FORMER Comet workers have been thrown a lifeline.
A £2m KC Contact Centre contract with Network Rail has created 30 positions, many of which have been filled by former Comet employees.
The outsourced contact centre in Prospect Street is part of Hull communications provider KC and counts Hull City Council and retailer MFI among its clients.
Head of KC Contact Centres Tony Jopling said it was great to be able to provide hardworking people with local jobs.
He said: "It is such a shame what happened at Comet, but winning this contract last November was perfect timing as it enabled us to offer a lifeline to some of the people who had lost their jobs.
"The people who have come from there are clearly highly skilled with a strong customer service and contact centre background.
"We have also taken on former Comet workers to work on another account.
"From our perspective, we are delighted to be able to keep some of that talent in work and the skills in Hull."
KC announced late last year it had been chosen by Network Rail to run its National Helpline and Commercial Property Helpdesk for a five-year period.
The contract is now up and running and the team working on it will handle more than 180,000 enquiries every year about the day to day operations of the UK's railway infrastructure and Network Rail's commercial properties.
"We're very happy to be working with Network Rail, a household name that demands the very best in customer service," Mr Jopling said.
Last year, KC Contact Centres became one of just ten call centres in Yorkshire to be awarded the Global Standard for quality service by international industry body the Customer Contact Association.
It is also ranked among the top 20 of the UK's 6,000-plus call centres for customer service and in the top five public sector call centres.
Mr Jopling said: "Network Rail was looking for an outsourcing partner that can handle the large volume of calls they receive without compromising on service.
"We were able to demonstrate our ability to do this, and to provide innovations and ways of working that continually improve both efficiency and the service we deliver."
