What do you need to work as a tram driver?

How to become a tram driver

The content of the article

How to become a tram driver
How to get a job as a driver
How to get a job as a driver

Where to go to study

To master the profession of a carriage driver, it is enough to have at least a secondary education. Next, you will have to take courses for tram drivers. Information about the time and place of the courses can be obtained from the depot in your city.

On average, tram driver courses last for 10 months, they are free and, as a rule, subsequent employment is guaranteed. First, you will be given lectures for six months, then driving practice, an exam, and you can start working. After being assigned to the depot, you will have to undergo an internship for some time under the guidance of an experienced car driver. In addition to practical training, you will be shown how to understand the departure schedule, how to repair tram hardware, etc.

It is worth knowing that after completing the courses and receiving a document certifying that you can work as a tram driver, you will have to work in this specialty for at least three years, because before the start of the courses an agreement is concluded with each applicant. Otherwise, the payment of a penalty is on average 30-40 thousand rubles.

During the courses you will study such disciplines as traffic rules, rules of technical operation of the train, construction of tram cars, basic electrical and occupational safety, and first aid.

Features of the profession

It is worth knowing that both a man and a woman who have reached 21 years of age can become a tram driver. This profession requires excellent health, because the tram driver has to go out on the route even in severe frost. And the trams are not very warm. In addition, a person with a stable psyche can work as a carriage driver, because different situations happen on the road. The profession of a tram driver requires a shift work schedule and fairly early rises, because the working day of a person in this profession begins at 4 o’clock in the morning. It is worth taking into account weather conditions, because in autumn and spring it is much more difficult to drive a tram, because the tracks are slippery and dirty.

It is important for a tram driver to learn to drive the car smoothly so as not to scatter the conductor and passengers around the cabin, but at the same time fast enough so as not to fall behind schedule.

The salary of a beginning tram driver is on average 22 thousand rubles, if you work without gross violations. The vacation for car drivers is 28 days; if you work for 11 months in a row, they will add another 12 days.

When choosing a profession as a tram driver, evaluate all possible risks.

Tram driver training

In 2015, special categories of driver's licenses are required to operate trams and trolleybuses.
(previously, trolleybuses and trams were not allocated to separate categories of rights)

Professional training for a tram driver with employment at the State Unitary Enterprise MOSGORTRANS

The student selects the desired tram depot at the State Unitary Enterprise MOSGORTRANS, enters into an agreement and undergoes training at our plant

Theoretical training is carried out on the territory of the plant, in equipped classrooms:

At stands and modern interactive simulators for training tram drivers

Practice takes place in tram depots

Conditions of education:

Persons fluent in Russian are accepted for training.
Persons who are at least 21 years old at the time of graduation
Having an education of at least 9 years of secondary school
For graduates who have entered into a training agreement at the expense of the State Unitary Enterprise MOSGORTRANS, a scholarship is provided during their studies
Duration of lessons: theoretical and practical lessons - 45 minutes, for driving lessons and internship - 60 minutes.
Category tram (“Tm”) – standard training period is 6 months;
There is a canteen on site
Training schedule according to the schedule from 8:30 to 15:30

Upon completion of training, students take a qualifying exam:

basic legislation in the field of road traffic,
installation and maintenance of trams,
basics of tram management,
organization and implementation of passenger transportation by trams.

After completing theoretical training and passing qualifying exams, students are sent for training driving to the tram depot (in accordance with Russian Government Decree No. 1396 of December 15, 1999) upon completion they pass a driving test from the qualification commission of the tram depot

What do you need to work as a tram driver?

Anyone who dares to move to work in St. Petersburg can get a free job as a tram or trolleybus driver if they wish. The main thing is that you are already 21 years old and in good health.

About the employer:

St. Petersburg State Unitary Enterprise "Gorelektrotrans" is a monopolist in the field of transportation by urban ground electric transport. Its trams and trolleybuses carry about a million passengers every day, and the company itself employs 11 thousand people.

