Brands, services, platforms and people
Try It by Career Calling

Tram Driver

Machinery Operators and DriversUsually a certificate or some on-the-job experience

What the work is

Drives a tram to transport passengers on urban light rail networks.

Would you enjoy the work?

These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.

  • Operates tram controls and regulates speed
  • Monitors traffic conditions and adjusts driving accordingly
  • Announces stops and provides passenger information
  • Reports mechanical or operational issues

Try it

A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a tram depot and the city routes that run out from it, in a fictional river city. They are fictional.

The kind of days you could have

Good days

  • A packed tram pulls in right on time and everyone steps off without a fuss
  • A nervous first-time rider thanks you for waiting while they found their stop
  • A clear, quiet night run when the signals, the track and the timetable all line up

Hard days

  • A stretch of route where cars keep stopping on the tracks and you cannot swerve
  • Early starts and split shifts that leave you running on very little sleep
  • Passengers upset about a delay that is not your doing, and you are the face of it

Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.

Work a mission

Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.

Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 711333, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.