Newcastle's first light rail vehicle will arrive next month after being shipped from Spain.
With its approaching arrival, progress has been made in the recruitment process with 80 shortlisted candidates but only twenty available positions.
The light rail will reach 2.7 kilometres in length and travel through Wickham to Pacific Park in Newcastle East.
Director of Corporate affairs Andrew Fletcher says the light rail will create ease in
travelling through Newcastle's city centres with passengers permitted to use Opal cards.
"Its going to be a far more efficient way to travel along the dominant axis. There will be integrated ticketing between the buses, ferries, trams and the train services."
The service will be available every 7 minutes and has the capacity to hold 1200 people every hour, the equivalent of three bus fulls.
Candidates who have applied for a position will undergo a series of problem-solving tasks such as reaction tests and personality profiling, with successful applicants receiving a 30-day long intensive training.
"We want to make sure we get people that are safety and customer focused. Its all about ensuring that the very best people are recruited to operate."
The light rail system will be in operation towards the New Year.
