A CHAOS-hit rail operator has revealed that it received a record-breaking number of applications from members of the public wanting to work for them in the past year.

Arriva-owned Northern Rail, which is set to be owned by the taxpayer on Sunday, revealed that around 100 people applied for every single role it advertised. 

Roles which ranged from driver paying around £53,000 a year, a conductor paying £29,000 a year, and other roles paying well above the minimum wage managed to rake in interest from far and wide.

It said almost 54,000 people applied to a total of 593 vacancies across its rail operations in the North-East and North-West - a drastic increase since taking over the franchise in 2016.

The firm said more than 6,000 people now worked for Northern across the North of England, while it had seen an 32 percent rise in the number of drivers it employed at almost 2,000. 

'We've created new jobs'

Richard Allan, Deputy Managing Director at Northern, said: “Northern is a major contributor to the economy of the north as an employer and customer for many local businesses.

“As well as carrying a record number of customers in 2019 – getting people across the region where they need to be – Northern has created 800 new jobs during Arriva’s ownership.

“We are proud to be a major employer in many major towns and cities and to have given so many people the chance to join us and build a career in the rail industry.”