IRISH RAIL HAS opened its latest external recruitment programme for train drivers, and said that is urging more women to apply for roles at the public transport service.

Dozens of positions are expected for driving roles at Irish Rail over the next few years, the company said, as further investment in train services will see more drivers needed to deliver on this expansion. 

In January 2019, the company launched its first ever external recruitment drive after drivers had been previously recruited internally from within the CIÉ group.

At that stage, Irish Rail had said it expected to fill 100 new positions over four years. 

For the latest driver roles advertised, candidates must be willing to work various shift patterns including weekend work for between 39 and 48 hours a week.

The new drivers will be based in depots all around the country and successful candidates will be placed on a salary scale that can reach as as high as €60,000 a year. 

The drivers must have excellent communication skills, be calm in an emergency, follow rules and procedures, be conscientious and have a customer focus.

Irish Rail chief executive Jim Meade said: “With the planned expansion of services as part of the National Development Plan, it is an exciting time to become part of a growing organisation. 

“We are also seeing great interest in careers in Iarnród Éireann from a range of backgrounds – we are a diverse and inclusive employer, and in particular we urge more women to apply for driver roles, and are encouraged by the increasing interest from women in recent recruitment drives.”

The company said in the coming years it will expand the Dart service, with service level increases and the service frequency enhanced to Maynooth/M3 Parkway, Hazelhatch and Drogheda. 

Also under the National Development Plan, existing fleet numbers are set to increase by almost 50% with a tender process currently under way for up to 600 carriages. 

You can find out more information about the jobs here.