the bulk of their staff is made up of drivers.

To apply, the minimum requirements are that you are 21 and have had a driving licence for more than two years.

Starting salaries for drivers is around £25,000 per year, but the actual figure could end up being higher if you take into account overtime or extra hours taken.

There is a big push going on at the moment to showcase potential new employees what they can offer.

One way in which they’re doing this is through their @lifeatKAM Instagram page.

The new social media page documents what it’s like to work at KAM – including all the fun, surprises and happy moments throughout the year. 

With newly appointed employee engagement managers, they are trying to show outsiders the culture within KAM and what it’s like to work there.

Glen and Laura are running schemes such as ‘Moments that Matter’, which recognises key life moments such as moving house, getting married, and having a baby with rewards. 

This is all in the name of making KAM a place for people to have a career that can chop and change.

Laura is an example of how you can have a career change within the company, having previously worked as a tram driver but moving into her new role as an employee engagement manager.

Emma Bingham, HR and Transformation Director, said they will be working with the armed forces, disability confident and a range of diverse attraction channels to promote transport as a career path for everyone.

There will also be a big push to attract women into driver roles in 2025.

They are also looking to create more opportunities for part time workers.

KAM will be running a number of recruitment campaigns in 2025, so for those who want to follow in my footsteps – but hopefully with more promising results – there will be opportunities in the new year.

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