00:00The Metro's plan is simple, bigger network, better service, but scaling up means changing how it runs and who's on board.
00:10The expansion will take the tram system from a single spine to a full regional network.
00:15Direct links to Digbeth, Briley Hill and the NEC. That's why they need 40 new drivers and engineers.
00:21Training includes four weeks of pre-employment prep, then seven weeks of paid driver training.
00:27The goal is to build a new generation of staff, many from local colleges and job centres.
00:33But while jobs are opening up, some are also disappearing. Ticket machines are now live across the Metro.
00:39Passengers are expected to pay before boarding by card app or swift card.
00:44With that shift comes a question, what happens to the conductors?
00:47Their main role selling tickets on board is being phased out. Some may move into enforcement roles.
00:53Others may retrain as drivers. Many are waiting in a kind of employment limbo, unsure how long they'll remain.
01:00For passengers who rely on face-to-face support, it's not just a policy shift, it's a human one.
01:06These are the people who've helped passengers navigate the system for decades.
01:10Now they're being repositioned as the Metro modernises. Behind the rollout is a move to cut costs and run things more efficiently.
01:17The Metro says these changes will help tackle fare dodging and improve the journey.
01:23While conductors may no longer be a fixture on board, the shift reflects a broader move towards automation across transport.
01:31New roles are being created and some staff will retrain.
01:34But as the network grows, so too does the challenge of making sure no one is left behind.
01:41The end.
01:42The end.
01:43The end.
01:44The end.
01:45The end.
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