Despite such a large staff, the organization constantly attracts new employees. They are looking for people who want to work as tram or trolleybus drivers all over the country, including offering training and work to Amur residents. To get a new profession, you don't need to have a driver's license. The main thing is to know a few important points. Before you take action, call HR and let them know your intentions.

Step One: Check Your Health

There are no gender restrictions for this type of work. Almost half of the tram and trolleybus drivers in St. Petersburg are women. But in terms of age and health - yes. According to the Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Road Safety”, only those who are over 21 years old can be hired for such work. Is age not a barrier? Then you can act. First of all, get a certificate that you are not registered with a psychoneurological or narcological dispensary. It is also important to successfully pass a medical examination; it is organized by the company itself, already in St. Petersburg. But still, before the trip, make sure that everything is in order with your blood pressure, vestibular system, and whether your eyesight and hearing are good.

Step two: theory

After you have received medical certificates stating that you are fit for work, you enter into an apprenticeship agreement with the company, which spells out the conditions for training and further work. First, you need to gain theoretical knowledge for two to two and a half months at a training center. The theoretical training course includes lectures and classes on traffic rules, electrical, mechanical and pneumatic equipment, students also study the basics of medicine, legislation and, of course, the main subject of the course - control technology. In addition to pure theory, training is also carried out using simulators. They allow future drivers to learn the basics of driving.

“One of the models is a city traffic diagram,” says Dmitry Petrov, director of the training center . — It measures 2.5 by 5 meters. It includes tram-trolleybus intersections, railway crossings, stops, depots, etc. We also have simulators that simulate tram or trolleybus cabins. Before going to practice, students pass five exams (including the traffic police exam) and already generally understand HOW to behave on the road and HOW to drive.

By the way, a scholarship is paid during training - from 7,400 to 9,800 rubles. The amount of the scholarship depends on academic performance. A bed in a dormitory and free meals are also provided.

Step Three: Practice

In a trolleybus or tram depot, under the strict guidance of mentors, you first undergo practical training.

— It lasts 18–26 days. After completing the practical training, a driving test (practical) is taken, and then a control technique test (theoretical), explains tram training master Mikhail Okulov . — The driving test is entrusted to the specialists of the training center, who can fully evaluate all the skills and abilities acquired by the student in the process of theoretical and practical training. For example, what is a “contact network”, “track facilities”, “speed limits”, “distances”, etc. And at the traffic police only a theoretical exam is passed.

Step four: traffic police exam

You have already mastered the theoretical course, completed practical training, now you are taking the exam at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate and receiving your license. Didn't pass the first time? No problem. You have the opportunity to retake.

Step five: internship

After receiving your license, you go on an internship to the park where you will later work: now you carry passengers around the city. Passenger practice on a tram lasts 205 hours, and on a trolleybus - 286 hours. You can already be called a young driver, although for now without the right to work independently. During this internship, you learn to drive a tram on a specific route under the guidance of a driver-instructor.

By the way, while you are still a “green” driver, your stipend increases significantly. Trainees - tram drivers receive up to 20,700 rubles, trainees - trolleybus drivers - up to 22,500 rubles.

Almost half of the drivers of trams and trolleybuses in St. Petersburg are women
Photo RIA Novosti

After passenger practice, you take an exam from the certification commission of the tram or trolleybus fleet. You are assigned the qualification of a third-class tram driver or a fourth-class trolleybus driver. Now you become a full-fledged driver, get the right to transport passengers yourself and can improve your skills over time, and your salary will increase accordingly.

By the way, the average salary of St. Petersburg trolleybus drivers is now about 44 thousand rubles, tram drivers - 40 thousand rubles.

Opinions

Alexey Smirnov, driver-mentor of tram fleet No. 1:

— A driver-mentor spends 80% of his time on the line and helps other drivers in a given situation. You help everyone with both word and deed. There can be many problems: unusual situation on the road, questions regarding rolling stock, and sometimes conflicts with passengers occur. You have to be a psychologist, a foreman, and a mechanic at the same time.

