Train Driver Trainer Salary Query

[Juliet Barvo]

Here's a Query to the informed, the Lad's been pestering me incessantly now that he's got a job as a Trainee Train Driver - I say Driver Trainer's will be on a higher salary than Drivers as it's a step up from Driver, the Lad says that they'll be on less than a Driver as they'll have a better shift pattern.

So, what is a Train Driver Trainer's Salary, please, more or less than that of Train Driver?

 

[ComUtoR]

How long is a piece of string ? It will depend on TOC etc etc.

Ours were on a lower salary until recently and now I believe they get a similar rate to our Driver Instructors and they still hold Drivers competency. Our Driver Managers constantly complain about their salary and although its above the Driver grade they often take home less.

What you take home is dependent on other factors. Typically what boosts your take home is rest day working. In the Trainer grade and Manager grades there is less, if not zero, opportunity for overtime. Drivers daily hours also vary but a Trainers will tend to be more of the 9-5, Monday - Friday working week. Whereas a Driver, at least at my TOC, works a 4 day week.

 

[the stripler]

How long is a piece of string ? It will depend on TOC etc etc.

Ours were on a lower salary until recently and now I believe they get a similar rate to our Driver Instructors and they still hold Drivers competency. Our Driver Managers constantly complain about their salary and although its above the Driver grade they often take home less.

What you take home is dependent on other factors. Typically what boosts your take home is rest day working. In the Trainer grade and Manager grades there is less, if not zero, opportunity for overtime. Drivers daily hours also vary but a Trainers will tend to be more of the 9-5, Monday - Friday working week. Whereas a Driver, at least at my TOC, works a 4 day week.

Im currently on 3k more as an instructor than the base level driver with my toc

 

[SlimJim1694]

I doubt a driver trainer would be on less at any TOC as they have to be qualified drivers to begin with. The hours are less antisocial with all weekends, evenings and bank holidays off but the other side of that coin is that they are on a five day week as comutor says.

Having said that, driver instructors (not trainers) on HS1 are apparently on the same rate as a normal HS1 driver - which is the same as a DI on the normal SE trains. They must have some dedicated people over there doing it for the sheer love of it.

 

[SRH]

A Driver Managers job is "Not" above a Qualified train drivers job under any circumstances. A driver trainer is a different story.

Depending on what TOC you work for there are different ways the role is done. Some TOCS seperate the paperwork (line managers) and driver competency (development managers) roles completely where as some will have one person covering both roles.

In terms of the food chain in railway terms, driver is the safest job you can have. Any reforms or structural changes within TOCS leave all middle management vulnerable. Drivers will ALWAYS be required. You earning potential is much higher than your managers based on the fact you can do overtime too.

 

[king_walnut]

At my TOC the trainers are on the DI salary + 10% .. so that makes it around the £73k mark.

 

[Lewis H]

Why would you put your license on the line for less money?

 

[Stigy]

I can’t say for sure, but I know from experience that management grades don’t always get paid more than those they manage. Seems bizarre, but that’s the way it goes sometimes when you take in to account managers often don’t get enhanced rates for certain shifts etc. Driver trainers (not DIs) tend to be management grades, and bearing in mind they will normally work sociable hours, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that hey will be paid at least no more than a qualified driver.

 

[43066]

A Driver Managers job is "Not" above a Qualified train drivers job under any circumstances. A driver trainer is a different story.

Depending on what TOC you work for there are different ways the role is done. Some TOCS seperate the paperwork (line managers) and driver competency (development managers) roles completely where as some will have one person covering both roles.

In terms of the food chain in railway terms, driver is the safest job you can have. Any reforms or structural changes within TOCS leave all middle management vulnerable. Drivers will ALWAYS be required. You earning potential is much higher than your managers based on the fact you can do overtime too.

The traditional DM role, which combines the paperwork and the competency side of things, is above the driver grade in terms of seniority and basic pay.

Albeit the difference in basic pay is usually only a few £k and, as noted above, drivers who do overtime can earn substantially more than their managers.

Where the paperwork side is split out the DM role then becomes really just an admin role, with pay well below drivers’ basic pay in most cases.

Quite why some TOCs and FOCs see it as beneficial to split the role out isn’t immediately clear. I suspect it’s because it’s cheaper to employ more administrator “managers” on low salaries, and fewer competency investigators, who can command higher pay as qualified drivers.

 

[beeman05]

Just got my feedback call from the OPC based on my first stage assessment on 10 Jan.

I failed on the TRP1 the GLOP test. I only passed this to national standard but passed the rest to enhanced. OPC said if I reapply to TPE I would only need to sit the TRP1 GLOP test to then get to stage two.

If anyone else didn't pass the first stage I emailed the OPC on their website and provided a contact number for them to follow up with feedback. It was only a 5 min call but good to know where I failed and what I need to do next time.