Retail Service Managers- Newcastle

XC Trains Limited; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance 30–35 days

Pension scheme

Free rail travel

Discounted rail travel after 1 year

Job summary

CrossCountry is seeking a Retail Service Manager to be the face of our onboard catering, delivering a premium service via trolley or onboard shop to passengers in Standard and First Class. You will help ensure journeys are comfortable and enjoyable through thoughtful, proactive guest care.

Training starts with a 4-week course at the Derby Customer Service Training Centre, followed by a permanent full-time role.

Qualifications

• Customer-facing role with a focus on satisfaction and a proactive service approach.
• Ability to work flexible hours including early mornings, evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
• Professional appearance that reflects the CrossCountry brand.

Responsibilities

• Be the face of CrossCountry onboard trains, delivering high-quality catering service.
• Operate a trolley service or onboard shop to serve refreshments in Standard Class and First Class.
• Ensure passengers travel in comfort and style with attentive service.

Skills

Excellent people skills

Customer service driven

Strong work ethic

Team player

Flexible

Well-presented

Authentic, energetic personality

Job description

What you’ll be doing

As a Retail Service Manager, you will be the face of CrossCountry onboard our trains – providing a warm welcome, delivering a high-quality catering service through the train either with a Trolley Service or from the On Board Shop, making every journey a positive experience for our customers. From serving refreshments in Standard Class to offering complimentary service in First Class, you will play a key role in ensuring passengers travel in comfort and style.

What’s in it for you?

Starting salary: £26,888 pa during training, rising to £34,061 after successful training (based on a 38-hour week) Permanent, full-time position with great career prospects

Comprehensive training and continuous support (Your initial 4-week training course will take place at our Customer Service Training Centre in Derby, where you will be trained on all aspects of the role). Opportunities to grow within a national transport brand.

What We are Looking For

We are not just hiring for a role — we’re hiring the right people. Here’s what success looks like:

• Excellent people skills – confident, approachable, and great at connecting with customers.
• Customer service driven – Maintains a strong focus on customer satisfaction by delivering efficient, and proactive service at all times.
• Strong work ethic – reliable, consistent, and committed to high standards.
• Team player – work seamlessly with onboard crew and local colleagues.
• Flexible – able to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, and bank holidays.
• Well-presented – professional appearance that reflects our brand.
• Personality – we want authentic, energetic individuals, not robots!

Location Requirement

You must live within 1 hour’s commute of Newcastle and be able to travel at unsocial hours reliably.

Why Join CrossCountry?

At CrossCountry, we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone can thrive. We value the unique perspectives that everyone brings and believe this drives our success.

In return our benefits include:

• Holiday allowance of 30 days, rising by one day a year up to a maximum 35 days.
• Entry into the Pension Scheme
• Free travel on Arriva Rail services (CrossCountry, Chiltern, London Overground and Grand Central)
• 75% off travel on other UK rail companies
• Discounted European rail travel after one year.

Application Deadline: Friday 25th September 2026. Please note, successful applicants will be required to attend a medical and have a DBS check.

Arriva is a leading provider of passenger transport across Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys. With buses, trains, coaches, trams, waterbuses, bike-sharing systems, on-demand transport solutions and a rolling stock leasing company, Arriva proudly connects people and communities safely, reliably and sustainably across 11 countries, delivering these services in a better way, every day. The activities of Arriva are divided into four business units: UK Bus, UK Trains, The Netherlands and Mainland Europe. Arriva has passenger transport operations in the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom, and also operates a rolling stock leasing company in Romania.