We constantly monitor drivers with up to three years of experience. When training young specialists, the first thing we do is talk about how to behave in different situations on the road, practice actions when foreign objects are detected on rolling stock, and explain how best to talk with hooligans. If I notice that a driver is committing some kind of violation, I will definitely go up to him and explain why this cannot be done and what the consequences are. Even a subtle violation, such as slight speeding, can cause a car to derail.

If you choose this profession, you need to be prepared for the fact that this is a difficult and very responsible job. It is necessary to be punctual and monitor your health, as we undergo daily medical examinations and annual medical examinations. And, despite the schedule, you need to be able to rest properly.

Lyubov Pylaeva, future tram driver:

— I’m studying for the second month, we’ll go to practice soon. Of course, there are difficulties. The material is completely new to me, and I need to remember as much as possible in a short period of time. But in general, the teachers are excellent, they present knowledge in an interesting way. I am already mentally prepared for practical training. I would like to try it as soon as possible, to see the tram itself. We have a very good group, we all help each other. I’m not a St. Petersburg person at all, I’m from a small town in the Kaluga region. When I came here, I really liked trams, and I wanted to become a tram driver.

Oleg Pavlov, future tram driver

— I’ve been living in St. Petersburg for about two years now, I came from Orel. I always wanted to transport people, and the tram is the most beautiful form of transport. You could say it was a childhood dream. So I decided to become a tram driver. For me, there was nothing difficult about studying the theory; anyone can master it. I am a process technician by training, maybe that’s why everything comes so easy to me. And the most exciting lessons for me were the lessons on electrical equipment - probably because I knew little about it.

Why did I become a tram driver and not a trolleybus driver? The real story of a resident of Chelyabinsk

Unfortunately, not everyone succeeds in choosing a profession at 17 and loving it all their lives. But only a few succeed in admitting that the path is wrong and deciding to radically change their life. Sometimes life itself forces us to learn another profession. You can learn a lot in your life. The main thing is the ability and desire to learn.

Today's hero of the magazine Reconomica , Oleg from Chelyabinsk, became a tram driver at the age of 30. It seems that a tram driver is one of those professions that is already outdated, but in many cities it is the tram tracks that allow people to get to work quickly and comfortably. Oleg spoke about the reasons for choosing this profession and the nuances that he is forced to deal with.

How I decided to retrain

My name is Oleg, I live in Chelyabinsk.

Despite persistent unemployment, it is quite easy to completely retrain for a completely different specialty. The main thing is to decide on it and go without unnecessary hesitation.

At the moment when I was unemployed for three months, I did not have to choose whether to study or not.

Enrollment for trolleybus and tram driver courses

So, in one of the trams I saw an advertisement for courses for trolleybus and tram drivers. The conditions were more than attractive:

free training for 5 months (3 months theory, 2 months practice),
non-residents are provided with a hostel,
scholarship during study in the amount of 1 minimum wage,
employment.

Of the expected out-of-pocket expenses, the only thing was passing a driver’s medical examination, which cost approximately 3,000 rubles.

Tram or trolleybus driver. What to choose?

It should be noted that in our city, where the population exceeds a million people, there are two tram and two trolleybus depots. ChelyabGET routes pass throughout the city, including such remote areas as Metallurgical, Sovetsky, Traktorozavodsky. The issue of choosing the most suitable depot was resolved in favor of tram depot No. 2.

The choice of the profession itself (tram or trolleybus driver) was determined not based on any personal preferences, but simply - it’s difficult to study for a tram, it’s easier to work, but for a trolleybus it’s exactly the opposite, taking into account the promised salary:

tram driver – 25,000 rubles,
trolleybus driver – 30,000 rubles.

I also understood that in any accident, the tram is always right and has an advantage over other road users, and the trolleybus is an equal member of it, and the driver’s fault in this case is determined by the traffic regulations. The choice was definitely made on the tram. And this is despite the various types of car insurance (I mean CASCO and OSAGO).

Tram driver courses

The process of studying to become a tram driver, contrary to my fears, did not seem so difficult and difficult. We studied from 8:30 to 13:00 (14:00).

What we studied

They taught us mainly traffic rules, because we had to pass our license at the regional traffic police department.

