The Pinnacle of British Train Driving

[notadriver]

If you do rostered Sundays on FCC you are no longer averaging 35 hours a week. East Coast drivers are on about 50-52k Sundays inside (35 hours week)

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Taking this away from the original question further, but once you reach the 40% tax bracket at £45k then anything you earn on top of that is arguably less important than the terms and conditions you are working under. I could get £50-60 more a week in my take home pay if I worked for XC (the commute from home would be identical to my current one) but I think the terms and conditions over there would have a bigger impact on my life than the extra money.

 

[A-driver]

If you do rostered Sundays on FCC you are no longer averaging 35 hours a week. East Coast drivers are on about 50-52k Sundays inside (35 hours week)

That's true but you also have to work the Sundays which can often be problematic when there are no early trains into work, replacement buses etc. (I'm mainly talking about kings cross) but with FCC if there are going to be problems getting in for an early Sunday you can just go unavaliable or ask for a taxi which they will normally provide mainly as they know you can go unavaliable.

But it also depends how money obsessed you are-the 44k I get plus Sundays and very occasional overtime is more than enough fur me. I wouldn't look at moving to east coast etc purely for the extra few grand a year- I'd be more interested in the terms and conditions, work variety, diagram contents and work environment. I'm pretty sure east coast have sold most of their t&cs for the extra pay.

 

[E&W Lucas]

That's true but you also have to work the Sundays which can often be problematic when there are no early trains into work, replacement buses etc. (I'm mainly talking about kings cross) but with FCC if there are going to be problems getting in for an early Sunday you can just go unavaliable or ask for a taxi which they will normally provide mainly as they know you can go unavaliable.

But it also depends how money obsessed you are-the 44k I get plus Sundays and very occasional overtime is more than enough fur me. I wouldn't look at moving to east coast etc purely for the extra few grand a year- I'd be more interested in the terms and conditions, work variety, diagram contents and work environment. I'm pretty sure east coast have sold most of their t&cs for the extra pay.

The proof is in the eating, as they say. The inter city outfits largely recruit from the qualified market, and they are over subscribed with applicants, without needing to advertise. This isn't meant to sound superior, but you don't see many going from high speed work to suburban.

Both have their advantages and drawbacks (and I have done both). With the high speed stuff, the job can go wrong very quickly indeed, and you are a very long way from home when it does. On the plus side, I find the work a lot more pleasant, better traction, no "100% productive" bits and pieces diagrams, good variety of work and traction, a more "grown up" management regime and because they have the pick of the driving grade, a largely idiot free group of colleagues. You don't look at the roster when you are morning standby, and worry about who is going to omit to report for work!

Re the Sundays debate. If you are on the "Sundays included" contract, then you earn more money, for less hours, plus it is 100% pensionable. I was a little concerned when I switched onto it, but it's a no brainer when you've tried it. T&C's can be over stated. Most of the "Sold" ones seem to have been things like miles (again, as a salery payment it is pensionable), or double manning for high speed work (so what). If you're worried about being moved a few extra minutes off spare, then we have a different mindset. I have been moved 8 hours off spare one day this week, and it's not the first time. Doesn't bother me; I got the week off in the school hols I asked for recently, despite the roster being full.... You scratch their back, and they scratch yours. As I said, an adult style of management....

 

[156402]

I would say it's Eurostar. It's the highest paying TOC including the international bonus they get. To be even considered for driving these 300 kph trains you need to have at least 5 years main line driving experience at 90 mph or more and of course drivers must be able to speak French in addition to knowing the rule books for 3 different countries.

However, I would say very tedious as 99% is under TVM430 which tells you what speed to drive. In addtion, very long sections of same speed running. I know a few ES drivers and that is their general opinion.

For reference, rule book / Network requirements are:

NR High Speed 1
NR Infrastructure
Eurotunnel
SNCF
SNCB

 

[BravoGolfMike]

Taking this away from the original question further, but once you reach the 40% tax bracket at £45k then anything you earn on top of that is arguably less important than the terms and conditions you are working under. I could get £50-60 more a week in my take home pay if I worked for XC (the commute from home would be identical to my current one) but I think the terms and conditions over there would have a bigger impact on my life than the extra money.

That's why you should be paying into BRASS! No driver should pay top rate tax, simply pay the excess into your pension as an AVC and claim your 40% tax relief.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I do pay into BRASS.

I think my original point remains relevant though, and it's not about what those on £50k should spend their extra money on but why those on £45k with better terms and conditions might not want to run to the WCML, ECML or XC the first chance they get.

 

[Rugd1022]

For me, I'd say the 'pinnacle' would be driving our heaviest train up and down the steepest gradients and getting it bang on everytime - we all have good and bad days in the job but I get a good deal of satisfaction out of getting the braking just round decending the Lickey on wet and windy night with 2,500 tons of metal pushing me downhill... almost an everyday thing really, so perhaps not exactly what the OP asked, but it's still very satisfying.

 

[AndyLandy]

I think this thread proves there is no pinnacle, it's totally subjective.

I think that's likely to be the key point. I had just as much fun in an 08 shunter moving kettles around the engine yard as I did on the footplate of the Duke of Gloucester.

 

[Buffer68]

My aim is to become a driver and I will be happy to drive any train. However, the pinnacle for me would be HST and as I live in the west country that is what I am hoping to get to. But who knows what may happen in the future.

 

[Vicpaul]

Couldn't say what my pinnacle would be. Drove for five years on the Piccadilly line and have recently embarked starting over with southern. Ever since I first drove a train I've had an inner urge to drive all trains. As mentioned above there is no better feeling then getting a drive spot on.

 

[TDK]

After driving for Southern on the intence services into Charing Cross, Victoria & London Bridge, also driving 158's up the marches ets, 153's on the HOW, 168's at 100mph on the Chilterns for me the pinnacle of my career was working for WSMR with the 67/DVT combo apparently so I was informed the 12 drivers who worked for WSMR were the envy of many others being staff and enthusiasts not that bothered me but working for a company with a small amount of staff and achieving 99% satisfaction from the customer base for me was being at the top of the tree.