Maximum experienced driver pay

[JDAWC]

What would the maximum salary be for a driver be who, for example, has been driving the west coast for 25 years? Open to any other examples no matter where in the country. I’m guessing a company like Avanti has a higher MAX salary then let’s say EMR.

 

[GPR]

The figure you see is the maximum a driver will get. You don’t get more than your colleague because you’ve been on the job for 5/10/15 years more than them.
Certain TOCs pay more though.
Avanti being one of the highest. A list is on the ASLEF site I believe.

 

[Grvrdvicdr]

Fishing for a news article huh

 

[JDAWC]

Fishing for a news article huh

No. I’m not even old enough to be a journalist fella calm down.

 

[whoosh]

What would the maximum salary be for a driver be who, for example, has been driving the west coast for 25 years? Open to any other examples no matter where in the country. I’m guessing a company like Avanti has a higher MAX salary then let’s say EMR.

It isn't like the Armed Forces, or British Airways pilots - where you get a salary uplift each year. What gave you that idea?!

Someone driving the West Coast for three years is on the same pay as someone driving for forty.

The maximum salary is the ordinary salary.

 

[JDAWC]

It isn't like the Armed Forces, or British Airways pilots - where you get a salary uplift each year. What gave you that idea?!

Someone driving the West Coast for three years is on the same pay as someone driving for forty.

The maximum salary is the ordinary salary.

I just assumed it was mate to be honest. I’m a first year post-16 apprentice at my current TOC and I regularly speak to drivers about rosters, leave, hours, shift patterns etc. I just never ask about pay. I’m interested in knowing more about how pay structure works but would never ask one of my colleagues as it’s just downright rude and invasive. That’s why I came in here anonymously to ask

 

[Unicorn7]

I just assumed it was mate to be honest. I’m a first year post-16 apprentice at my current TOC and I regularly speak to drivers about rosters, leave, hours, shift patterns etc. I just never ask about pay. I’m interested in knowing more about how pay structure works but would never ask one of my colleagues as it’s just downright rude and invasive. That’s why I came in here anonymously to ask

I would take some of the comments on this forum with a pinch of salt.

I work for NR and bands 1-4 very much work how you mentioned so to a salary uplift each year. And we’re not Armed Forces either. Operational and bands 5-8 however don’t so the salary is what it is.
I think you’ve done the right thing coming to the forum to ask the question anonymously because peers do not like to discuss pay.
You just find on forums like this there are a lot of know it alls and whilst some threads are really helpful and supportive, some aren’t…

 

[172007]

Once the driver's salary increases from the training rate to the normal rate after a couple of years then all driver's are on the same rate regardless of experience for most if not all tocs. There are no salary increments yearly only the salary increase that the DFT allows to be negotiated for each TOC or, as at the moment for all English TOCs.

The only exception is that driver instructors are paid slightly more due to the extra responsibilities they have rather than extra experience.

Hope that helps.

 

[Train_manager]

Once the driver's salary increases from the training rate to the normal rate after a couple of years then all driver's are on the same rate regardless of experience for most if not all tocs. There are no salary increments yearly only the salary increase that the DFT allows to be negotiated for each TOC or, as at the moment for all English TOCs.

The only exception is that driver instructors are paid slightly more due to the extra responsibilities they have rather than extra experience.

Hope that helps.

Just a side note not all English TOCs are under the DFT urmbrella. Those that are not have all had pay deals agreed.

 

[Efini92]

What would the maximum salary be for a driver be who, for example, has been driving the west coast for 25 years? Open to any other examples no matter where in the country. I’m guessing a company like Avanti has a higher MAX salary then let’s say EMR.

Avanti have fallen down the table of which drivers are highest paid. Because they are (along with other tocs) at loggerheads with the dft, some freight and tocs have overtaken them. I think Eurostar are the current highest followed by LNER.

 

[JDAWC]

I would take some of the comments on this forum with a pinch of salt.

I work for NR and bands 1-4 very much work how you mentioned so to a salary uplift each year. And we’re not Armed Forces either. Operational and bands 5-8 however don’t so the salary is what it is.
I think you’ve done the right thing coming to the forum to ask the question anonymously because peers do not like to discuss pay.
You just find on forums like this there are a lot of know it alls and whilst some threads are really helpful and supportive, some aren’t…

Thanks mate. Are bands the same as links? Yeah I would never ask a colleague about pay unless it was a very good friend. It’s just best to avoid that pointless. And oh boy reading through other forums on here about various things the amount of know it alls is ridiculous!

Once the driver's salary increases from the training rate to the normal rate after a couple of years then all driver's are on the same rate regardless of experience for most if not all tocs. There are no salary increments yearly only the salary increase that the DFT allows to be negotiated for each TOC or, as at the moment for all English TOCs.

The only exception is that driver instructors are paid slightly more due to the extra responsibilities they have rather than extra experience.

Hope that helps.

That really helps mate thanks .

 

[JDAWC]

Avanti have fallen down the table of which drivers are highest paid. Because they are (along with other tocs) at loggerheads with the dft, some freight and tocs have overtaken them. I think Eurostar are the current highest followed by LNER.

I see. I know historically the west coast used be the most ‘prestige’ and one of the highest payed.

 

[ComUtoR]

I think you’ve done the right thing coming to the forum to ask the question anonymously because peers do not like to discuss pay.

Drivers just love talking about pay. We never stop talking about it ! Who get's paid what, how many hours overtime, which TOC get's more/less. Staff turnover (due to pay), what I took home this month, which department got a pay rise, job news, EU holiday pay, rest day workers, sick pay, retirement numbers, medical payouts, part time pay, etc. etc.

We work in an industry where our wages are very very public. (not always reported correctly). At my TOC; all salary 'bands' are posted on the notice board.

It's not even seen as crass. Pay discussions have always been pretty open; especially as we are all on the same pay.

 

[JDAWC]

Drivers just love talking about pay. We never stop talking about it ! Who get's paid what, how many hours overtime, which TOC get's more/less. Staff turnover (due to pay), what I took home this month, which department got a pay rise, job news, EU holiday pay, rest day workers, sick pay, retirement numbers, medical payouts, part time pay, etc. etc.

We work in an industry where our wages are very very public. (not always reported correctly). At my TOC; all salary 'bands' are posted on the notice board.

It's not even seen as crass. Pay discussions have always been pretty open; especially as we are all on the same pay.

I cannot tell if that first paragraph is sarcastic or not!?!?

 

[ComUtoR]

I cannot tell if that first paragraph is sarcastic or not!?!?

No sarcasm intended. Driver's gossiping about money is par for the course. I think I spoke about it 3/4 times today. Payday was last week, moaned about my take home more than once and my lack of overtime etc.

 

[JDAWC]

No sarcasm intended. Driver's gossiping about money is par for the course. I think I spoke about it 3/4 times today. Payday was last week, moaned about my take home more than once and my lack of overtime etc.

Oh right! Didn’t know you guys talked so openly about pay! One of our other apprentices who is an apprentice in HR asked another office worker about pay and all of us got sat down and told not to ask anyone about pay. I’ve only had 1 colleague tell me pay which was a fellow platform worker (I’m a customer service post-16 apprentice) so I’m down on the platforms chatting a lot especially as we don’t use assisted dispatch from my station.

 

[ComUtoR]

I don't discuss pay outside my grade. I do kinda agree that isn't the social norm. Within my TOC I'm also on a higher salary than most so yeah, kinda crass to talk about pay.

With Driver pay being public knowledge and discussed openly it's difficult to hide.

Even our Managers salary was posted recently as it was on a job advert. A friend and I were discussing a 'non job' because of the pay advertised in the vacancy list.

But to each other... Yep non issue.

 

[JDAWC]

I don't discuss pay outside my grade. I do kinda agree that isn't the social norm. Within my TOC I'm also on a higher salary than most so yeah, kinda crass to talk about pay.

With Driver pay being public knowledge and discussed openly it's difficult to hide.

Even our Managers salary was posted recently as it was on a job advert. A friend and I were discussing a 'non job' because of the pay advertised in the vacancy list.

But to each other... Yep non issue.

Nice to know that mate. I was speaking to my mum the other day about the slap on the wrist we got and I’m guessing management don’t really want us discussing salaries with ‘proper’ employees as they make wayyyy more than we do. I’m on £13,000 which for a 17yo is obviously very good as I live at home and don’t pay rent or bills but is most likely less than half of even the lowest paid employees at my TOC. Some of my fellow apprentices have told me they think we should be on more but personally I’m very happy with what I get and I’m just grateful to be on the railway at such a young age. This is my first thread I’ve made on here but I read various railway career based threads on here daily as I’m a newbie who is looking to progress right through so I ask as many questions as I can. Cause if you don’t ask questions, you don’t get answers!

 

[SouthernStar]

Train drivers don’t get paid more based on their ‘experience’ their base salary increases from trainee driver to once they’re qualified, some TOCs however have a post-qualiyfing period inbetween.

 

[Train_manager]

Nice to know that mate. I was speaking to my mum the other day about the slap on the wrist we got and I’m guessing management don’t really want us discussing salaries with ‘proper’ employees as they make wayyyy more than we do. I’m on £13,000 which for a 17yo is obviously very good as I live at home and don’t pay rent or bills but is most likely less than half of even the lowest paid employees at my TOC. Some of my fellow apprentices have told me they think we should be on more but personally I’m very happy with what I get and I’m just grateful to be on the railway at such a young age. This is my first thread I’ve made on here but I read various railway career based threads on here daily as I’m a newbie who is looking to progress right through so I ask as many questions as I can. Cause if you don’t ask questions, you don’t get answers!

What TOC train driver salary do you want to know?

 

[baz962]

Avanti have fallen down the table of which drivers are highest paid. Because they are (along with other tocs) at loggerheads with the dft, some freight and tocs have overtaken them. I think Eurostar are the current highest followed by LNER.

Actually I think it's Eurostar and now some southwestern depots

 

[Smelliott]

Yeah, the railway is very different to other industries. I think that's what I like about it. Maximum pay is also going to be determined by how much rest day working is available and how much you're willing to do, of course. Always worth bearing in mind that the more driving you do, the more tired you may be, and the higher the chances of your having an incident may be.