In addition to this really important and necessary subject, we also went through the following:

psychology of human relationships,
rules for operating rolling stock,
construction of trams of various models and optionally a couple of not particularly memorable academic disciplines.

Three months of theory flew by like one day. There were 22 people studying in the group, of which 18 were women and 4 men. I would like to note right away that 17 people made it to the finish line, receiving a driver’s license, for various reasons.

Two months of practice

Two months of practice were much more interesting and meaningful:

Three weeks of traveling on a training tram in two shifts with a mentor in groups of 6-7 people. You will never forget the first time you go into the city on a tram under your control. The tram is educational, but everything else: buses, pedestrians, cars, etc. - everything is real.
Then 240 hours (which is an average of 30 full-time shifts) as a trainee on real city routes with real passengers, adherence to schedules and other “perks” of this work.
As a final stage, an internship of 10 days to consolidate the results.
Passing a kind of state exam at the traffic police (obtaining a license) and passing the exam to your road safety service.

ChelyabGET routes run throughout the city.

Workdays of a tram driver

After that, you, as a young driver, go out to work independently on a assigned carriage with various conductors, and your working career begins.

Schedule

Tram driver work schedules are different:

5 days first shift, 2 days off;
6 days second shift, 2 days off. Moreover, 6 days in reserve.

The reserve, in turn, means that you and the other 6 drivers sit in the depot in case of: absence of a replacement driver, road accident, accident, breakdown of rolling stock. In other words, the number of cars according to the list should operate in the city is the same number in any case.

Violations during work

Another nuance is violations while working as a driver.

The worst thing is going to work smelling of alcohol.

Immediately before each work shift, you need to undergo a safety briefing (they talk about the latest traffic changes, the closure of tram lines and the time of their closure, about accidents involving trams) and a doctor, who, in case of suspected intoxication, allows you to breathe into a tube.

For such a violation, depending on the need of the drivers, either immediate dismissal or transfer to a track fitter for six months (clean tram switches, perform other work) follows. Naturally, with such a transfer you lose at least 2 times your salary.

Working as a tram driver is difficult, but possible.

The next most dangerous violation is carrying a stranger in the cabin or talking to passengers while driving.

For this, the bonus is deprived and the coupon is taken away. By the way, there are only three such coupons: red, yellow and green. With the first violation of any kind, the green ticket is taken away (it can be returned after six months), if there is another violation during these six months, a yellow ticket is taken away, etc. Without a red ticket, the driver cannot enter the line.

In general, working as a tram driver is difficult, but possible. It's not the hardest job.

How much does a tram driver earn?

The popularity of public transport has almost always remained high. Even today, when the roads are full of cars, the relevance of this issue does not decrease. People who do not have their own means of transportation always try to choose the most convenient and fastest transport to get to work, university, school, etc.

The tram was invented at the end of the 19th century, and was immediately loved by the townspeople. This type of transport has a relatively fast speed, is easy to use and runs on environmentally friendly fuel – electricity.

Most tram tracks are laid along the road, not adjacent to traffic lanes. This advantage helps you avoid all kinds of traffic jams and easily get to your desired destination. Those who operate the tram are called drivers. Their work activity consists of high-quality and safe management of the entrusted transport.

So how much does a tram driver earn? To answer the question asked, we should consider in more detail all the specifics of this profession.

Professional training

To become a tram driver (car driver), you need to get a secondary education and then complete special courses for tram drivers. A higher or secondary specialized education is not required to obtain the position of a tram driver.

These courses continue for ten months free of charge, with subsequent employment. When taking the courses, you will need to master lectures on the structure of a tram, electrical equipment and electrical circuits, basic safety rules, rules for operating a vehicle, as well as first aid.

After mastering the lecture material, there is driving practice, after which you must first pass an internal exam with a current tram driver, and then an exam at the traffic police. Only after successfully passing all exams can you begin to perform your job duties.

At first, the presence of a mentor is a prerequisite. For about a month or two, the current tram driver will stay next to the trainee, but in practice this time can be halved - it all depends on the abilities of the novice tram driver.

