jobfacts

Train driver

Train and tram drivers — SOC 2020 8231

Train and tram drivers drive diesel, diesel-electric, electric and steam locomotives that transport passengers and goods on surface and underground railways, and transport passengers in trams.

Also calledEngine driverLondon Underground driverTube driverTram driverLight rail passenger driverDriverand 9 more titles
Typical full-time pay£76,3002025 Provisional
People in the job41,000across the UK
Demand for workersCritical
New adverts a month193↑ 15%on last year · 348th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time train drivers earn between £68,900 and £83,100 a year.

What full-time train drivers earn, 2025
£76,300 typical£49,700lowest 10%£68,90025%£86,800top 20%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£68,900–£83,100)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£49,700
Lowest 20% earn less than£63,700
25%£68,900
Median£76,300
75%£83,100
Top 20% earn more than£86,800
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £76,300
South West!£86,900
London£78,500
South East£78,300
East of England£75,900
Scotland!£71,700
North West!£70,900
West Midlands!£67,400
Wales!£65,500
North EastNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £76,300
South West£86,900 (small sample)
London£78,500
South East£78,300
East of England£75,900
Scotland£71,700 (small sample)
North West£70,900 (small sample)
West Midlands£67,400 (small sample)
Wales£65,500 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £64,300
  • 2024 £64,000
  • 2025 Provisional£76,300
↑ 19% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 193 jobs for train drivers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as critical.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026191
Jul 2026209
Jun 2026189
May 2026169
Apr 2026165
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026141
Jan 2026177
Dec 2025113
Nov 2025267
Oct 2025244
Sept 2025260
Aug 2025225
Jul 2025253
Jun 2025223
May 2025197
Apr 2025133
Mar 2025145
Feb 2025187
Jan 2025135
Dec 202479
Nov 2024136
Oct 2024135
Sept 2024153
Aug 2024183
Jul 2024201
Jun 2024164
May 2024179
Apr 2024144
Mar 2024124
Feb 202488
Jan 2024120
Dec 202371
Nov 202382
Oct 2023104
Sept 2023120
Aug 2023133
Jul 2023143
Jun 2023190
May 2023176
Apr 2023116
Mar 2023131
Feb 2023161
Jan 2023175
Dec 2022154
Nov 2022200
Oct 2022198
Sept 2022196
Aug 2022195
Jul 2022219
Jun 2022211
May 2022272
Apr 2022180
Mar 2022186
Feb 2022185
Jan 2022227
Dec 2021166
Nov 2021200
Oct 2021183
Sept 2021181
Aug 2021182
Jul 2021204
Jun 2021223
May 2021184
Apr 2021159
Mar 2021210
Feb 2021131
Jan 2021132
Dec 2020114
Nov 2020153
Oct 2020204
Sept 2020200
Aug 2020133
Jul 2020135
Jun 202072
May 202051
Apr 202095
Mar 2020171
Feb 2020196
Jan 2020190
Dec 2019147
Nov 2019176
Oct 2019187
Sept 2019175
Aug 2019146
Jul 2019214
Jun 2019175
May 2019140
Apr 2019157
Mar 2019190
Feb 2019178
Jan 2019144
Dec 2018122
Nov 2018141
Oct 2018168
Sept 2018192
Aug 2018198
Jul 2018160
Jun 2018190
May 2018187
Apr 2018148
Mar 2018157
Feb 2018123
Jan 2018174
Dec 2017102
Nov 2017136
Oct 2017180
Sept 2017273
Aug 2017213
Jul 2017215
Jun 2017288
May 2017234
Apr 2017206
Mar 2017281
Feb 2017202
Jan 2017235
Is there a shortage of train drivers?
Critical

