Annual Salary
£24,000 to £65,000
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Swap to Distribution or Logistics or go back to all job sectors
Train drivers operate trains on the rail network, carrying passengers and freight around the country.
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
0.2% more Train driver jobs in 2027.
In this role you'll:
You may need to wear a uniform.
Your working environment may be noisy and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through:
You can apply to a train operating company and begin a train driver advanced apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
You can start as a rail passenger assistant or train conductor, then apply for a trainee driver post. This is also a common way to become a London Underground driver.
You can apply directly to a train operating company to become a trainee driver.
Employers usually expect you to have GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths, or equivalent qualifications.
Training can last between 12 and 24 months.
You'll need to:
A good way to find out about trainee driver vacancies is to sign up for job alerts with train operating companies.
You'll find train operating companies through the Rail Delivery Group.
Once you're qualified, you could work on passenger, freight or engineering trains.
With experience, you could combine your job with instructing trainee drivers, who are learning new routes and cab controls. You could also become a driver trainer, teaching new starters in the classroom, working with driver simulators and accompanying trainees on journeys.
You could move into management, supervising drivers and making sure trains and crew are where they need to be on the rail network. Operations management is another possibility, planning future rail developments.
Careers that move has more information about how to become a train or Tube train driver.
You'll need: