As a former PC in a county force way back in the early 2000s it was crap then, it’s got worse!
I was faced with a crossroad when I was 19, police or railway.
My father was ex services then railway, but I always wanted to be a PC so I choose the Police route 3 years of my life that has left a lasting mental effect.
I joined the railway when Pay was crap, the police paid more.
I have to ask the people leaving or thinking about leaving why train driving ?
It’s boring, the shifts are crap, your equally likely to lose your job for messing up, the law of the land is rounding on you if you do mess up.
I’d assume it’s 99% about the money, when you’ve spent 10+ years of your life in a unskilled role (let’s face it the police like the railway is unskilled work) one of the few jobs with a good outlook security and pay wise for the unskilled worker is the railway aka driving.
What does worry me is the flood of ex blue light personnel who are jumping ship potentially being selected at interview on the back of their service purely ahead of people who are equally well suited but lack the perceived desirable traits railway Hr are looking for.
It seems a real interest in the job is taking a second, third and fourth seat these days to pay.