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthWell above usual
  • Pay against similar jobsWell above usual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertain in multiple indicators: online job advert density, visa density.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
27%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives, which includes train drivers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London53
West Northamptonshire15
Bristol, City of11
Birmingham10
Nottingham10
North Northamptonshire10
Southampton10
Leeds10
Newark and Sherwood9
Stoke-on-Trent7
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where train drivers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of train drivers
n/p
43%!
23%!
20%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
25–34Not published
35–4443% (small sample)
45–5423% (small sample)
55–6420% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!28%
Higher education below degree!3.4%
A levels or equivalent34%
GCSEs or equivalent!28%
Other qualifications!6.4%
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent28% (small sample)
Higher education below degree3.4% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent34%
GCSEs or equivalent28% (small sample)
Other qualifications6.4% (small sample)
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: passenger rail transport, interurban (47%), urban and suburban passenger land transport (34%), regulation of and contribution to more efficient operation of businesses (6.3%), service activities incidental to land transportation (5.6%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
28%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 34%
Registration
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
required for some roles: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Apprenticeships
2
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
1 year
typically

Routes in

Train driver

You can get into this job through:

Apprenticeship

You can apply to a train operating company for a place on a Train Driver Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship takes between 1 and 2 years to complete and combines on-the-job training with classroom learning with a training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • GCSEs grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, in English and maths

Work your way up

You could start as a rail passenger assistant, train conductor or revenues officer with a train company, then apply for a trainee driver post once you have built up your experience.

This is also a way to become a London Underground driver with Transport for London.

Apply directly

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.

You'll have to successfully complete a number of assessments, medical checks and interviews to be accepted onto a training course.

Training normally lasts between 1 and 2 years.

What you’ll need

  • be over 18 years of age
  • pass enhanced background checks
  • pass a medical check
  • live within 45 minutes to 1 hour's travel by car of the depot you're applying to

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You can sign up for job alerts with train operating companies to find out about trainee driver vacancies.

The minimum age for driver training is 18.

Further information

You'll find train operating companies through the Rail Delivery Group.

You can get more information about working in the rail industry from Routes into Rail.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for train driver. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Tram driver

You can get into this job through:

College

Although not essential, you could do a customer service course at college before applying for a job as a trainee tram driver.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You can apply for a place on a Passenger Transport Driver Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, with a tram operating company.

This takes around a year to complete.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start as a passenger transport assistant or conductor and move into driving work through internal company promotion and training.

Apply directly

You could apply to vacancies advertised by tram operating companies. Some employers may ask for GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), particularly in English and maths. Customer service skills are also important.

To apply, you'll usually need to be over 21 and have a clean driving licence.

Experience as a bus, coach or train driver would be useful but is not essential.

You can find out more about careers in light rail from UK Tram.

What you’ll need

  • have a full driving licence
  • be over 21 years of age
  • pass a medical check
  • be screened for drugs and alcohol

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for tram driver. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

2 for this job
Level 2About 1 year

Passenger transport driver

You gain
option 1 bus and coach driver: UK driving licence Category D and Driver CPC; option 2 tram driver: UK driving licence Category B
Registration
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Employers may ask for
Apprentices be a minimum of 18 years old in order to access the apprenticeship.
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • checks controls, gauges, brakes and lights before start of journey and studies route, timetable and track information
  • checks safety equipment, regulates the heating of passenger compartments and records engine defects or unusual incidents on the journey
  • starts train or tram when directed and operates controls to regulate speed
  • watches for track hazards, observes signals and temperature, pressure and other gauges
  • stops as directed to allow passengers to embark/ disembark
  • makes scheduled stops for the loading and unloading of freight and coupling/uncoupling of carriages and tubs
  • maintains radio contact with control centre
  • may make passenger announcements and controls automatic doors
  • may check travel passes, collect fares and deal with passenger queries

Skills

  • adjust weight of cargo to capacity of freight transport vehicles
  • check train engines
  • communicate with customers
  • control train movement
  • ensure maintenance of trains
  • ensure safe arrival of trains
  • ensure trains run to schedule
  • focus on passengers
  • follow signalling instructions
  • handle stressful situations
  • have a high level of safety awareness
  • maintain concentration for long periods
  • mark differences in colours
  • monitor train schedules

Knowledge

  • locomotive brake applications
  • passenger transport regulations
  • physical characteristics of railways
  • track geometry
  • train operating procedures
  • customs regulations for passengers
  • freight transport methods
  • mechanics of trains

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives, a group of 14 jobs that includes train drivers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 6.7%about 80,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035748,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.