Train Driver Pay

Train driver pay varies across the different companies. Below is a table of pay and annual leave for the different UK train operating companies. Although you may be tempted to only apply for the higher paid positions, my advice would be to apply to any vacancy, regardless of pay. Once you are fully qualified, you are free to apply for Train Driver vacancies at the other train operating companies, The most important thing is to actually get in the industry. Also keep in mind that different employers offer different terms and conditions in your contract, going with an employer who pays more is not always the best move to make, as with higher wages normally comes greater demands on your flexibility, and the loss of other nice perks and protections that may be found in a contract with a lower annual salary.

Arriva Cross Country	£44,388.00	35 hour, 4 day week.
Arriva Trains Wales	£33,808.00	35 hour, 4 day week.
C2C	£37,235.00	35 hours over week
Chiltern	£40,465.00	35 hours, 5 day week
DRS	£41,970.11	35 hours, 5 day week
DB Shenker	£38,440.00	35 hours, 5 day week
East Midlands Trains	£36,461.00	35 hours, 4 day week
Eurostar	£47,707.00	35 hours, 4 day week
First Capital Connect	£38,000.00	35 hours, 4 day week
First Great Western	£39,760.00	35 hours, 4 day week
First Scot Rail	£34,620.00	35 hours, 4 day week
Freightliner	£35,175.00	35 hours, 4 day week
Freightliner Heavy Haul	£42,545,00	35 hours, 4 day week
Gatwick Express	£34,441.00	35 hours, average 4.3 day week
GB Railfreight	£43,300.00	35 hours, 4 day week
Heathrow Express	£33,961.00	38 hour week, 5 days
Hull Trains	£40,978.00	35 hours, 4 day week
London Overground	£40,000	35 hours, average 4.25 day week
Island Line	£33,070.00	39 hours, 4 day week
London Midland	£35,059.00	35 hours, 4 day week
London Underground	£40,111.00	35 hours, 4 day week
Merseyrail	£33,000.00	35 hours, 5 day week
Nexus	£30,534.00	36 hours, 4 day week
Northern Rail	£35,426.00	35 hours, 4.5 day week
National Express East Coast	£46,228.00	35 hours, over average 4.33 day week
National Express East Anglia	£35,321.00	35 hours, 4 day week
Serco Rail Operations	£38,633.00	35 hours, 5 day week
South Eastern	£39,350.00	35 hours, average 4.5 day week
Southern	£37,545.00	35 hours, 4 day week
South West Trains	£40,053.00	37 hours, 4.4 day week
Transpennine Express	£37,408.00	35 hours, 4 day week
Tubelines	£41,324.00	35 hours, average of 4 day week
Virgin West Coast	£44,431.00	35 hours, 4 day week

So that's the pay, what other benefits are there? Well you will get free travel for you and you're spouse on your chosen companies network, and you will also get 75% discount on all other rail travel (with some minor exceptions)

You get roughly 7 to 8 weeks holidays per year, and you are only working a 4 day week. They are the main attractions of being a train driver and one of the main reasons why 300 people apply for every vacancy.

However there are many more attractions about the job in my opinion - good job security, protection provided from being part of a strong union, and a limit to the number of hours you can spend driving per day are some of the many many agreements which the unions have negotiated into the contracts.

Many people also love the lifestyle - varied working weeks, working alone for most of the day without interference from anybody, and work that is actually quite fun - you get to drive a train, which may or may not have been the stuff of dreams for many in their childhood (or adulthood in the case of spotters)

I won't go into too much detail on this as it's not really part of the recruitment process - but it's nice to keep it in mind for motivational purposes...

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