In order to receive a document confirming completion of the tram driver course, you must work for three years in your specialty, otherwise you will have to reimburse the organization for the cost of the completed courses, which is an average of 30-40 thousand rubles .

The work and responsibilities of a tram driver

Any person who has reached the age of 21 and is in good physical health can become a tram driver. Drivers work every day, regardless of weather conditions. Therefore, if it’s -30 degrees outside, the driver still goes out and starts working.

In recent years, the state apparatus has sponsored tram depots in many cities, and old trams were replaced with new models, where the heating system was improved and the comfort of this type of public transport was increased. Now terrible frost or heat is not as scary for tram employees as before.

Also, you must have certain personal qualities:

responsibility;
stress resistance;
non-conflict;
diligence;
good vision;
ability to find contact with people;
the ability to make the right decisions in a short period of time;
be respectful towards all road users.

There is a certain category of citizens who cannot work in this area. These are the people:

disabled people of groups II and III;
having mental and neurological disorders;
having drug or alcohol addiction;
under 21 years of age;
having a criminal record under the articles “Deliberate infliction of harm to human life and health.”

The tram driver bears great responsibility for the entrusted vehicle, as well as for the safety of passengers. In addition to ensuring the proper level of security, his responsibilities include:

obey management who is responsible for the driver’s work path;
stick to the timetable;
carry out operational orders of the dispatcher, auditors, traffic police officers and other persons who have the right to regulate traffic;
undergo a medical examination before starting work;
arrive at work on time without being late.

Before starting a trip, each tram driver must have:

waybill;
certificate for the right to drive a tram;
driver's record;
an insurance policy issued in the name of the tram driver;
certified documents confirming that the tram has passed a technical inspection.

Benefits, bonuses, retirement

Annual leave is 28 calendar days, but upon reaching one year of experience in this area, an additional 12 calendar days are added. Typically, vacation is divided into two parts and time off is taken twice a year. Tamwai drivers have the right to early retirement when women reach the age of 50, and men - 55. You can also retire early if women drivers have 15 years of continuous experience, and men - 20 years.

Salaries in Russia

The salary of a tram driver consists of a salary (fixed) part and a bonus. The latter consists of overtime hours worked (work on holidays, in the evening and at night). Also, the level of earnings will depend on the qualification (class) obtained, the duration of the shift, as well as on the region of residence.

A big criterion for fulfilling the set plan and, therefore, achieving a good bonus increase is passenger traffic. The larger it is, the higher the income of the tram driver.

The average salary for a tram driver in Russia is 21,314 rubles per month, but can vary from higher to lower, depending on the region of the country.

In Moscow, the average income of a tram driver is 59 thousand rubles per month worked. Young specialists begin their driving careers with a figure of 30-33 thousand rubles.

In St. Petersburg, the average monthly salary is 43 thousand rubles. Beginning drivers can count on 30 thousand rubles.

This fact can be explained by the fact that in megacities there is a huge passenger flow, high fares and a widely developed tram network.

In sparsely populated cities, the average salary is 18 thousand rubles, although there are settlements where the income is 15 thousand rubles, and there are where it is 25.

Salaries in Western countries

Abroad, the use of trams is quite relevant. In Europe, trams are an integral part of public transport. Unlike domestic loud and noisy models, Western trams are quiet, comfortable and low-speed, which allows disabled passengers and passengers with prams to quickly and easily enter the carriage.

In Germany, the average salary of a tram driver is 3 thousand euros per month worked.
In Finland, the monthly income of a tram driver is on average 2 thousand euros.
In the former Soviet Union, trams are also popular. In Ukraine, the average salary for a tram driver is three thousand hryvnia (slightly less than 6,500 rubles). This value is several times less than the Russian salary.
In Belarus, the income of representatives of this profession is on average 800 Belarusian rubles (approximately 23-24 thousand rubles) and has a slightly higher coefficient than the average earnings in Russia.

In recent years, the relevance of trams has increased among the local population. The main thing is that this type of vehicle meets the level of comfort and safety for people.